Tag: Watercolour beginners

What is the difference between watercolor and gouache? Find out

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Difference between watercolour and gouache

In a single glance, gouache and watercolor look almost identical. Gouache, which is a member of the watercolor family, is a medium that can be used just like watercolor. 

Artists can use gouache on watercolor paper or any other surface suitable for watercolor. It is also possible to use your watercolor brushes for gouache, and you will not need any specific chemicals to clean them either.

Just like watercolor, one can rewet gouache with water to make changes and corrections or thin it with water to make it more transparent.

Yet, gouache is different from watercolor. This is because, on a structural level, gouache is made different to watercolor.

Compared to watercolors, gouache has larger particles of pigment. As its particles are tightly packed together, gouache is opaque. 

The opaqueness makes gouache great for illustrators who want accurate photographs. The same quality makes it almost useless for achieving glowing effects sought after by watercolorists.

So the next time you’re looking for a new medium to try or are just curious about gouache, grab some colors, and start drawing.

Tips for painting watercolor portraits that you should know

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watercolor portrait tips

Some super easy but not so popular tips can save your time when painting watercolor portraits. We will be listing down some of them below.

Start with the face: Sketch the eyes, nose, and mouth and details like shadows and highlights with a pencil.

Use a kneadable eraser to lift the dark pencil strokes: Make it as light as possible. The excess graphite can make the painting look dirty.

Mix your paints before you start painting: Decide all tones and values you need before you start painting.

Use wet on wet technique to paint the skin: Wet the paper before painting and add darker values following lighter values. 

Leave the highlights unpainted: In case you paint over it, don’t use white watercolor to paint highlights. Instead, use gouache or white color pencil or pen for adding highlights if needed.

If the paint dries off while painting the skin, wait till it is completely dried before adding darker values. Once it’s dry, wet the portions you want to paint and add the layers of darker values on it.

Paint the skin first and then add finer details like eyes and lips. In short, work from whole to part. Follow these tips for painting watercolor portraits easily.

The Fundamentals of Painting With Watercolors

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watercolors

Watercolors are fun to work with, provided you know a few fundamentals about this medium. So, before you start painting, read the following things which any beginner watercolorist must know.

Do not draw on regular paper: Get thicker paper intended for watercolors. 100% cotton paper at least 200 gsm thick is the most suitable for watercolor art.

Get the right brand of watercolors: Always consider quality over quantity. Do not buy cheap student quality watercolor if you are serious about watercolor art.

Swatch your watercolors: Printed color swatches are deceiving. Make swatches of your color palette to ensure that you are using the right shade. 

Keep the pencil sketches light: You can also erase the linework using a kneadable eraser so that lines won’t show through the painting.

Keep brighter areas unpainted: You can also use masking fluid to protect the whites.

To make your painting perfect, plan your painting well, and build darker values with each layer of paint. Allow each layer to dry properly before painting the next layer. Replace the water frequently so that your brushes remain clean every time you switch colors.

Grab that drawing pad and color palette now, and unleash your creativity.