GOUACHE FLOWERS

Gouache paints are popular with illustrators and artists who like to work with an opaque medium. Painting methods used can vary immensely depending on the subject choice and surface choice. Gouache can be painted onto watercolour paper and used from light to dark colours or with opaque techniques built up from mid to dark colours first, adding light on top.

For this masterclass, I want to show you how to use gouache on a coloured support to produce a striking artwork. The techniques are very controlled and require drybrush methods to layer and blend the pigments rather than using wet-into-wet or water to blend. I will also be using an acrylic base for the gouache. This helps the colour show up on the green mountboard, and also protects the board’s thin laminated surface from water damage.

I painted a type of orchid known as Phalaenopsis “Asian Sun” for this