I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the materials in
my work, specifically gouache (pronounced goo-wash). Many of my works on paper
utilize gouache paint, which is an opaque watercolor. There’s a rich history of painters that used gouache such as
Egon Schiele. He’s one of the
first painters I was utterly obsessed with. For many of his works on paper he often used gouache for the
washy white outlines that surrounded many of his figures. I’ve always been mesmerized by the
contrast that it created in his drawings.
Before computers, graphic designers often used gouache when they wanted
flat areas of color because it’s much easier to photograph. Gouache uses gum arabic as a binding
agent like watercolor paint but the pigment particles are much larger. Gouache is known for its ability to
reflect light and for opaque strength of the paint. I’m obsessed with the matte chalky quality of the paint.
I use Holbein Acryla Gouache, which is a combination of
acrylic, and traditional gouache. When I want the colors to be really saturated
I get out the gouache. I like the
Holbein Acryla over the traditional gouache because you can draw over it and
the color does not lift up when layering other art materials on top. It’s great if you don’t want brush
strokes on your painted surfaces.
Acrylic paint tends to show brush strokes more than the gouache and I
can create a matte area easier. Gouache dries super fast so you have to work
quickly especially if you want to cover a large area. I try not to worry about wasting paint anymore, as that’s
really part of the process. The
gouache colors tend to dry at different values then they appear when wet so
matching colors can be difficult.
It takes some getting used to but after painting with it for a while I
can judge how much it will change after drying. It can be frustrating to paint precise lines and meticulous
details in gouache because of the drying time. It takes me much longer to complete detail work in the
gouache vs. acrylic. However, I
need the ground that gouache creates for certain pieces I use it when
necessary. I often go over my
gouache drawings with Prismacolor colored pencils. They work the best and I
really don’t use other brands. I
can’t really go over acrylic paint with colored pencils. The Acryla gouache is not as fragile as
traditional gouache so it suits my process perfectly. In other words, I can
beat it up and it still looks good.
