Painting tip and a question...

[gosh-mel.livejournal.com]

I learned something new while working with my acrylics on canvas: spreading paint out with your fingers is much more efficient than doing it with a brush! If I had known that earlier, I would have saved tons of paint on my last projects. For some reason, brushes just don't do nearly as well at spreading as they should. Also works better for blending.

I was wondering how all you painters go about planning a piece. Do you draw everything out first, or just wing it? Does anyone have tips for planning a painting? Sometimes I start to draw on outlines form y work, but then I can't erase on the canvas. Should I use something else to draw on it instead?

Thanks :) I'll post my work when done!