Gouache paints were one of the first mediums that I used at the beginning of my artistic journey. They are a versatile paint that can be used on multiple surfaces, and I think them to be a gap bridged between watercolor and oil paint. They provide very vibrant colors that are easy to work with and are a great medium for beginners and pros.
What is gouache’s base?
Gouache is a water based paint that acts as a very thick watercolor. It is very easy to water down, but also can be built up. When it dries however, it is prone to cracking especially if it on the cheaper, or lower quality, side.
Gouache’s characteristics and how to understand using it
To clarify, all of this information is very applicable to beginners that are wanting to venture into gouache. Gouache paint dries fairly quickly, but cannot be painted over easily. When gouache dries even on your palette, you can add water to re-wet the paint and use it again, much like watercolor.
When you have thick layers of opaque gouache down on the canvas or paper, too many strokes in one place can re-wet the paint that was laid down underneath, making the colors mix and possibly become muddy or not to your desired hue.
I would recommend that you try to individually place the gouache shades down next to each other, and only lay over top of a previously dried color if you are wanting purposefully to blend, because this can also give a very nice end result.
It is important to understand that since gouache is so convenient with being able to reactivate after it drying, that also means that moisture coming into contact with your work will mean that it can erode away easily, even if friction is consistent.
How to store your gouache paint
Gouache paint commonly has come in tubes, but recently cartridges and pots of jelly gouache, such as himi gouache (which I will be reviewing at a later date) have become a new mode of usage. Once the film has been removed from the top, the paint is exposed to being able to dry out.
Gouache is so convenient because of the fact that you can just add water to reactivate the gouache after this point. Oftentimes, with my gouache palette where I mix colors, I will just leave dried gouache and add water to it at a later date regardless of how long it has been dried.
Some examples of gouache usage and texture(all artwork displayed in this blog post is my own)
FAQ
Should you varnish your gouache paintings?
Since gouache is so water soluble, varnish will diminish the opacity of the gouache on a canvas or piece of paper. I recommend framing with a piece of glass to preserve the life of the gouache painting.
What type of paper should I paint with gouache on?
Anything over 80lb paper or standard watercolor paper will be fine. I personally like a mixed media with a rough texture (my favorite can be found on amazon here) at 98lb.
What is a good gouache set for a beginner?
Winsor and Newton offer great gouache sets for fairly cheap prices (one can be found on amazon here) that mix well. They are better than a severely cheap set, and will get you used to the consistency and application before moving to something more expensive. Personally, I still primarily operate off this set for my eccentric colors and use only high end for the primaries and my white.
Comments are closed.