30 Days of Gouache – What I Learned (Fun, Frustration & Growth)

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February was fun! How can it not be, when you have fresh art supplies? Who can resist, right? For my birthday I treated myself to 2 new watercolor papers. A 5 x 7 block of Meeden hot press. And a stack of inexpensive 8 x 8 sheets. 100 sheets for $20! I also bit the bullet and ordered the Arteza set of 60 gouache box. Thankfully, it was on sale.

I thoroughly enjoyed my gouache tour. YouTube introduced me to amazing artists and I have stashed their insights in my brain. I have a lengthy gouache playlist to revisit as well.

Days 24, 25, & 26. 4 x 4 inch gouache on Arches cold press paper 140 lb., 4 x 4 in. More magenta mayhem. I intensified the color slightly. My muted mood in the first part of the series was replaced with some flash. I was having fun, playing with pattern, shapes and mark making.

Days 24 - 30 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado.
Days 24 – 30 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado.


Day 27 & 28, 5 x 7 inches. Cool blues. A bubble bath, according to Sea, Eileen and Teresa. The second reminded Diane of stained glass, and Eileen thought of a kaleidoscope. I love those descriptions.
Thanks, friends! Both are watercolor on Leyton pure cotton watercolor cold press paper 160 lb., 5 x 7 in.

Day 29, 5 x 7 inch. Golden tree, gouache on Leyton 160 lb. paper. I’ve had this idea in my head. I want to paint it large. Our neighbors across the street have a tree in their backyard. It turns gold each afternoon in the setting sun. It’s like someone turned on a bright light. Mingus turns dark blue.
I can only see the top half of the tree, I used artistic license for the rest. The dead leaves hang down in long spikes.

Day 30, Prickly Pear, 5 x 7 inch. Gouache on Leyton pure cotton watercolor cold press paper 160 lb. This was a late night, quick-as-I-can piece. I used leftover paint (there is still more on the palette). Christine Brooks gifted me the Layton block. I really love this heavier paper! It is easy to remove and it didn’t warp. It held up to multiple layers and areas of heavy paint.

The patterned pieces are mixed media. Some details were added digitally. On the cactus, the needles are digital. I really need to make a collection, and save them for future projects. LOL. Below are a few close-ups, to better see the details.

Details Days 24 - 30
Details Days 24 – 30

Gouache is very versatile. I used several different papers, and it was wonderful on each of them. Arches, Leyton, Meeden. The less expensive performed just as well as the Arches. For the purpose of practice. And the Arteza paint seems to last. Many artists online mentioned that it takes more paint then watercolor. But I found that a small dab on the palette was enough for more than one piece.

It is true, that you use a lot of white. White adds opacity to lighter, more transparent hues. The colors mix well. They are nice and creamy when you get the water ratio right.

Tomorrow I will share the collage of all 30 pieces with you. And talk more about what I have learned. The group gallery video will be up in a few days.

Thanks so much for tracking my journey with gouache this month. I really do appreciate your suggestions and observations. So often during the daily challenge, I get caught up in just getting it done. Tunnel vision kicks in, and I forget to take time to consider other options.

Happy Monday!
Happy March!

March already?

The February 2026 Creative Gathering, Days 20 Through 23.

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Days 20 - 23 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado.
Days 20 – 23 of the February 2026 Creative Gathering. © 2026 Sheila Delgado.

Day 20. Prickly Pear. Gouache, 8 x 8 in. The prickly pear pads can be all shades of green, yellow green, gray, silver, sage. Just not usually all on the same plant. 😆

Day 21. Gouache & mixed media on Arches 140 lb. Cold Press Paper. 4 x 4 in. S.M. Delgado. My scanner is still blurring parts of the image. (The top image, left side.)
Don’t worry, it is not your eyes. 🤓
For this series, my main goal was to catch up, and get ahead. Six small pieces sounded like a plan. I chose a limited palette and started with large blocks of color. Dots and marks in a contrasting color were added next. In Photoshop I layered leaves, patterns and music for more interest.

Day 22. Gouache on Arches Cold Press Paper 140 lb. 4 x 4 in. Repetition as composition.

Day 23. Gouache on Arches Cold Press Paper 140 lb. 4 x 4 in. By this time, I was starting to question my color choices. It felt like something was missing. 🤔 What do you think?

I received suggestions in the gathering group, and in my next post you will see the results.
Stay tuned!

The February gathering is a 30-day event, despite the month not having 30 days. And the group gallery video is coming around the mountain! Our time to celebrate the fabulous art the members have brought to life!

See you soon!
Have an awesome weekend!

Week Three Of The February 2026 Creative Gathering

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Details

Lets take it from the top. These are all 5 x 7 in., on Meeden pure cotton Watercolor Paper, 140 lb. Day 13, A Peruvian Apple cactus. These can grow up to 30 feet tall in the wild. They are twisty, and the spines are along the edges. They are sometimes used as a living fence. They have pretty reddish “apples”, and night blooming flowers. For the spines, I created stars in Photoshop, giving me groups of multiple spines to place.

Day 14, Abstract, mixed media with paint pen, marker and Caran D ‘Ache neocolor. I worked on two pieces that day, but I hit a wall on each. I saw a video, “How to get unstuck”, and it suggested to just play. That’s what I did. Just doodles really. Doodles and done! 

Day 15. Ladybugs. Ok, yes. I have been on Youtube a lot this month. Watching gouache artists, and taking in all the information I can. A title on Ladybugs caught my eye. That inspired me to paint them. To be honest, this small painting took two days. Near the end, I was just ready to have it done, I was a day behind again. For that reason, I omitted their legs. My story is, their legs are curled up underneath. I’m sticking to it. 😄

Day 16. Another mixed media abstract. I tried to be loose, but it just looks stiff and frankly, messy to me. I started a series of four. But honestly, they all might end up looking completely different. I should have gone bigger over all. I used a Canson spiral bound sketchbook, taped off for four pieces. I was inspired by Betty Franks. I have been for years. Her style is loose, playful and very organic. I will try again!

Day 17. Ranunculus. Just having fun here.

Day 18. I’ve been trying to get ahead all month. So I don’t have to stress when my day keeps me from painting. But somehow, I have consistently posted late at night, and often, a day behind. This is a faux plant in a favorite vase. The paper scanned a soft, parchment tone, which I really like. A nice surprise, the paper looks bright white on the pad.

Day 19, Floral. I learned a trick. (From one of those many videos.) You might already know. I think it is very cool. If you squeeze a paint tube just above the pointed ends, It draws the paint back into the tube. Less chance of wasting paint and gunking up the cap. How cool is that? I wish I had learned that years ago. 😄

I am enjoying gouache. More experience will equal more enjoyment. I still struggle with the water/paint ratio. I often think I have it right. Then when I apply the paint, it is not fully opaque. Which means I have it too thin.

And now it is time for more painting practice.

Thanks so much for visiting!
Have an awesome weekend friends!