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Painting with Gouache?
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Message
Posted
Hi everyone
I am not sure which section this is to be posted in but because its very similar to water colour, i though i would put it here. Please feel free to move
or delete this if its in wrong section. Apologies in advance admin.
My first time post and wanted to get some advice regarding what paper to buy for my painting.I am going to be using Gouache instead of water colour. I have not painted in over 20 years now and recently want to get back into it but my previous experience with painting has mainly been with oil paints and water colour. My preference was always oils because it just holds better and the paper does not go bumpy and really these are the main reason why i always stay away from water colour and also the colours are not very vibrant like oils.
I now want to try Gouache but wanted to know if there are any papers or canvases or any kind of surface that exists out there that are a 100% smooth ( non textured surface) and while resisting getting bumpy. I though i would ask the artist community in the water section sine water colour, acrylic and Gouache are quite similar in application although quite different in effect.
any advice would be appreciated
thank you
Posted
You can use water colour paper for gouache. A weight of 300 gsm (grammes per square metre) is fairly thick, and if you buy a pad that has the edges glued, then it's less likely to wrinkle when wet.
A Not surface is roughly half way between rough and smooth in texture. Here's a suitable pad, which has a weight of 140lb in imperial units, which is roughly equivalent to 300 gsm in metric units..
http://www.jacksonsart.com/p12345/Daler-Rowney_Langton_A4_Watercolour_Paper_Glued_Pad_NOT_140lb_landscape/product_info.html
You can also buy water colour paper with a smooth surface.
Edited
by keora
Posted
As far as I know, Gouache is not the most commonly used media on its own these days, but there are professional you use it, I tend to use it as a body colour for highlight's etc, although Plaka would be my main choice now. I much prefer acrylics as there is more choice of colours and they are more widely used by professional artist's, which is always a good sign, and the finished work is not so 'flat' as Gouache.
Having said that, it's always worth giving it your best shot, why not!. My current paper of choice is Fabriano Artistico 300lb HP (Hot Pressed) which is smooth of course and robust enough to take any amount of washes, and of course you can use both sides should you wish to, something that I generally avoid. My usual supplier is Ken Bromley and they will cut the paper for you at no extra cost, either in 1/2 or 1/4 imperial, which is useful. Minimum purchase is 5 full imperial sheets, so it is an outlay, but I end up with 20 x 1/4 imp. sheets which can last me a few weeks or so.
As Keora has said, any HP surface will be smooth and there are some good 'Block' pads out there (glued edges), I use Arches, comes in a good range of sizes, in NOT and ROUGH but not sure if it comes in HP format... Finally, I've not come across any canvas suitable for Gouache so I would discount that idea.
Good luck!
Edited
by alanbickley
Posted
Watercolour paper is a good surface for Gouache - or watercolour board; or even VERY stout cartridge paper.
In recent years, some manufacturers have produced a canvas which they say can be used with watercolour, and if if it can be , it could be used with gouache too. But on the whole I think I'd stick with watercolour paper or stout cartridge; or, as suggested, mountboard. You need of course to be careful with gouache, to ensure the colours are lightfast - you could be entirely sure some years ago that they wouldn't be. In recent years, manufacturers have produced permanent colours, but not across the board: always check the label: it's much more important than the surface on which you paint.
Posted
More or less any decent paper. Good on cartridge paper. I use it quite thickly and yes like Alan use it for highlights . But for a good all rounder its brilliant, This is a chap I did on the Seaside theme in an A 5 Sketch book. What I found was that I could work inyo and onto it with pen of crayon. Lovely and bright and versatile.
