Jenny Dolfen

Gouache attempt

Added 2021-03-24 18:29:25 +0000 UTC

I told you I'm going to take a gouache course next month; I decided to get in a bit of practice before that. I started out using gouache much as I would watercolour, very diluted with a lot of water, but then went all-out with opacity to try for a "true" gouache look, not a "but I'm really a watercolourist" hybrid. I think this could be a direction I may like, but oh boy, I need so much more practice and tips.

I did feel a little Bob Ross-y when I painted the little cabin. ;) Painted from a photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh.

My first attempts last night:

You can probably tell I'm scared to try a face. ;) Gouache has a major disadvantage for a watercolour artist: In the early stages, gouache tends to look like a watercolour that is totally beyond all hope. I have to consciously switch off my brain when I'm at that stage, plough through, and only look at it properly again when I'm past that stage. Or when I think I'm past that stage. It's hard to know.