So today - I drew a cast - and started painting it - a wonderful day that went in a trice  -Sara and I want our very  own casts - we wonder if they're expensive -  because they don't move and they just stay there - very still - for hours - we loved it - I painted  the background first - which seemed a really dark colour until it was explained to me my darkest dark was the mouth and under the brows - and that what appeared to be a very dark curtain was in fact  a mid tone - so I was thrilled to mix not only the right colour - but drum roll- the right value - ta da! Alizarin which I have fallen in love with - even though people complain about it's see thoroughness and non lightfastedness  -( I think it's a gorgeous colour and mixed with ultramarine it makes the most amazing dark black ) - mixed with vandyke brown which I met for the first time today( a wonderfully dark - dark warm brown) and a little raw umber and a tiny bit of white makes the most delicious deep red - the very colour of the curtain in fact - so that done - I vandyked my darkest darks - and squinted and turpsed and united (ish) my shadows - I so look forward to painting further another day