Gouache
Flowers
MASTERCLASSSimon’smaterials
- Paints
SpectrumYellow,Marigold
Yellow,CadmiumScarlet,
BengalRose,Magenta,
Indigo,WinsorBlue,Linden
Green,NaplesYellow,Raw
Sienna,GoldOchre,Perylene
MaroonandPermanent
White,allWinsor& Newton
Designers’Gouache;
TitaniumWhite,Winsor&
NewtonProfessionalAcrylic
•Support
Daler-RowneyA1
mountboard,HollyGreen
•Brushes
Winsor& NewtonSeries 7
rounds,sizes2 and3;old
brushforapplyingacrylic
•Pencils
Faber-CastellCastell 9000
graphiteH pencil;Faber-
CastellPolychromos
colouredpencil,white
•Chinapalette
•Tracingpaper
•Cartridgepaper
•MaskingtapeBotanical painter and author SIMON WILLIAMS shows you how to make the
most of watercolour’s opaque cousin in this month’s step-by-step demonstration
G
ouache paints are popular
with illustrators and artists
who like to work with an
opaque medium. Painting methods
used can vary immensely depending
on the subject choice and surface
choice. Gouache can be painted onto
watercolour paper and used from light
to dark colours or with opaque
techniques built up from mid to dark
colours first, adding light on top.
For this masterclass, I want to show
you how to use gouache on a coloured
support to produce a striking artwork.
The techniques are very controlled
and require drybrush methods to layer
and blend the pigments rather than
using wet-into-wet or water to blend.I will also be using an acrylic base for
the gouache. This helps the colour
show up on the green mountboard,
and also protects the board’s thin
laminated surface from water damage.
I painted a type of orchid known as
Phalaenopsis “Asian Sun” for this
masterclass. Remember that a
botanical drawing does not always
have to match the specimen exactly
as you see it. A skilled botanical artist
very often will adapt, reposition or
produce a drawing from various angles
to comprise a composition rather than
drawing the first view they see.
Simon’s book, Botanical Painting with
Gouache, is published by Batsford.
http://www.swillustrations.com1 Draw your subject
I used a sheet of cartridge paper to
plan out my composition and detailed
drawing. I like to do this on cartridge
paper first because it is not easy or
advisable to draw straight onto the
coloured support.
Erasing or making alterations to the
drawing on the coloured support is
difficult and the surface can easily ruin.
By drawing out on cartridge paper first
I can alter and amend my composition
as and when required.
I work life size wherever possible, so
I placed this orchid on my desk directly
in my eye line so that I could accurately
glance betweenpaperandsubject.