Layering Continues

The next layer of the brown trout is created by mixing burnt sienna, diox purple and a little carbon black.  I was very hopeful that the addition of black (which I usually do not use at all, ) would make the paint more opaque.  I deliberately decided to mix a richer brown and not use raw umber to increase the opacity and reflect some of the purple qualities of the river bottom.

Spot layer #1 of brown trout.  Click on image to enlarge (a closer examination of the darker layer reveals the challenges with the properties of the paint.) 

From a distance, this layer creates the combination of luminosity and transparency that I had hoped for, but on close examination, the surface layer is still not opaque enough.  I may run some additional trials on paper, or let this sit for a while before continuing.  As with many of my paintings, a little "think time" can be highly beneficial in truly critiquing the existing work and planning for the next steps.