To allow for proper discernment of darks and lights a neutral grey gesso underpainting is very valuable. I have taken to using a base of Titanium White, raw umber, yellow ochre and Ultramarine Blue mixed to a neutral grey as my starting point. As you can see from the image below, this allows me to better see the light and dark values of the painting. The values can be tweaked later so you don't have to hit them bang on at the first try. In fact, it is better to not lay in the highlights nor the darkest darks until the mid-darks and mid-lights have been painted in.


I am using a mixture of burnt sienna and Cadmium red to 'draw in' the basic value shapes with a small bristle brush. In the above, only the highlights have been added.


There is still a lot in this painting that is not yet 'right' but most of the large shapes have been filled in and the values roughed in. The colors still need to be tweaked and blending etc. There is still some underdrawing showing in the cloud shapes and the top edge of the mountains. Painting time to date - about 1.5 hours, not counting the time to prepare the canvas (stretching and gesso underpainting).

And so clinging, cease to cling.” 

In the sky, when air moves it appears to become something else, but it is nothing but sky. Shiva, the Lord of meditation, has come to realize that  movement within the One is nothing but the One. That is  Shiva's renunciation. This charcoal drawing represents the release of individual consciousness from its confined state, back into the freedom of sky.

The value study is a prep drawing for a full color oil painting that is currently in progress. A few of the reference photos are pasted below.