This is called tempering the canvas. It is something I learned from Sante Fe pop artist Patrick Harris. Patrick is originally from SF and had a show and workshop at the Washington Pavilion Visual Arts Center. The process basically involves putting down several layers of color and gesso, and after each layer dries, you scrape or wash away ‘some’ of the color. This is the first layer. I’m not sure how many I will put down before I start painting the final image. I will probably do the collage next, so I will try to stay away from wasting paint in the collage areas.