well again, its personal preference but heres why I like stripping the paint before working on the statue:
- you don't know how much or how little primer is on the existing statue
- I use safety solvent to work aves mostly, it makes a mess with paint
- removing the paint gives you a clean slate, allows you to repair any imperfections without any guess work
- if you sculpt over existing paint you run the chance of it not adhering to the statue properly
as for being able to tell where youre sculpting I use a single spot light above where im sculpting. having a bare statue makes it much easier to see the sculpt. I use the spot light to create shadows on the sculpt as I move it around and I can see the shape of the sculpt easier. i do this when im finish sanding or detailing, otherwise I use a lot of light. hard to describe but ill try to post pictures.
again, its all personal preference if you find it easier the way youre doing rock on bro