Top Sketchbook TIP 7
A new sheet of clean white paper can ofter appear intimidating to a beginner, even to someone experienced. to overcome any fears of making a mistake, it can be helpful to lay a pale wash of colour (for example Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna) over the whole sheet of paper, whether it’s on your drawing board or a page in your sketchbook.
This first wash does two very important things. First it takes away the stark white of the paper, thus making it less intimidating. Secondly, it helps to set the mood and tone of the painting and brings the rest of the colours together. It can also be a help to do a variety of different coloured washes on various pages in your sketch book to save time when painting on location. You can match the scene you are painting with the appropriate coloured page in your sketchbook.
I encourage my pupils on our painting holidays in Italy to do the same. It is a Top Sketchbook Tip. Turner would often do washes of different colours on lots of sheets of paper. That way he always had a sheet of the appropriate colour at hand to match the scene.