People tend to have a love/hate relationship with gouache because it can be a temperamental medium. I personally love that about it—but only because I’ve spent a lot of time learning out how to work with it. For me, it’s like an old friendship: we’ve already figured out each other’s quirks, and now we (mostly) get along. Every once in a while, goauche still throws me for a loop, but I feel like those moments keep our relationship fresh and interesting. To help you get to know my good friend gouache, I’m sharing some of the best practices I’ve found that make it a bit easier to understand. I promise it isn’t as rough around the edges once you get to know it! And hopefully, with a little luck, you’ll learn to love it as much as I do.
I follow these basic principles in nearly all my paintings. Once you get the hang of them, it becomes so much easier to make gouache work for you. I hope they come in handy!
Gouache is easily reconstituted with water, which means that you never want to add a transparent layer on top of an opaque layer. All you’ll end up doing is creating mud. By thin, I mean watery
To layer with gouache, start with your most transparent layers on the bottom and build up your opaque layers on top.
If you start with an opaque layer, you can add gouache details on top provided that the bottom layer is fully dry. And be sure that the paint you’re using for detail work is the “cream-like” consistency I talk about here. If not, you run the risk of reconstituting the bottom layer and creating a muddy mixed color instead of a new layer on top.
I made sure my bottom layers were completely dry before I started going in with my detail work. This protects those bottom layers from reconstituting and allows me to work without worry.
You can absolutely use other media to add detail on top of gouache, but again, make sure the layer you’re working on is completely dry before doing anything else to it. It should only take a few minutes if it’s a thin layer. If it’s a thick layer, it may need more time, sometimes even overnight. I’ve learned that just because paper looks dry, it doesn’t mean it is dry. If it still feels cool or damp to the touch, it can affect how your gouache interacts with whatever you layer on top.
Avoid putting on very thick layers. Save the impasto look for oils or acrylics! If you lay gouache on too thick, it’s likely to crack and flake off once it dries. And trust me, no one wants to finish a painting only to watch it disintegrate days later! It’s a devastating feeling and unfortunately not fixable. Believe me, I’ve tried. #whygodwhy
As a general rule, always add your details on last. I’m talking about subject details here, not background colors. Backgrounds are a bit of an exception, and I usually paint mine on last so nothing accidentally happens to it while I’m working on the rest of the piece. Fixing a flat background color is nearly impossible without starting over because you can’t let the layers get too thick. See the point above.
If you decide to put on a flat background always do it last! If you put it on first and accidentally mess it up by dropping paint or smudging it, it’s almost impossible to fix and have it look right.
Try not to get fixated on an area and overwork it. You do NOT want a mud situation on your hands. Instead, walk away and see if some distance gives you a fresh perspective. Sometimes, a terrible mistake you think you made isn’t all that bad. Sometimes, it even works out in your favor!
If after some distance it’s still an issue, you can try erasing the painted area. Add a little bit of water to a clean brush and lift off the offending paint with a rag or paper towel. It won’t be perfect, but it’s a start! From this point, you can add on another layer of paint and try to fix it. Important note: Make sure the area you ‘erased’ dries completely before adding any more color. If not, it will bleed and you’ll be back at square one
It’s never a good idea to work with dirty water. Clean your paint water regularly to make sure tinted water doesn't accidentally affect the colors you’re working with. This is especially a bummer when you’re mixing light shades and your paint water is dark! It can and will turn your beautiful white paint into a weird color that you can’t use.
On a similar note, make sure you clean your brushes thoroughly after use. It’s a bummer when you’re mixing colors and you think you’ve picked up a clean brush, only to find out that it’s actually got avocado green hidden in its bristles. And if it sounds like I’m bitter about this particular situation, it’s because I am. Nothing like mixing up a beautiful Marigold just to have it ruined by sneaky avocado-colored paint. Needless to say, these days I’m much more diligent about washing my brushes thoroughly!
I like to make variants of the colors I’ll be using in separate containers before I start putting anything down. This generally makes my painting process easier because I’m not mixing as I go.
It seems counterintuitive, but synthetic brushes are better for gouache work than natural hair brushes. I’ve found that natural hair brushes are amazing for watercolors because they can hold a lot of water! However, the opposite is true with gouache because you need to control how much water is being added to your paint. I’m not saying it’s an impossible task, but I am saying I’ve spent a lot of money on natural hair brushes only to find out that I prefer synthetic ones that are a fraction of the cost.
Thicker paper is best for layering because it helps prevent buckling. I don’t work with anything under 200 gsm and the current paper I use is 350 gsm.
I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again: Be aware that gouache dries differently than other paints. Lighter colors always dry darker, and darker colors always dry lighter. Make swatches before you commit to anything so you can see what it looks like when it dries.
I hope these best practices save you time and prevent headaches (and in some cases, heartaches). I’ve said before that the best way to learn is by doing, but these tips give you a chance to sidestep some frustrating setbacks so you can worry about crafting a great piece of art instead! Did I miss any other best practices that you think I should know about? Please share in the comments! I’m always on the lookout for tips, tricks, and timesavers.
x
Manda