Dark Studios, Drawing with Projectors & more - Ep.17 Oil Painting Q&A with Mark Carder

If you have a question for me, post it in the comments below. I'll answer as many as I can in the next episode. Here are links to each question answered in this video:
00:36 - Do you think painting loosely surrounding the focal point is a learned attribute, and should a painter seeking to be better at realism first learn to paint without this abstraction?
03:44 - Which solvent would you recommend to rework an area that is dry without damaging the canvas?
04:47 - Some colors, like Winsor & Newton's Terre Verte don't hold their body when medium is added and become too transparent. What are your thoughts on this issue?
05:44 - You teach drawing using a proportional divider, but other methods includes the use of grids, projectors, and optical devices like a camera obscura. What are your thoughts on these methods? Is it "cheating"?
08:06 - How do I learn more about painting backgrounds? A poorly chosen or poorly painted background can ruin an otherwise good painting.
10:36 - As a left-hander, I've occasionally blocked in using my right hand, finding it looser and more accurate than left-hand blocking. Have you ever tried painting left-handed?
11:31 - In your "how to set up a still life" video you talk about taking a bunch of "junk" and just putting it in a shadow box at random until you arrive at a grouping you like. What are your thoughts on starting with things that have some relationship to one another?
12:56 - Why is it called "Geneva" Artists' Oil Color?
13:30 - How do you sign your paintings? Do you add any other info to the back?
14:39 - Sometimes I have difficulty getting in "the zone" when starting artwork. Do you have any warm ups you do before starting a painting?
16:59 - I use Winsor & Newton oil paint and after I finish a painting and it dries for several weeks, I can see shiny areas and dull areas. Does this happen with Geneva paint too, and can I mix Geneva paint and Winsor & Newton paint together on my palette and on my canvas?
19:31 - Do you usually work in a completely black studio like in your videos? Is it necessary? I think I would prefer a happier, bright, cheery studio, but I understand there might be glare issues. Can you talk more about that?
24:10 - It is easy to copy life itself on a canvas after years of practice, but how does one see value and color when copying from their imagination?
27:22 - When you are painting, how do you when you are "done"?