Several ways to draw with gouache

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Gouache is called not only water-based paint, which is based on finely ground pigments, but also paintings that are painted with this paint. Basically, it is customary to draw with gouache on paper, but often they write with it on canvas, and on cardboard, and on wood, and other surfaces. It's all about density. Thanks to its astringent consistency, this paint lays down very well, but due to the fact that it is diluted with water, it is also easy to wash off. If you compare gouache with other water-soluble paints, you can identify both advantages and disadvantages. Compared to watercolor, gouache is easier to use, as its properties allow you to paint light tones over dark ones, as well as apply paint in layers to create some velvety. To put it simply, it is almost impossible to save a poorly drawn watercolor drawing, while a gouache one is more realistic.

Gouache painting technique is very similar to acrylic painting technique. These paints are also similar in consistency, but acrylic, although diluted with water, will not be able to be washed off the surface after ten minutes. Gouache dries completely in two to three hours, but even after that it can be easily smeared with water. This paint is also good because in the process of drawing it can not be diluted so that the layer is as dense as possible. If you are interested in how to draw with gouache, then here are some simple and fun ways.

1. The classic method, where brushes are used, preferably medium hard, elastic, goat or horsehair hair. A brush that is too hard will leave jagged, broken edges, and a brush that is too soft will not be able to spread thick paint well. Before painting with gouache, a sheet of paper does not hurt to slightly moisten.
2. A slightly non-standard way to make an unusual background or a fun, bright abstraction. To do this, you need to take an ordinary foam rubber sponge, moisten it a little in water and apply one or more colors of paint to it. Now with this painted sponge we paint over the sheet as we like, or draw textured circles, squares, flowers or something else.
3. Kids might love this gouache tutorial, but you as a parent need to be around because a burning candle will be used here. Its wax can be dripped onto a sheet, which is then toned. You will get something spotty, but very unusual.
4. There is a safer method than with a candle. All you need here is



about only PVA glue in a jar with a thin spout on the lid. With this glue, in a thin line, we apply the desired pattern, let it dry well, and then paint over the sheet with gouache. You can even use not a brush, but a painted sponge,as in the second method.

5. And another interesting option, how to draw with gouache. First, a sheet of paper must be completely painted over with wax crayons (one color or several), apply a gouache layer on top, and, until it is dry, “scratch out” the pattern with a toothpick. It will turn out very unusual.

But gouache still has a couple of drawbacks. Firstly, when dried, the colors become lighter shades, and secondly, the drawings written by her (especially on paper) are short-lived, because over time the paint dries out and can crumble. Therefore, it is appropriate to store such masterpieces under glass.