Over Winter break, I have picked up my Rainbow Art Journal again. I am determined to get it finished this year. It has been one of those projects I have dipped in and out of for far too long. It’s time to wrap it up.
This page is my first attempt at properly using gouache. I was gifted a set of gouache paints for my birthday in November and I finally found time to start experimenting with them. I am a natural born pessimist and not given to self-confidence but I daftly thought I would take to gouache. I assumed it would be close enough to watercolour that I would have a sense for how to work it and apply it. Spoiler alert: I was wrong. The gouache does not react to water in the same way that watercolour paint does. Being thicker, it was harder for me to dilute it in a way that was pleasing. I got lots of ugly streaks. It was also harder for me to work with the brush. I am used to being able to gently encourage watercolour and ink into edges and shapes but I had to be more forceful with the gouache.
I kept my first experiment simple, a silly little doodle of a selfie, because my focus was on the application of the paint rather than the outcome of a finished illustration. As first experiments go, it is not a disaster but nor is it as proficient as I hoped it would be. That’s OK though. That’s what my art journals are for.
A Pict in PA 
I have never used this either but I do think I can ‘see’ you. Happy New Year of artistry. .
Happy New Year! Thanks. This is the doodle version of me I always draw. Much easier than an accurate portrait.
That’s fun!
Thanks. It was fun to experiment with something new even if the finished product is rather meh.
Looks good to me! For example, those little trees are so delicate that I can’t believe you were having trouble with the medium.
You are too kind.
Looks good to me!!! 🤗❤
Thank you. I appreciate your encouragement. I am going to keep experimenting.
Please do keep playing with it!!! It does take some getting used to as it’s different from any other art medium. Just remember that gouache is more forgiving than many mediums in that you can smooge out fresh color and paint thickly right over the oops.
“Smooge out”! I love it. I need to get used to the consistency and how to dilute it to the right degree.
That’s exactly it… it just takes time to physically play and get a feel for gouache. No one outside your hand can tell you how things go with gouache – one just has to feel ones way forward with a brush. I look at other gouache artworks and tutorials to get an idea of what’s possible but still I grope with what my own hand/mind will or won’t do with the medium. I literally rely on and glory in the fact that with gouache I can so easily paint right over mistakes.
Happy smooge-ing!! 🤣
And so you know: that really is a very good first effort with gouache!
Thank you,
Sort of a “Blue Willow” look…
It’s funny you say that because I only thought of Willow Pattern afterwards and now I am pondering actually deliberately attempting something along the lines of Willow Pattern or Delftware.
I love her lips.
Thank you. I always draw myself with large lips. I was mocked for my lips when I was wee (kipper lips was the most frequent insult) so maybe that is why I am very aware of my lip proportions.
Shame on those people who said that. Well, as you know, people pay good money to get lips like that now… so there!
Indeed. My lips were just ahead of their time.
Literature is full of people who are admired for their full lips.Men and women. And the person who is described as having thin lips is never a nice person. Just saying.