Paintings come to be in different styles and colors. However, another thing that differentiates them all is the kind of paint used. It can vary from acrylic, oil, watercolor, to gouache paint. Today, we’ll focus on the latter and discover the top 5 tips you should know before using it.
Why does gouache differ from other paints?
First of all, any paint user should know that gouache is a water-based paint. It resembles watercolors a lot but differs by offering more intense pigment. This paint also has greater opacity. The advantages of using this paint also include flexibility. A painter can adjust the intensity of the shade from making it watercolor light to deep hardened color.
Unlike acrylic paint, gouache can be watered again to let the creator change the strokes. After it’s dried, the paint brings a matte and soft effect.
Useful tips you must know
- Don’t treat gouache as watercolors. They are different types of paints. Each has pros and cons as well as certain peculiarities you can’t ignore. It’s a very widespread mistake but the consistency of the paint is very important. Especially if you aim to be a professional.
- Before you apply the paint onto the canvas, it’s better to test drive the colors. You may make swatches or charts to help your workflow and inspiration. Such simple things can prevent you from mistakes that ruin the painting’s harmony. If you use a new paint brand or try new things, try the colors elsewhere and let them dry to see what color you’ll get in the end. Very often it differs from what you think you’ll get.
- It’s better to pick synthetic brushes when using gouache. While most people believe the real ones are better, the truth is quite the opposite. Synthetic brushes have better water-holding features and let you be more precise. The painter can use them and control how much water goes into the paint.
- If you aim to be a pro one day, you should start with some smaller-scale paintings first. Use a limited number of colors and create a small project to help you feel this art. It’s also a great opportunity to avoid muddy colors and frustration.
- Using gouache, a painter should better leave the first layer to dry completely before continuing the work. It takes just a few minutes but will greatly improve the quality of a future painting. Remember that this is the kind of paint one can rewet. That’s why unless you leave it to dry, the image might turn out very messy and the layers will be mixed.
There are plenty of things one can learn on the internet or in special art schools about gouache and other paints. If you are only an amateur, you should just enjoy the process and let the imagination and creativity out. In case you are more interested in the technique or you wish to become an artist one day, pay attention to details.