Exploring gouache

A superb painting Diana.

Great exploration!

I love this. It's superb!

A different slant on Gouache ,it's lovely Diana .

Thanks Paul. Very different for me. Thank you Heather. Always good to try a new medium or technique. Thank you Fiona. I’m really pleased you like it. Thank you Sylvia. I’ve only ever used white before neat from the tube for small highlights

Well now, he bridled..... many, many artists, including JMW Turner and Constable, used white in watercolour: it's true that lovely things can be achieved without it, but its use is just as much 'true watercolour' as anything else: probably most 18th and 19th century watercolourists would have used 'body colour', and not thought twice about it. What they would have used would be 'Chinese White', i.e. Zinc White. These days you can find watercolour Titanium White, and if it helps to complete your picture I wouldn't hesitate to use it. So don't be trapped in an alleyway by these so-called purists, because they don't know what they're talking about. Some, probably many, watercolourists do not use white/'body colour': I suspect Edward Wesson didn't; and that's brilliant - I enjoy white-free watercolour. But don't be intimidated! The painting is the important thing: not someone else's tight, rigid rules. What you've used here is a touch of body colour; you haven't gone full gouache: keep going into full gouache (if you'd like to): it's not unlike acrylic or even oil paint in its way; keep using touches of white - you can also use opaque colours, like Yellow Ochre, Naples Yellow, Light Red - in your watercolours, or go the whole hog. You have acres of room for enjoyable experimentation, and being a member of the SWA (well done that woman!) I'm sure you'll find many who share your enthusiasm and can tempt you further.

Lovely Diana

Thanks very much Robert for a really interesting comment. I found it really inspiring. I went to see a Ruskin exhibition in Edinburgh and had to ask what body colour was as I’d no idea. It was used in most of his work. If you want bright whites in watercolour, there is nothing as white as the unpainted paper but in response to your interesting comment, I’ll definitely experiment more. Thank you. Thanks Christine. I’d love to get to the Lake District to see the lambs.

Ceratainly an unusual direction for you Diana, but interesting nevertheless. Being an amature rebel whose opinion counts for not much, I use white like blancoing old tennis goloshes, although occasionaly going for negative spaces. "Each to their own" said Salvadore Dali after he painted the Mona Lisa (he didn't of course) (-:

A very atmospheric painting. Great composition!

There are some master watercolour artists who use white. Some for highlights and. Bother I know in the main body of the painting. It gives watercolour even more versatility. Thanks Jim. Many thanks again Spencer. I love the countryside so much , it seems a shame to shy away from painting it.

Very atmospheric. I’ve never used gouache seriously - will definitely explore.

A very atmospheric painting, Diana. Love it!

It’s beautiful, Diana. It’s great to feel free and experiment, this has definitely kept me looking at it.

My favourite colour palette!