Gouache is one of the main materials I use in my work, along with pencil crayon and pastels to add textures. I illustrated Percy the Post Penguin entirely in gouache and over time I have developed my style using gouache and the textures this paint makes. Below I list my top 5 tips for illustrating with gouache, and I hope it is useful if you are hoping to try out this medium!
Choose the right paper
Choose a sketchbook or paper that is 200gsm or more, and suitable for watercolour and paints. If you are doing a larger painting this makes sure the paper doesn't buckle. If you're working on a very small scale, lighter weight paper may not buckle, but thicker paper is definitely the best for gouache. You can also stretch paper if it still buckles!
Experiment with textures
Experiment with textures to create interesting shapes and patterns within the paint. You can do this by diluting the paint, then dropping more paint into the watery paint that is on the page and letting it run into different shapes and textures naturally, or using a dry brush to make more jagged textures with the paint.
Mix the right amount of paints
Gouache often dries darker than it looks so mixing with a little bit more white or a lighter colour can mean it will dry more like the colour you wanted. But this leads on to my next tip...
Test the paints beforehand!
Test out your paints before starting an illustration by painting a square of each colour and seeing how they look once dried. That way you will know which colours will work with your illustration and you can refer back to it in the future when you are unsure which colours to pick.
A little goes a long way
As gouache should be mixed with water, you don't need a lot of it for it to cover a large area, so depending on how big the area is you are going to paint, a little bit of gouache will go a long way!
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