Questions on the Transferring/Drawing Process + First Couple of Painting Layers....

by Oliver Wall
(England )

Hi there,

So once I've primed my canvas I need to transfer the drawing, I have a couple of questions about that process...

Firstly, should I use charcoal or pencil to outline my preliminary drawing?

Once I have my preliminary drawing, I understand that I have to outline it in brown ink. Once that's dried however, how do I remove the under-layer of pencil, should I simply wipe it down with linseed oil or white spirit? What is the best way to remove the pencil so I only have the ink outline left?

Additionally, I'd also like to ask, for the Imprimatura and Umber Layer, would it be appropriate to use liquid as a medium instead of linseed oil? (the 7 week drying time between each layer sounds like a real headache!)

It would be really great to get some professional advice,
Thanks so much :)