Develop a strong, reliable gouache practice—from mixing to layering—so you can paint confidently and consistently.
This course will teach you:
- Basic gouache technique
- Portraiture
- Animals
- Landscapes
- Gouache illustration
Detailed Curriculum
Day 1
Materials and how to use them. Start with just doing some paint squares and then do small thumbnail paintings to show how different painting effects are applied.
Day 2
Beginning to get familiar with the medium by practicing painting something simple, for example, a fruit. Learning to layer the paint, and build up values, also covering color mixing and brush strokes.
Day 3
Painting an animal or a bird.
Focus on painting textures with gouaches. Starting with a simple light sketch and then moving into building up values. Learning about intentional brush strokes.
Day 4, 5
Painting a landscape with foliage and a skyline. Representing texture of trees and bushes, practicing clouds, and water ripples, which gouache is great for!
Day 4
Before students jump into a landscape we should spend some time talking about some helpful techniques for painting things like, grass, leaves, trees, rocks, water, and clouds.
This will require a demo by the teacher showing how to use different brushes to create gestural leaves, foliage and grass. Focus on painting textures with gouaches. Starting with a simple light sketch and then moving into building up values. Learning about intentional brush strokes.
Day 5
Painting a full landscape. Now the students can attempt a full landscape. Starting with a simple pencil sketch (not overly detailed) first or a wash sketch with their paint (optional), beginning to paint.
Working either from a photo reference or doing a master study if they prefer.
Days 6, 7
Painting a portrait.
Can be more realistic or more illustrative depending on students desire.
Days 7-10
Putting skills learned in the class together to create a gouache illustration of students choosing.
Students choose any subject they want:
They can do something more imaginative if they want and use multiple references to help them create their painting.
They could also do a master study if they desire.
Putting skills learned in the class together to create a gouache illustration of students choosing.
Students choose any subject they want:
They can do something more imaginative if they want and use multiple references to help them create their painting.
They could also do a master study if they desire.
