What is gouache: composition, properties and types, application features

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

All children and many adults love to draw. Before you start the creative process, you should understand what gouache is. Firstly, this word refers to the paint itself. The second answer to the question, what is gouache, will be as follows: these are the drawings made by her. The use of this paint began in the Middle Ages. However, the term itself appeared in France only in the XVIII century.

What is gouache: composition

These paints are water soluble. Unlike watercolor, they have a thick base.

Gouache paints consist of powdered pigments and white. Thanks to this, they get some muted colors. Also, after drying, the drawings become lighter - they become whitened. But they acquire a delicate velvety and matte finish.

Additionally, they include binders such as dextrin, gum arabic, starch. Some add acrylic, oil, honey, glycerin, fruit gum.

Types of gouache

This paint todaywidely used. However, professional artists rarely paint serious work with it, as it has a tendency to crack (i.e., short-lived) and fade.

Artistic gouache is considered professional. These are sets of 36 colors. The composition of this paint contains gum arabic, thanks to which it gets a high hiding power, is distinguished by a velvety and matte finish.

Poster gouache is used for decorative purposes. She draws posters, decorations, stands. Thanks to kaolin, which replaces conventional white, gouache dries faster, is brighter, less prone to fading and exposure to atmospheric humidity. They work with paint on cardboard, wood, canvas, plywood. The second name of poster gouache is children's. This type is most often used by novice artists.

What is fluorescent gouache, many people know. It glows when exposed to ultraviolet light. This is due to the presence of special pigments in the composition. Usually these are phosphors on organic resins. In addition, it contains an antiseptic, PVA glue and plasticizers.

Neon colors are a kind of fluorescent gouache. They have the unique ability to glow even in the dark.

Acrylic gouache is less common than other varieties. It contains acrylates, which enhance the brightness of colors, grip and resistance to damage. Works practically do not fade in the sun and are not washed out when they get wet.

Gouache properties

She has a strong advantage when compared toother types of paints:

• Due to its denser consistency, the paint does not spread over the surface of materials. It also reduces the absorption of the gouache. Therefore, drawings can be applied to a variety of surfaces. These can be paper, the human body, fabrics, glass, ceramics, wood, metal, stones, walls, ceilings, and so on.
• Gouache dissolves with water. Therefore, it is easy to restore after drying. From smooth surfaces, the paint can be easily washed off with plain water without the use of chemicals. It is thanks to this property that special designs are used on holidays, such as drawing patterns on windows or ceramic tiles. At the end of the event, the paint is washed off.
• Gouache has good hiding power. Because of this, it is quite easy to correct errors in the work by simply painting over the error. Even light gouache perfectly paints over any inaccuracies, including completely dark ones.
• The paint is odorless.
• Gouache drawings dry quickly.
• If it gets on the body or clothes, it is easy to wash and wash.
• Gouache is harmless to the body if it does not get into the eyes. Of course, it is not recommended to eat it.
• The price of this material is low, so it is available to almost everyone.

Recovery of dried gouache

Often the paint becomes rock hard. Naturally, it is impossible to draw with her. But do not immediately throw away a jar of dried gouache.

To restore the properties of the paint you need to use hot water. A littleboiling water is poured into gouache and they try to stir the contents. You can work with a knife, gently cutting the paint into pieces, crushing them.

You can put a closed jar near the radiator for a while if it is hot. Then the contents are thoroughly mixed again. Add hot water as needed.

When the composition becomes homogeneous, resembling sour cream in consistency, it is ready for use.

Ways to improve the properties of gouache

This paint is known not to be as bright as the others. To increase color saturation and reduce haze, you can use sugar water.

No need to pour sweet syrup directly into a jar of paint. The sugar will set over time. It will be impossible to restore such a composition. It is better to prepare sweet water separately and before dipping the brush into the paint, dip it into the syrup.

To make the colors in the picture have greater brightness and be shiny, not matte, two tablespoons of granulated sugar are dissolved in half a glass of water.

When working on wood or plywood, it is necessary to reduce the absorption of paint into the surface. Then PVA glue or paste is added to gouache. This makes it stronger, it does not leave marks on the hands. This paint is smooth to the touch and shiny.

Making gouache at home

This craft material is not very expensive in the store. Therefore, making it at home is not always a wise decision. But sometimes you urgently need to draw something with gouache, and the storealready closed. For example, your baby suddenly really wants to create a picture. Then it will take knowledge of how to make gouache with your own hands.

There is a variant of chalk paint. It will require ordinary chalk, water and coloring pigment.

• Chalk is finely crushed.
• The powder is poured into a jar.
• Add pigment.
• Dilute the mixture with water.

The second way is easier. Instead of chalk, take white toothpaste. Pigment is added to it and stirred.

You can additionally add PVA glue to make the paint brighter.

The third method is identical to the second, but the toothpaste is replaced with shaving foam.

The fourth recipe uses flour (half a kilo), s alt (2 tablespoons), vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) and water. All this is mixed with a mixer. Water is added little by little until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

The base is poured into jars. They already add pigment. Then the homemade gouache is thoroughly mixed.

As a pigment, you can use food coloring, poster ink, printer ink, ink. Powdered watercolor will also work.

First drawing experiences

It is advisable to offer water-soluble paints to babies, as they are harmless. However, there are nuances that can cause inconvenience. These are dirty tables, spilled water, merging of details due to too much liquid on the brush.

It is easier for beginners to work with gouache. Children can draw with such paints as early as 2-3 years. Before starting workyou should explain to the baby that the gouache must dry, otherwise it can flow from one part to another and change color. Therefore, you should not paint with paint of a different color next to a still wet part.

Usually, the first work of kids is painting objects according to the contours applied to paper. But it is acceptable to draw according to the plan immediately with brushes.

Life hacks when working with gouache

Not all parents are happy when their kids express a desire to paint. It's easy to understand. Gouache spilled on a table or clothes can spoil the mood of a mother and a young artist for a long time. To prevent this from happening, it is enough to dilute the paint with water in advance to the desired consistency. The jars themselves can be glued to a small plywood. Then they won't tip over and spill.

Often the baby spoils the paints, mixing colors with insufficient rinsing of the brushes. This will not happen if you give him different brushes for each color, marking them with markers. Then the child will no longer need water, which means that he will not be able to spill it on the floor, table and clothes.

All these life hacks will help you avoid trouble while painting.

Gouache: work on a colored background

This option is great for drawings depicting the underwater world, the sky with clouds and birds flying across it. Winter is the easiest to draw with gouache. To do this, dots-snowflakes, Christmas trees and other objects are applied to blue or blue cardboard. You can use several colors or only one while drawing.

To complete the winter landscape, you only need white gouache. She depicts snow, clouds, trees. It is not necessary to achieve a complete uniform painting of objects with white. Some poorly painted places give realism to the picture. They play the role of shadows.

Painting class with a toothbrush and a wooden skewer

Here will be described the process of painting an autumn landscape with gouache. The master class is quite simple, it is suitable for children 5-7 years old.

For work you will need:

• Gouache.
• Album drawing sheet.
• Tassel.
• Wooden skewer (can be replaced with a match).
• Toothbrush (an old one that is no longer used for its intended purpose will do).

First, on the sheet, paint over the crown area with light yellowish tones.

When working, you can use only gouache. Then the paint should be well diluted with water.

But you can use watercolor at this stage. This will be a mixed media painting.

After the crown (base) dries, take a toothbrush and dip it in gouache of the desired color. You can use brown, yellow, orange, red. The bristles of the brush lightly touch the base (crown), leaving marks on it.

The same action is repeated along the bottom of the picture. It will be fallen leaves.

The thick end of a wooden skewer or a match put points - single leaves. They are located both on the crown andaround, simulating falling leaves.

After the paint has dried, proceed to the next stage of work. Brown gouache with a brush depicts a tree trunk and branches.

You can consider the picture finished. But if you wish, there is an option to add flocks of flying birds, a bench under a tree, a forgotten toy, an umbrella, clouds to it.