Leisure Painter - UK (2019-06)

tGarden in Poland, watercolour with gouache, 8x 1012 ⁄in. (20x27cm)

56 JUNE 2019 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

G

ouache, also known as body

colour, has been used by artists

for over 600 years. It is made up

of a high ratio of colour pigment and

gum Arabic as a binding agent, just like

watercolour, but it also includes a solid

white pigment, such as chalk. It has a

lovely heavy velvet-like texture that

absorbs light, to create a smooth

appearance, which makes it ideal

for opaque coverage.

Like watercolour, gouache is sold in

small tubes or tubs. It is diluted with

water before you paint, but will be far

less translucent than watercolour when

diluted with the same amount of liquid.

Beginners’ tips

1 Gouache is opaque. Keep in mind

that it dries darker than the value

painted on the paper or work surface

so matching mixed colours after the

paint is dry can be tricky.

2 Don’t use gouache straight from

the tube, but a little water goes a long

way. You are aiming for a creamy

consistency. Think double cream,

not clotted cream!

3 I use gouache so often in combination

with watercolour that I have made

a travelling set. I have a box with

empty watercolour pans (you can buy

empty ones online and in most good

art shops) then fill with gouache from

the tube and allow to dry. I have a very

small spray bottle to mist the paints;

it helps to make them workable.

4 Gouache is water-soluble and water

permeable so, when you paint over

the background layer, you run the risk

of bringing up pigment from previous

layers, which can muddy your colours.

To reduce this, make sure your

background layer

is completely dry, and be thoughtful

as you layer over with a wet mixture.

5 You can layer opaque painted lines

over opaque backgrounds. Again, be

sure to allow your background wash

Combine watercolour with gouache to paint vibrant,

lively colour sketches, with Sarah Wimperis

The power of gouache

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

nPractise brushwork

nTake the worry out of painting

with watercolour

nDiscover how useful gouache can be

Water-soluble media