Gouache is a water-based paint that is very versatile and can produce beautiful paintings with bright, luminous colors. Basically, gouache is a thick watercolor, but it gives a more opaque finish than normal watercolor once it dries. Gouache can be diluted with water to create a soft, transparent layer, or applied in thick layers for a textured effect similar to acrylic paint. Although not as popular as oil or acrylic paints, gouache is a favorite medium for many painters because of its versatility and ease of use.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Familiarizing yourself with the Material
Step 1. Purchase the required materials
Before you start painting, you should have all the supplies you need to make a gouache painting. Buy gouache in tube packaging. Choose a minimum of red, blue, yellow, white and black, as well as any other colors you want. Choose a small palette that has hollows for colors, not a flat palette. Don't forget to buy brushes of various sizes, paper or canvas or cardboard for painting media.
- Make sure you also buy white pastel oil paint at an art store.
- You can use a variety of surfaces as a gouache painting medium. Many painters use watercolor paper because it is cheap and easy to carry around. You can also use an illustration board or canvas, which are highly absorbent and specially designed for gouache and watercolors.
Step 2. Prepare the work area
After purchasing all the necessary supplies, you can now prepare the area where you will paint. Start by covering the table with newspaper so the surface doesn't get stained with paint. Fill the glass with water and place it on the workbench.
- Have a spray bottle filled with water and a roll of kitchen tissue on your desk.
- Use disposable cups or glasses that are not used for drinking as water containers. You will use it to clean the brushes. So, don't use a glass to drink.
Step 3. Add colors to the palette
Squeeze out a small amount of gouache paint in the hollow of the palette. If you don't need a specific color, there's no need to add it.
Step 4. Add water
Experiment with the amount of water to add. Before you start painting, it's a good idea to practice using gouache. Dip the brush in the paint and draw a line on the old watercolor paper. Dip the brush in the water briefly, then draw another line. Note the opacity of each color produced by the addition of water.
- Keep experimenting with the amount of water added to the paint. Create a color mix by dispensing the paint onto the palette, then dipping the brush in the water and stirring the paint to release the water so it mixes with the paint in the palette.
- When mixing water with gouache in the palette, start by placing the paint, then add the water with the help of a brush.
- Gradually dilute the paint. It's better to add too little water than too much because you can easily add more water.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare and Start Painting
Step 1. Mix colors
Think about what you are going to paint. Mix the colors in the palette to get the color you need for the painting. Always clean the brush by stirring it in water before switching to another color so as not to spoil the color.
- To mix colors, you can pull out two colors in the same basin of the palette and mix them with a brush.
- Or, you can mix colors by taking a small amount of paint with a brush, placing it in the hollow of the palette, then cleaning the brush and using it to pick up another color. Put a second color into the hollow of the same palette and blend the two colors with a brush.
- You can produce all the colors you need using red, blue, yellow, and white.
Step 2. Add Arabic gum to thin the paint
When you've added enough water to the paint, add a few drops of Arabic gum and stir with a brush. The Arabic sap allows the gouache color to adhere to the paper so the color pigments don't fade after the water evaporates.
Step 3. Draw the design thinly
Many painters find it helpful to draw only a thin sketch of the design on the painting medium. This step allows you to give the image a shape before applying permanent paint. Use a graphite pencil to draw the shape to be painted.
Step 4. Paint the white part with white pastel oil paint
Before starting to paint with color, first use white pastel oil paint to color the areas of the design that will be white. The oil will naturally resist color so the water-based gouache won't stick to areas that have been stained with white oil pastel paint.
- Using white pastel oil paint is not the only way to create white areas in a design. You can also use white gouache paint on the part that will be white. However, if you want to create a very thin and complex design, you may not want to add a heavy coat of white paint to the painting. This is the reason some painters prefer to use white pastel oil paints over white gouache.
- If your design doesn't have white sections, you can skip this step.
Step 5. Brush in some basic colors
The best way to use gouache is to make thin strokes. Brush the base color on the painting, while coloring the design you've created. Do not apply gouache directly from the tube. Dilute it first with a few drops of water in the palette so that the paint will glide easily on the surface of the painting medium.
- For example, if you're painting a tree, color the trunk brown and the leaves green.
- Some artists only use one or two layers of color in their work to create a translucent effect similar to watercolor. Others prefer to use multiple layers to add detail and dimension to their designs.
- Although gouache can be made thick, be careful not to apply it too thickly as it has a tendency to crack if applied too thickly.
Part 3 of 3: Finishing the Painting
Step 1. Add paint after the first coat has dried
It is important to wait until the coat of paint is completely dry before applying the next coat. If you apply a fresh coat of paint over wet paint, the colors will mix in such a way that it becomes difficult to control.
- While some artists have mastered the technique of mixing multiple layers of wet gouache, it's a good idea to wait until the coat is completely dry if you're just learning to use it.
- If the color starts to fade, don't continue. Wait until the paint coat is completely dry, then you can apply the next coat of the desired color.
- If you see the paint on the palette starting to dry, spray it with a water bottle to keep it wet.
Step 2. Add dimension to the design using shadows
There are several ways to create shadows when you paint with gouache. Because these paints dry very quickly, you can't spend as much time mixing colors on a canvas as you would with oil paints.
- One way to create shadows is to paint a series of streaks of color side by side in a gradient ranging from light to dark. For example, if you're painting an apple, start with a pure red line, then a slightly grayish red line, then add more gray until the last line becomes the darkest line of the shadow.
- After creating all the needed lines, soften the color transitions by dipping the brush in water, removing excess water with a paper towel, then sweeping a damp brush over the color streaks to blend them in.
- You can also create shadows by adding a layer of transparent paint of a darker color.
- Finally, you can do a crosshatch or stipple technique to create shadows. You can soften the stipple and crosshatch effects using a slightly damp brush to wipe down areas of the painting to blend the colors.
Step 3. Add details using a small brush
Once you've applied color and added shadows, take a soft brush and add details to the painting. You can also outline the design using a thin brush dipped in black gouache paint or using a pen to give strong, clear lines.
For example, if you want to paint a strawberry, you can start with white paint and add an image of the seeds. Then you can use a thin brush to define the leaf image, then finish by drawing outlines with a black pen
Step 4. Refine your image
After adding details to your design, you can now fine-tune your design, correct errors and add the final touches needed. Make sure the paint is completely dry before you make any final refinements.
Step 5. Frame your creation
If you take pride in your work, consider framing the painting with glass to protect it from wear and aging. When framing a painting, make sure you attach the stand before placing it in the frame.
- The stand will prevent the painting from directly touching the glass as this can cause condensation and mold growth, especially in humid environments.
- Do not apply varnish to the gouache painting. While varnish is ideal for protecting other substrates, it will change and darken the gouache.
Tips
- Try practicing some paintings first to get used to using gouache.
- Gouache dries very quickly. So, make sure that the paint and brushes are always damp when you work for long periods of time.
Warning
- Keep in mind that using gouache on paper or canvas requires a delicate balance. You'll want to make sure the gouache isn't too runny, especially if you're applying multiple layers of color). Don't apply too much gouache either because it can crack.
- Never apply varnish to a gouache painting.
