As soon as I finished the Creative Gathering February video, I jumped right into this project. The original plan was simple: swatch my Arteza Gouache set. I ordered a set of square stencils. I pulled out a Strathmore Visual Journal, I thought it would be the perfect size for easy reference.
And then, because apparently I don’t know how to leave well enough alone. I had the ambitious idea to swatch my colored pencils and acrylics, too. Heck, why not all of my “color” supplies?
The idea was to have everything in one easy-to-reference guide. Instead of having little pieces of paper scattered here and there. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. 😂
Of course, this is going to be an ongoing project. And honestly, I probably won’t get back to swatching in the book until after the next February Gathering. There are only so many hours in a day! (It’s taken me months just to get this post up! Haha)
Swatching took MUCH longer than I expected. But the actual painting part was surprisingly meditative. And it is really helpful to see which colors are more transparent and which are more opaque & heavily pigmented.
I also printed a black-and-white copy of the swatch pages. This helps me see the values, which I still struggle to judge on my own. I can tuck the copy into the sketchbook for a quick reference when I need it.
The Arteza Gouache Paint Set of 60 comes in a HUGE box. The tubes are all tucked neatly into plastic trays, which is great for shipping and storing.
But for everyday painting? Not so much.
The sound of those plastic trays scraping against the sides of the box is as bad as cardboard scraping. Yikes! So I ordered a set of six clear 4 x 6 photo storage boxes to hold the paint tubes instead. So. Much. Better.
They snap securely, stack neatly, and I can easily see what’s where. I put my most-used colors in one box, and organized the rest by color family. No more digging through ten noisy trays!
I feel better prepared. Set-up will be easier. And there’s one less little barrier between me and actually sitting down to paint!
I already have a theme in mind for the September Creative Gathering. I think I’ll work in both gouache and watercolor. But you know me. One thing leads to another, and plans might change completely. 😉
Only 3 weeks until September’s Creative Gathering begins!
July was World Watercolor Month, and I decided to jump in! My only goal was simple: put brush to paper every single day. I didn’t follow the official prompts, and I didn’t feel the need to finish a complete painting each day. Some days I found inspiration in YouTube shorts, and I just let the creativity take me where it wanted. It was such a fun month of making art.
Of course, not everything went as planned. I spent weeks trying to paint a beautiful cloudscape, and as you’ll see…none of them quite worked out. But that’s all part of the creative process, and I learned something from every attempt. Timing is key.
The whole month turned out to be the perfect warm-up for the September Creative Gathering—which is almost here! Time for me to start prepping!
The first nine images were the top performers on Instagram. Most are 5 x 5 in. Some are 4 x 4 in., or 3 x 3 in. They’re not in order. Keep scrolling for a closer look at a few of my favorite pieces!
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.
Until next time, may your world be rich with color and texture & layers of inspiration.
I’ll admit, I had a moment of pure panic when I started this gathering session. What am I doing? 😆
Why would I try something completely new when I have a tight working window? I really struggled the first two weeks. I felt like I was failing horribly. And I was behind in posting. But we all have days like that, don’t we?
I look ahead to painting, practicing, and learning more about gouache. I know there will be more frustrations, but there will also be successful days. Below are some of the things I have learned.
The Pros of Gouache
1. You Can Re-Wet It
Like watercolor, gouache remains workable. If you finish a painting and later realize you want to make changes — you can. It’s very forgiving. Of course… this can also be considered a con. (More on that later.)
2. The Pigment Is Rich, Saturated & Easy To Mix
Gouache is incredibly pigmented and naturally opaque. While watercolor relies on transparency, gouache achieves lighter values by mixing with white instead of just adding water. This makes the colors vibrant, saturated, and velvety — and very easy to mix.
You can paint delicate watercolor-like washes or build thick, forgiving layers. You can even layer light colors over dark ones. Because white is part of the mixing process, it feels more intuitive.
3. It Dries Matte, Flat, And Fast
Graphic designers and illustrators are fond of gouache for these reasons. You can build layers quickly, and changes are easy to make. (That’s code for: mistakes can be fixed.) 😄
Another advantage? It reproduces beautifully without glare. Often with watercolor, I have to adjust the scan to get the colors true to life. I didn’t have to do that this month at all.
Gouache is great for small studies, plein air, and travel. It lasts for years in sealed tubes, is lightweight and compact, and requires minimal equipment. And cleanup is a breeze.
Unlike watercolor — which really shines on high-quality paper — gouache is more flexible. You can use it on watercolor paper, mixed-media paper, Bristol board, illustration board, tinted paper, canvas, or even wood. It works best on heavy, slightly absorbent, smooth surfaces.
You can use inexpensive brushes or watercolor brushes. I’ve used both synthetic and watercolor brushes with good results. I’ve used high-quality white gouache with watercolors, but I have yet to try professional-grade gouache beyond that.
For student-grade paints, I did my research and found that both Arteza and Meeden are often recommended by artists. I can honestly say the Arteza paints are really nice to work with.
5. It’s Non-Toxic, Odorless & A Little Goes A Long Way
Because gouache is so pigmented, you don’t need much. Every day this month I ended up with leftover paint on my palette. If my paintings look cohesive, that’s probably why. I used tiny amounts and just kept mixing from the same puddles.
The Cons of Gouache
1. It Can Get Muddy Fast
Because gouache reactivates with water, you can accidentally lift the layer underneath while adding a new one. If you’re not careful, things can get muddy quickly.
The general rule is thick over thin — use less water as you build layers. I definitely need more practice with this. I tend to go thick too soon. (Maybe because I’m thick in the head.) 😄
2. The Value Shift Is Real
Always mix more paint than you think you’ll need.
Gouache changes slightly as it dries. Light colors dry darker. Dark colors dry lighter. You do not want to run out of your mixed color mid-painting. Even working small this month, I ran into that problem more than once. Usually because I kept layering.
I struggled with values because of this. I already have a hard time seeing values, and the drying shift didn’t help. I plan on spending more time making swatches and mixing colors. Hopefully, I will become more comfortable with this aspect of the paint.
3. It Dries… Too Fast
Yes, this is both a pro and a con. Are you seeing a trend?
Blending is easiest when the paint is fresh. If one area dries before you’re finished, blending into it can be difficult. You also need to let the paint dry before judging the final color.
There is still much more to learn. Now that I’m not under a daily deadline, I can concentrate more on technique. I can also work on water control, layering, and consistency.
I really enjoyed getting to know this medium. And while I was sincerely frustrated each day from my lack of knowledge, I enjoyed painting with gouache.
Here’s another look at some of the details from the paintings.
