August 2024 Water Media Challenge- Join the fun/ all welcome!

[Joy]

I have never tried gouache, as I have enough watercolors to last me decades. Since one can layer gouache, I would overwork it until it was a relief piece and too heavy to carry!

 

[PaintBoss]

John, thank you. Yes give it a whirl! It is good to try new things. Yes you have to give yourself a little time to learn the medium.
With gouache, dark colours lighten up after drying and light colours darken. Don’t use too much water like washes in watercolour doing a sky for ex. But it’s absolutely lovely for building up. I especially like that I can go from dark to light. So let’s say you’re doing trees. Do the dark dark leaves and then you can add lighter and lighter leaves and so it’s a pretty effect. Very handy for doing anything. It used to be used in advertising for posters that would then get reprinted. Also, you can get some very nice rich colors. Some richer than watercolor. I bought five tubes years ago for our school in 1990. I didn’t know anything about anything. I think they probably would’ve cost me $9 dollars a tube then which was incredibly expensive for a student. But now that make is hundreds of dollars for that many tubes. It’s French and they’ve been making it for 300 years and it is the most beautiful stuff. I had no idea. They are larger tubes and i still use them. And I got spoiled because I decided to buy Windsor Newton for additional colours. Tiny tubes and the colour was just not comparable. It was more chalky. When it comes to final details and you want to touch up with white, I would avoid the white Gouache. Best results is a touch of white acrylic paint. Good luck!
Yeah, I started painting small because it was less intimidating and I found I pushed myself more and finished pieces. I use to participate in tradng card exchanges. Was a heck of a lot of fun. You can push yourself more and be a little daring if it’s small because you feel like OK well I can always start again. The size was 2 1/2” x 3 1/2”.
I do recommend going small -maybe not that small- instead of too big because that can be overwhelming if you’re already struggling. You get discouraged and stop. Also if you use a lot of expensive paper, then you’re afraid to make mistakes and that’s the only way we learn.
Here are my cards I did for a Masters Work challenge. Watercolor. Some gouache in a few places. One has some pastel on a tinted paper. Acrylic touches in a few places.

 

[PaintBoss]

John, thank you! Good luck with gouache Scottish highland I do like that reference, too.

PaintBoss, what happens to me with gouache is I get furious painting with them so it's not very healthy me to paint with them too often . Gouache paints are the only possibility for me to participate to the water challenges as I don't paint with watercolors.

Haha I totally get that. You know you can do a drawing and just line it with permanent Ink pens and then do watercolour washes in areas -that would count too. And it would be better for your blood pressure! I love oil, but unfortunately, it doesn’t love me. I break out in a full body rash, and I have a hard time breathing. But it’s so lush and creamy and, you can play with it for weeks. You can play until some magic happens. Lots of “mulligans”! Going to watercolour where if you lose your white you have to struggle to get it back but often it can be gone, some pigments are staining, and everything is more exact, it is j
in my opinion the most difficult medium to master. Easier clean up though!
Well worth it learning. But it’s a completely different approach. you have to allow for many many mistakes, but it does get better with time.

 

[Jo Castillo]

Haha I totally get that. You know you can do a drawing and just line it with permanent Ink pens and then do watercolour washes in areas -that would count too. And it would be better for your blood pressure! I love oil, but unfortunately, it doesn’t love me. I break out in a full body rash, and I have a hard time breathing. But it’s so lush and creamy and, you can play with it for weeks. You can play until some magic happens. Lots of “mulligans”! Going to watercolour where if you lose your white you have to struggle to get it back but often it can be gone, some pigments are staining, and everything is more exact, it is j
in my opinion the most difficult medium to master. Easier clean up though!
Well worth it learning. But it’s a completely different approach. you have to allow for many many mistakes, but it does get better with time.

PaintBoss, I couldn't use oil paints. I thought it was the turp or whatever that gave me headaches so I used water miscible oils, still headaches. Discovered it was the linseed oil. I got some M. Graham oils made with walnut oil. I can use those and no headaches.
I'm learning watercolor, just don't do it often enough to remember what worked and have to learn again. Ha.

 

[PaintBoss]

PaintBoss, I couldn't use oil paints. I thought it was the turp or whatever that gave me headaches so I used water miscible oils, still headaches. Discovered it was the linseed oil. I got some M. Graham oils made with walnut oil. I can use those and no headaches.
I'm learning watercolor, just don't do it often enough to remember what worked and have to learn again. Ha.

Oh, that’s really good information to know. Thank you very much. I’m very glad you found something that you could work with. You’re so right, if you don’t do something very often, you do forget the ins and the outs. All I know is I avoid any white watercolour paint because if I mix it some paints have hidden payments in them that can turn it dark. Yeah, like blackish.

 

[Jo Castillo]

PaintBoss, thanks for all the hints. I mostly sketch in ink and just throw on a bit of watercolor. Rarely "paint" like in this thread. I'm enjoying it more. I don't like waiting for paint to dry, so really love pastels.....

 

[PaintBoss]

Ink and washes are a lot of fun and a lot faster.
We need to get Jo a hairdryer! Lol That will take care of it!
Yeah, often I will have a few paintings on the go and I’ll be blow drying some and painting others when I do the miniatures.

 

[john]

With gouache, dark colours lighten up after drying and light colours darken. Don’t use too much water like washes in watercolour doing a sky for ex.

Now you tell me! LOL I just found that out. With the sky. At first I though it was too dark and now it's too light. Oh well.

 

[john]

PaintBoss, I couldn't use oil paints. I thought it was the turp or whatever that gave me headaches so I used water miscible oils, still headaches. Discovered it was the linseed oil. I got some M. Graham oils made with walnut oil. I can use those and no headaches.
I'm learning watercolor, just don't do it often enough to remember what worked and have to learn again. Ha.

Yeah I find the same with the M Graham. Almost no odor. Clean up with dish soap. Really nice to use.

 

[PaintBoss]

That’s fantastic John.
Regarding your sky in your landscape. Hey if it’s Scotland, it’s all broody weather.

 

[PaintBoss]

Ok. Next is a small watercolour, acrylic and ink. I originally tried no line and it just looked so unfinished. Then a thinner outline and it just didn’t look very good. So I went with a little more daring bold line. I’m not sure about it but I gave it a whirl.
11cm x12cm

 

[Joy]

Christine - This is instantly recognizable and eggs-cellent! The darker values in the yolks really give it a realistic/representational look. The overall impression is rather like elevated pop art. Very creative - I struggle in my interpretation of a subject and can only be very literal.

 

[PaintBoss]

Thanks so much, Joy. It does have a bit more of a graphic look. Glad you like it.

 

[Joy]

Thanks so much, Joy. It does have a bit more of a graphic look. Glad you like it.

My pleasure. I mistakenly thought I was following you, so I just added you to my list.

 

[PaintBoss]

Lol. I had just added you as well!

 

[PaintBoss]

I tweeked this a little bit and I feel a little better about it.

 

[Grapes]

PaintBoss, your egg painting is very nice. Thanks for the process, it's always helpful. I'm tempted to try this ref and I think I have an idea how to approach with gouache.
Your portrait is looking even better. Fabulous work done on her.

 

[Grapes]

PaintBoss, .. addition to the earlier comment: interesting group of cards, I find there spectacular and inviting paintings. Well done!

Joy, I'm already painting 2nd painting to your wonderful Animal&Wildlife Challenge. Will post mine on the 15th. Everyone who read this, go check the special photos with cute faces which Joy has selected and prepared for the challenge

~ mosc.

 

[PaintBoss]

Thank you very kindly for your lovely comments on my work.
Not sure about my eggs. I hope you try them. I would like to see how others handle the subject.
Look forward to your wildlife piece!

 

[Jo Castillo]

PaintBoss the eggs are fantastic. I was wondering how someone would do them. Lovely portrait, too.