Tag Archives: #arizonaartist

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

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?

Days 1 – 5 of The Creative Gathering, February 2026

8 Replies

My 30 day gouache adventure is underway!

Shown in reverse order.
Day 1, Ball Cactus.
Gouache on Arches paper. 4 x 4 in. S.M. Delgado.

There is no doubt this is going to be a month of learning for me. Gouache can be used like watercolor, but it is very different. It is opaque. You can layer light over dark. You can blend. And if you goof, you can paint over it. I apologize for the blur.

Day 2, Prickly Pear Cactus.
Gouache on Meeden 140 Lb. hot press paper. 5 x 7 in. S.M. Delgado.

The reference photo showed the tuna’s as very pale pink. I didn’t quite capture the light in them. And my blending there is very uneven. I’m trying to convince myself it gives them a rough & rustic look. 😄 The spines were very few and mostly around the edges. I can see why this medium is favored for illustration work. I added the outlining and the spines digitally.

Day 3, Saguaro Cactus. Gouache on Meeden 140 Lb. hot press paper.
3.5 x 5 in. S.M. Delgado
I had several busy days in a row, so I went small and simple.

Day 4, Cloud. Gouache on Meeden 140 Lb. hot press paper.
3.5 x 5 in. S.M.Delgado.

I had a bottom layer of “light” in the foreground. And I added texture as well. But it didn’t work, and as I tried to rework it, I lost most of that. I really was focused on the cloud process. I kept working that to blend and soften. I’m not sure it is effective. To me it looks hard instead of soft. But the learning counts.

Day 5, Same Cloud. Gouache on Meeden 140 Lb. hot press paper.
3.5 x 5 in. S.M.Delgado.

You’re right. You are seeing double. LOL. I added a tree line, and some light on the mountains. It was a long day, that’s about all I had time for. I did get some ideas for my next piece. I’m looking ahead to tomorrow. After a long winter’s nap.

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at the first five days!