Hi Martyn

Yes they are pricey but you will see and feel the difference. You wont need to use any additional medium as they are quite oily. For supports, I try and use the heaviest (professional)supports with a linen preprimed canvas (I cant be bothered priming it myself). As I paint portraits, I use the smoothest. You can paint whatever you like, but the three colour way really makes you think about how to mix a colour. After a few weeks, you should be able to predict with precision, each colour you want. This is invaluable when you are assessing colours of your subject. When it comes to underpainting, DO NOT use white in your colour. You need the underpainting to be as bright as possible, then you can tone it down later when you start painting over the top (of course leaving some areas for the underpainting to show through). You will find that the 3 colour way of mixing falls slightly flat when it comes to a turquoise, so I use a Pthalo Turquoise for underpainting skin. But please do not add this to your colours until you have fully understood this three colour approach. This is going to be a very steep learning curve for you, but so worth it. Best, Morgan