Gouache is called not only water-based paint, which is based on finely ground pigments, but also paintings that are painted with this paint. Basically, it is customary to draw with gouache on paper, but often it is written on canvas, on cardboard, on wood, and other surfaces. It's all about its density. Due to the astringent consistency, this paint lays very well, but due to the fact that it is diluted with water, it is also quite easy to wash off. If you compare gouache with other water-soluble paints, you can identify both advantages and disadvantages. Compared to watercolors, gouache is easier to use, since its properties allow you to register light colors on top of dark colors, as well as apply paint in layers to create some velvety. Simply put, unsuccessfully painted watercolor drawing is almost impossible to save, and gouache is more realistic.
The gouache painting technique is very similar to the acrylic painting technique. The consistency of these paints is also similar, but acrylic, although diluted with water, it will not be possible to wash off the surface in ten minutes. Gouache dries completely in two to three hours, but even after that it can be easily spread with water. This paint is also good because in the process of drawing it can not be diluted so that the layer is as dense as possible. If you are interested in how to draw with gouache, then here are some simple and fun ways.
- The classic method, where brushes are used, preferably medium hard, elastic, made from goat hair or horse hair. Too hard a brush will leave uneven, steep edges, and too soft will not be able to smear thick paint well. Before drawing with gouache, a sheet of paper does not hurt to moisten slightly.
- A slightly non-standard way with which you can make an unusual background or a fun, bright abstraction. To do this, you need to take a regular foam sponge, moisten it a little in water and apply one or several colors of paint to it. Now with this colored sponge we paint over the sheet as you like, or draw textured circles, squares, flowers or something else.
- Children may really like the following way, how to draw in gouache, but you, as a parent, should be near because a burning candle will be used here. Its wax can be dripped onto a sheet, which is then toned. It will turn out something spotty, but very unusual.
- There is a safer method than with a candle. It will takeonly PVA glue in a jar with a thin nose on the lid. With this glue, with a thin line, apply the desired pattern, let it dry well, and after that gouache paint over the sheet. You can even use not a brush, but a painted sponge, as in the second method.
- And another interesting option is how to draw with gouache. First, a sheet of paper should be completely painted over with wax crayons (one color or several), apply a gouache layer on top, and until it is dry, use a toothpick to “scratch” the pattern. It will turn out very unusual.
But gouache still has a couple of flaws. Firstly, when dried, the colors become lighter shades, and secondly, the drawings written by her (especially on paper) are short-lived, since over time the paint will dry out and may crumble. Therefore, it is appropriate to store such masterpieces under glass.