Lay Ins - Day 1

Now that my drawing has been transferred, I am going to start blocking it in.  I've been developing my ideas lately with strong chiaroscuro, so I would like to establish my darks at the beginning. I want to have the subject emerging from the shadows -nestled if you will. 

I am using Ivory Black, with some turpentine to keep it loose and flowing, to lay down a base.  I will go over this as I progress through the painting, and "deepen" it in places by adding more opaque paint.  I also added a touch of the Raw Sienna in a few places near the figure to keep the shadow a little warmer. Ivory Black is a very cool color that leans heavily toward blue, but with my Raw Sienna wash underneath, it should give it some warmth.  I will glaze in some warmer tones near the end if it is still too cold.  I want to create a womb-like image, so warm rich shadows (where appropriate) are what I'm looking for.

this is the full image (48"x32") My concept is a mix between burial funeral, womb, birth and death.

What I have found thus far is that the oil based primer coat is very absorbent. I wasn't expecting this.  Usually I can get my paint to run when it is loose, but not with this stuff.  I think I understand what it is doing.  It is binding with the paint film by absorbing the oils and solvents.  I think it is going to make a great surface as I get more and more paint on the board.  I'm interested in seeing what happens as I build it up more and more.