I am back to my home studio this week, and I have unloaded the car and have been getting the work situated in my studio. I have been thinking more carefully about things that I need to change on this new piece and am utilizing gouache to colorize figural elements that I am including. The video here discusses my process and the media. Gouache is a unique material that requires a steady hand and produces a unique and velvety finish. I find that it helps to go back and forth with various processes that require physical strength versus intense concentration, and so I’m mixing it up this week with also re-stretching the painted linen piece that I worked on while I was on residence in Wyoming.
Gouache is a type of water-soluble paint that, unlike watercolor, is opaque so the white of the paper surface does not show through. The term gouache was first used in France in the eighteenth century to describe a type of paint made from pigments bound in water-soluble gum, like watercolor, but with the addition of a white pigment in order to make it opaque. It’s interesting to look into its history. I love to use gouache with works on paper. Try it!