I spent the last week doing nothing but drawing. Here is ‘Main Street # 2.’ I finished the drawing and covered it with a rag-applied ground. The varnish-based ground is intended to seal the surface rather than provide a neutral tone, which is why it’s light.
When I prepare a canvas, I draw the deign with pencil then go over it with ink to fix it. By ‘fix’ I mean preserve the drawing, not correct it. The ink preserves the drawing when the ground is applied, otherwise the turpentine in the ground would obliterate it.