Beautiful artwork and illustrations bring people to life. They spark imagination, inspiration, desires, emotions, and so much more. More and more, I see gouache being used by many artists for illustration purposes.
Highly pigmented and water-soluble paint is what allows gouache its flexibility, balanced color coverage, and matte finish, which is sought after by many artists.
Paint notes
- Gouache tends to dry lighter than it appears when wet.
- The thickness of the paint often resembles oil when blending
- Can be used on colored paper thanks to high pigments
- Works well with mixed media (color pencils, ink, etc…)
- Needs a seal that is not water based
Tips for Painting In Gouache
Tip#1: Start with Dark to light and remember when placing down watery paint on a piece the water could cause the bottom layer to activate. To avoid this, I tend to use less water when laying down my light colors.
Tip# 2: If you’re an artist who likes to frame your pieces with masking tape, this tip is for you. Before starting a piece, paint over the strips of masking tape with paint that matches the color of the paper you are working on.
This technique helps provide you with clean edges in any medium.
Tip#3: The best type of paper for gouache is watercolor paper. Use a cold press if you want your painting to have texture and hide your brush strokes. Use hot press paper if you want your brush(I prefer to use hot-press paper).
Tip#4: Gouache is a versatile medium, meaning it can be used like you would use watercolor. I recommend using gouache tubs if you plan on using gouache more water.
Tubed gouache is also great for traveling. Himi tubs are normally small and can be bought in bundles on Amazon.
Tip5#: Mixing mediums with gouache is highly recommended. Gouache is perfect for adding fog to acrylic pieces or rays of sunlight. Also, highly recommend using gouache with colored pencils to help give a piece more vibrance and texture
We’ve all seen those Himi gouache cubes that look so aesthetic and cute. If you’re someone who loves aesthetics, you might have been convinced to try gouache even before reading this post.
If that’s the case, go ahead and try it for the aesthetic I did, and it helped revive my love for art and the creativity in my soul. If you’re interested in reading about my artwork and creative process, feel free to read about it here.
If you’re an artist or creative person, feel free to comment or follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. I would love to hear from you, so make sure to introduce yourself on your favorite Instagram post of mine so I can check out your page or send me an email.
