Zoe Ingram - Oh My Gouache!

Were going to have some fun with this wonderful medium.

First, let me introduce myself. Im Zo Ingram, a Scottish artist and illustrator. Ive been working in the creative industries for over 20 years. My background is in printed textiles, and I later moved into the graphic design world. For the past eight years, Ive been following my passion by creating artwork professionally for a wide range of clients who are publishers of books, magazines and newspapers, fabric producers, home-decor manufacturers and gift and stationery companies. I use gouache paint extensively in my everyday work, and Im going to share with you as much as I possibly can about getting started with gouache.

Ill take you through some of the basics and explain what youll need to get going: paint, tools and paper. Ill then go over some of the more common techniques that I use every day. Finally, there are 11 projects that you can follow along with or use as a springboard for your own ideas. Think of these projects as examples or starting points for what you might want to paint, not as a 'paint it this way' manual.

Gouache really is my first love when it comes to choosing a painting medium. Its a lot less intimidating than some other paint mediums, so I hope youre inspired to take that first step and begin creating. Finding a little time each day to paint will not only make your work better through practice, but its also a perfect opportunity for you to do something you enjoy. At the time of writing this book, we find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic and a worldwide climate crisis, both of which are overwhelming. Painting and art can help to express some of the emotions that you may be feeling during challenging times.

Welcome to the wonderful world of painting with gouache!

Besides paint, youll need a few other things to get you started with gouache. There are lots of tools and materials to choose from, and I remember literally breaking out in a cold sweat when I first walked into an art shop as a new artist. But dont worry you dont need everything straight away, and well go through the basics over the following pages.

Gouache:

[ goo-ash, gwash or goo-uhsh ] noun

A method of painting using opaque pigments ground in water and thickened with a glue-like substance.

Opaque watercolour of the type used in gouache painting.

A picture painted using the gouache method.

The pronunciation of gouache varies from person to person and can sound like 'gooash', 'gwash' or 'goo-uhsh'. The term originated in France in the eighteenth century, but the earliest gouache paints are known to have been made in ancient Greece and Egypt. These early gouache paints were very similar to tempera paints, which are usually semi-opaque compared to gouache as we know it now.

There are some very well-known painters who used gouache in their work, one of whom is the French artist, Henri Matisse. He used gouache to achieve the flat, bold colour hes famous for in his paper cut-outs. Another fantastic artist who historically used gouache is Paul Klee. Both of these artists are favourites of mine and Id definitely recommend looking at their works for inspiration.

As the definition states, gouache is water-based paint that is essentially made up of pigment, binding agent and water, producing an opaque, flat, matt finish. The flat opaqueness of the paint gives a solid graphic feel and has no reflection or sheen, which makes photographing or scanning your work much easier. This also means that the paper doesnt show through, unless you dilute the paint so much that it becomes like watercolour paint. Gouache paint dries fairly quickly, too, which I find to be a big bonus. Light colours usually dry slightly darker than they look when wet, and dark colours can look slightly lighter when dry. This could be due to the opaqueness of the paint absorbing light rather than allowing light to pass through to the paper underneath as it does with watercolour paint.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Paint price varies depending on the colour and the brand. Be wary of very cheap paint, as its likely to have less pigment and more binder so could prove to be a false economy.