For the month of May I’ll be doing another 30-day challenge. As the third 30-day challenge I’ve done this year, I think it is becoming clear that I really love doing these challenges. Only this time will be slightly different since I’ll be using gouache instead of oils.

If you’re unfamiliar with gouache, it is an opaque watercolor. It uses the same binder as watercolor and easily cleans up with water. It dries to a matte finish and easily re-wets. It is different from watercolor because the pigments are usually larger and the ratio of pigment to binder is higher and it may contain a chalk filler to make it more opaque. It has a noticeable color shift as it dries, with lighter colors drying darker and dark colors drying lighter.

I’ve been interested for quite a while in expanding my use of different mediums. I started using ink again in the last couple years, which I’ve really enjoyed and I’ve done some experimentation in watercolor which has been less than successful. Lately, I’ve been noticing a surge in popularity of gouache. Having never even heard of it before until this year, it piqued my interest and I started researching it. After hearing many remarks about how it is similar to oil painting, I finally took the plunge and bought an assortment of colors.

I went with M. Graham because I love their oil paints and figured it would be a good place to start. For colors, I went with a slightly expanded primary palette: Titanium White, Zinc White, Azo Yellow, Naphthol Red, Phthalo Blue, Phthalo Green, and Ivory Black. I also got Burnt Umber from Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache. I can’t remember why I chose a different brand for this one color but it seems to be comparable quality to the M. Graham paints.

I chose two whites because there was a lot of talk about people using zinc as their mixing white and titanium as their highlight white. Unlike oil paint, I’m not worried about the zinc cracking in this medium because the medium as a whole is prone to cracking when applied thickly. This was very evident when I let piles of paint dry on my palette.

Instead of just jumping into the 30 days, I familiarized myself with the gouache as best I could by doing a few quick landscapes. My initial first impressions are good. The remarks I heard about it being similar to oil painting were correct. It is recommended to paint thin to thick which is also how I paint with oils. While the paint dries fast like acrylic, unlike acrylic it is easily reactivated with water and I was able to blend and mix lower layers or paint on top depending on the effect I was after. The ease of blending and mixing previous layers is a technique I frequently use in oils with the alla prima technique. The pigmentation of the paint is very good and dried paint on the palette rehydrates with ease. Overall, I really enjoy this new medium. The transition from oil to gouache feels very natural.

One thing I’m struggling with currently is the color shift between wet and dry paint. This is always mentioned in gouache reviews so I was expecting it, but actually dealing with it something else. So far, I’m working small enough that I haven’t attempted to color match wet paint with dry. I’m used to oil painting which has little to no color shift so my painting changing as it dries is a bit of a novelty for me. The light areas of my practice landscapes ended up darker than I intended. I can see mixing light enough colors is going to be a challenge throughout this 30-day challenge.

As for subject matter, I’m going to revisit my failed plan from last year of painting a whole bunch of animals. I think I’m in a better place this year to really sink my teeth into this subject and be successful.

I’m using a handmade sketchbook of Canson XL Watercolor 140 lb paper with each page measuring roughly 4.5×6 inches. I don’t know if I should sell these paintings or not, but I’m open to the idea. I’ll be painting on only one side of each page just in case that is the route I decide on. Let me know what you think in the comments.

I’ll be painting pretty small. The smaller I paint, the more realistic it will be to actually complete a painting each day. The weather is getting nicer each day and work has been picking up so my days are filling up with activities that get me out of the house.

Supplies:

• 1/4 inch masking tape
• M. Graham Gouache (Titanium White, Zinc White, Azo Yellow, Naphthol Red, Phthalo Blue, Phthalo Green, Ivory Black)
• Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache (Burnt Umber)
• Canson XL 140 lb Watercolor paper
• 2 water jars
• pipette
• Blick Fold Palette 8×8
• Assorted synthetic brushes
• Faber-Castell Water-soluble graphite pencils

The water-soluble graphite pencils are also a new medium for me. I saw them on a youtube video and had to try them. So far, I absolutely love them. When painting, they dissolve into the paint and I don’t have to erase or worry about the lines showing through. I’m really excited to try them with ink paintings. I’m usually too lazy to erase my sketch marks, so this may work better for me. It is also very interesting as a stand alone medium.