Getting it Right the First Time

Rather than getting the wrong value on your brush and then working it into the painting, try getting the right value on your palette and painting directly onto the canvas, without apology.  Smooshing the paint around only weakens the final result.  Cezanne kind of put an end to the idea of layering, not that there’s anything wrong with it, if you’re into that sort of old school stuff.  But if you want a fresher, more expressive result, do the work on your palette and then let it rip on the canvas.