Anyone who studied with Bill Schultz for a time would hear his admonition, “Don’t plug it up.” What he meant was the surface of one’s painting ought not be painted from top to bottom, side to side, with every inch of the canvas completely covered as though the surface paint were a wall-to-wall rug. Let it breathe, in other words. One should be able to look down into a painting, through the surface layer into layers below all the way to the ground (the canvas itself) in many cases. Another way of saying the same thing is this: think layers!

Let’s look at Monet in order to base this admonition on serious, credible work.

In the featured image at the top, we see one of Monet’s Japanese footbridge paintings and below it we see a detail of the same painting. With the arrows I am calling your attention to three layers. The first is a red stroke (No. 1) that seemingly floats over a darker stroke (No. 2) which in turn floats above the canvas (No. 3). I could have pointed to the impasto highlights as a 4^th layer, but you get the idea. Here’s the point: the painting isn’t plugged up. It breathes. One is able to peer into the painting. The painting then becomes more airy. It feels more alive.

 

My Own Example

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a painting of the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel that I did in St. Petersburg, Florida where we held February workshops. The canvas is 15 x 30 inches and I used it, initially, as a demo in an entirely different location. A couple of days after the demo, I decided to wipe off the painting before it dried too much. I turned it upside down and started again. Below is a photo of the first step, the charcoal composition stage, and you are able to see the color and value of the canvas as I began the second time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let us now examine closely details of the final painting so you can see how I left both the under-painting and the final painting open in places so that the painting was layered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above, you will find layers that are numbered. No. 1 refers to one of the lights (the mast, but I could have chosen the orange roof as well) that floats over general strokes that indicate sky color (No. 2). And No. 3 refers to an area in which I allow the ground, or the initial layer on the canvas that I began with, to come through in places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t number these layers but by now I’m sure you can see the approach I am using.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another detail, above, which shows that I treat the entire subject the same way.

This idea of layers is subtle but very important I think. Your paintings are about space and air as much as they are about the subject. So don’t plug them up!