Eastern Gray Squirrel - pass #3

Pass #3 adding color and detail
Eastern Gray Squirrel
10 x 7
Medium: Gouache & watercolor
140# Canson watercolor paper

Eastern Gray Squirrel - pass #2

Pass #2 - adding dimension, light and working on some detail
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Medium: Gouache and watercolor
10 X 7

On my easel - Eastern Gray Squirrel

On my easel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Medium: Gouache and watercolor
10 X 7
I know it's been awhile since my last painting. I've been busy with my day job, an art festival, vacation and yard work. It feels good to paint again. I just felt like something was missing.

What is Gouache and what makes it different than Watercolor?

This is a question that I am asked all the time.

Gouache (pronounced "gwaash," is a type of paint which is centuries old and used to enhance manuscripts. Few people today have even heard of it or know what it is? When I'm showing my work, people will ask me what is Gouache? After they stumble on the pronunciation of the word, I tell them the easiest way to explain it, that it is opaque water color. Then I start expanding on the explanation, that it is a painting medium with characteristics of both acrylic and watercolor. It can be used to create beautiful works of art. It was the go to medium for Illustrators and Designers. They love it for its ease of use, brilliance, and ability to easily transfer into print media without having to correct for glare or color shift like the translucency of traditional watercolors. 

Working with Gouache is very similar to working with watercolor with the main difference being the opacity. While watercolors are transparent, gouache is opaque. Gouache has a higher pigment to binder (Gum Arabic) ratio, a larger particle size and in some cases the addition of a white pigment such as chalk. Just as with traditional watercolors, the opacity varies somewhat depending on the pigment used. Keep in mind when working with Gouache is that with the high pigment load and less binder that they may flake or dust off, especially if diluted too much. They may also tend to crack when layered or applied very thickly. Adding a little Gum Arabic may help reduce that effect in either case. 

Blacksmith shop at Williamsburg - painted with Gouache

Williamsburg - painted in watercolor