Working with Gouache.

About 15 years ago when working  in my studio in Wales, I started to PLAY with the idea of mixing transparent watercolours with Opaque Gouache. 

In this quick study of my friend, Claudia Notalle, the French actress, I worked from paper that had a cadmium orange gouache ground, along with all sorts of other paint spatterings!      I have intentionally integrated the paint spatterings into the image. 

The moral of the story is don’t throw old pieces of soiled paper away…….

 

Frame 1)

I sketch out the face using Indian Red…..and at the same time throw in Gouache permanent white for the highlights and some dark tones to indicate shadow areas. 

 

Frame 2)

In this frame I add more Indian Red and strengthen the darks around the image…..always working the whole painting….not just one

segment at a time…..

 

 

Frame 3)

I now add the vibrancy of turquoise…which is a mix of Cotman watercolour Turquoise with permanent white Gouache….again moving the colour around the image. 

I also add violet, more Indian red and strengthen the darks…..allowing the cadmium orange ground and spatterings to show through the painting.

 

Final image. 

 

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend….back here on Monday. 

A Bientôt