If we even know how to draw with a pencil, then often there is a desire to portray something in color. And gouache still life is the best option to take the first step in this direction. For work, we need a sheet of cardboard or paper fixed on a rigid base, a set of gouache paints and several different brushes, bristles or columns. Gouache is diluted with water, which should be collected in a small jar.
How to draw a gouache still life
First you need to imagine what result we want to achieve. And consistently move towards the intended goal. Gouache still life begins with the correct setting of the objects that we intend to depict. Still life objects should be placed on a plane with maximum expressiveness. You should not get carried away with their quantity, it is better to choose a minimum of contrasting objects in shape and color. Having finished with the arrangement of objects, we begin to portray a still life in gouache.
Build the composition on paper step by step. With some drawing skill, you can do without preliminary
pencil drawing. It is successfully replaced by liquid divorced gouache and a thin
core brush. After constructing the contours and constructive foundations of all objects, we begin modeling their shapes in tone and color relationships.
We select the strength of tone and color of gouache paints first on a separate piece of paper - on the palette. And only having achieved the right tone, we put it in the proper place of the still life. We begin to prescribe objects from the darkest places of the composition, gradually approaching the most illuminated. When working on a still life, we do not forget about the balance of cold and warm tones, which usually alternate. And we also take into account the fact that in natural
daylight, the illuminated parts of objects are performed in a cold range, and warm shades prevail in the shadows. Performing a gouache still life, one should understand how the materials used in painting work. The main property of gouache paints is that their brightness decreases as they dry. This property should be considered. But the right skills are being developed gradually.
How to work further
We will try to critically evaluate the results of our work and we will not be upset if the result is weaker than the one we hoped for. Gouache still life is not such a simple thing, and it may not work out on the first try. The main thing is not to stop there. Consistency and systematic work is important here. And the result will definitely be. Still life composition should be gradually complicated. Be sure to get acquainted with the works of masters who worked in this genre before us. Acquaintance with the works of classics both in museums, at exhibitions, and in reproductions can give a lot to those who take their first steps in this direction. It is best to store especially successful gouache still lifes in a frame under glass. It should be remembered that gouache paints fade and lose their properties under prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.