A Beginner’s Guide to Gouache Painting: Tools, Blending Techniques, and More

Gouache painting can be intimidating for beginners, from finding the right paint consistency to simply pronouncing the word correctly. Here, join illustrator Vanessa Gillings for a tutorial on gouache basics, including which tools to buy and how to store them; how to measure humidity and gauge drying time; and best practices for filling in shapes or layering paint. Already mastered these concepts? Take the next step: Vanessa's Skillshare Original, 'Gouache Illustration: Paint a Whimsical, Colorful Character,' expands on gouache fundamentals to help students illustrate adorable animals: skl.sh/3brlotI
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QUICK JUMP MENU
00:00 Introduction
00:05 Choosing Your Paint
00:16 8 Essential Colors
00:26 How to Store Your Gouache Paint
01:07 Paintbrushes: Medium and Small
01:19 The Best Paper for Gouache Paint
02:09 Consistency: Balancing Paint and Water
03:34 Hot Spots (and How to Avoid Them)
04:48 Drying Time and Humidity
06:16 Thickening Your Paint for Humidity
06:40 How to Fill In Shapes
08:16 Painting Around a Shape
08:58 Recap: Paint, Water, and Time
09:20 Layering Paint
10:55 How to Work with Complementary Colors
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ABOUT THE CLASS
Love painting whimsical, colorful illustrations? Use gouache paint to bring your imagination to life. Step into Vanessa Gillings's studio and learn to apply her unique painting method to your own character illustrations. Through testing colors, layering paint, and even keeping an eye on the humidity in her studio, Vanessa has mastered the art of using gouache to bring her creative vision to the page.
Blending digital and analog techniques, Vanessa reveals a unique, accessible approach to hand-painted work.
Key lessons explore:
- General tips and tricks for using gouache
- Testing your colors before you paint
- Layering paint to avoid unintended lines
- Creating colors with a flat, even effect
- Using washing to bring your vision to life
Plus, Vanessa demonstrates how to create an intricate character from beginning to end, prompting students to create their own dapper illustrated animals.
Whether you're new to gouache or a seasoned painter, you'll learn a technique that opens the door to a whole new world of intricate illustration. Follow along and learn how to create the whimsical work you’ve always imagined.
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ABOUT SKILLSHARE
Skillshare is an online education platform with thousands of classes taught by the world’s best practitioners. Come take a class on illustration, design, photography, video, freelancing, crafts, and more. To get started, sign up for a free trial here: www.skillshare.com/signup
Subscribe to Skillshare on KZbin: skl.sh/yt-subscribe
Skillshare on Instagram: / skillshare
Skillshare on Facebook: / skillshare
Skillshare on Twitter: / skillshare
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ABOUT VANESSA GILLINGS
Vanessa Gillings is a Washington, DC-based illustrator who specializes in watercolor and gouache illustration. Having spent part of her career as a comic book artist and graphic designer, Vanessa now focuses exclusively on her illustration work. Inspired by childhood, woodland creatures, and lovingly handmade clothing, Vanessa is best known for her whimsical drawings of bunnies and foxes. She can usually be found illustrating children's books, knitting her own clothes, and sharing her illustrations as @vanessagillings on Instagram.
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MORE GOUACHE RESOURCES
Artist and illustrator Alanna Cartier guides students through gouache painting basics as well as more advanced techniques to build texture, simplify patterns, and achieve a dry brushing effect in the Skillshare Original 'Painting Teacups in Gouache: Exploring Shape, Colour and Pattern:' skl.sh/2SJocvz
Love watercolor? Expand beyond the medium with illustrator Leah Goren, who offers a crash course in gouache using household objects-ideally, colorful pieces of fruit-as subjects for a series of still-life paintings in 'Beyond Watercolor: Learn to Paint with Gouache,' a Skillshare Original: skl.sh/2RNvBcQ
In 'Mixed Media Illustration: Create a Self-Portrait with Watercolor, Gouache & More,' learn how to blend watercolor, colored pencil, and gouache painting techniques with guidance from illustrator Maria-Ines Gul: skl.sh/2RjWMvT

[@PakkMan86]

This is a watercolor guide, a good one.

[@cieloestelaramirezdearella1912]

i thought the same thing hehe excelent watercolour tips but in a gouache video XD

[@murraycallahan3716]

We were taught to use gouache at the thickness of cream. I think it all depends on the look you want - this young woman paints more like using watercolor.

[@danielcanedo4625]

I don't want to be disrespectful to her or to her work but she is using gouache diluting it beyond the necessary, to the point it behaves like watercolour, so it would be better to just use watercolour. You miss at least half of gouache's true potencial when solely working like that since it is made to be opaque, to cover and to allow diferent ways of blending and layering.

[@inkart74]

absolutely agreeing with you

[@PetitFlorals]

Agreed. I need to make a video about this. I'm glad KZbin recommended this to me.

[@Zoomfreaky]

@danielcanedo I need to disagree with you. I love watercolor, but diluted gouache is an entirely different beast. With a totally different look and feel and way of working. There is no wrong or right way to use an art material. If you can make it work…that is all that matters. Early watercolorists used watercolor en gouache in one piece, used gouache white. It was totally not a problem then. So why start making it a problem now?

[@PetitFlorals]

@@Zoomfreaky The reason Bojoura is because beginner artists could cause their paintings to peel or crack later on by starting with all these watered down gouache layers. It’s not really about wrong or right, but about a better way to paint with these materials. When gouache is watered down it’s also very flat looking. It loses its vibrancy unlike watercolors. There’s a better way to achieve the same effect that this artist is going for. She can do it however she wants, but for a beginner course I wouldn’t teach anyone to do thin layers of gouache. You can accidentally lift color off the paper by doing this. I think it would actually make beginners very frustrated with the medium. Colors get muddy very fast because they reactivate when you use a gouache base layer of paint.

[@Zoomfreaky]

@@PetitFlorals You are right. This is not a beginners technique. Especially if you are not using 100% cotton paper. Don’t have a good feeling for brush pressure and watercontrol. I personally like the more muted colors of diluted gouache over bright watercolor. It has a unique feel to it. It is a wonderful course. She explains it very well. But maybe the technique is a bit tricky for total beginners. But you have to start somewhere…😋

[@Yimengh]

Thank you for the good tips, but as a guide for beginners, it seems it's missing the demonstration of painting opaquely with thick paint.

[@recoveringsoul755]

She seems to prefer using them like watercolors. But the point of gouache is that flat, opaque look and being able to paint a light color over a dark color. Plus they dry DARKER than they are wet, and regular watercolors dry LIGHTER than how they go down wet.

[@Jennifer-wr9si]

@@recoveringsoul755 I haven't done gouache for a while but isn't it something like the light colours dry darker and the dark colours dry lighter? I think it was that colour shift that scared me away!

[@recoveringsoul755]

@@Jennifer-wr9si I think you may be right about that too, I haven't tried any

[@PetitFlorals]

The reason this artist isn't showing that, is because when gouache is watered down it looks like watercolors. Gouache artists who are more traditional use thicker applications and prefer not to paint like this. Light washes can be achieved with watercolors as a base. There's no reason to paint with gouache with light washes. It's actually bad to do light washes with gouache because when you go in to make layers it pulls the pigment off the paper.

[@PetitFlorals]

Traditional gouache applications (if you want light washes) is done after a flyer of watercolors. Gouche is usually always painted on thickly. This artist is doing light washes which is a watercolor technique.

[@sylviaanna]

If you use gouache the way it’s meant, you don’t have to be so careful, because then it is opaque.

[@PetitFlorals]

I think every gouache user here was dying and commented haha

[@whyareyoureadingthis5227]

Found a 18 pack of goache paint new at a garage sale for 10 dollars. Then i look up the brand and it's like 70 dollars. Oh boy what a find

[@parmindersinghgrewal6975]

Thanks Vanessa. Extremely simple n educational.

[@lindabeeston7408]

Thank you so useful 😀

[@vwan96]

I love her art ❤️

[@reddevil211287]

Her fringe is next level 🥰

[@jay-arlitocon6877]

Gouache should have a melted ice cream consistency. That consistency is actually too light for me. Gouache is not watercolor

[@muskndusk]

Gouache is not watercolour and doesn't have the same properties. Blue and orange are complementary colours; yellow is the complementary (opposite site of the colour wheel) to purple.

[@PetitFlorals]

haha omg every gouache user commented on this. love it.

[@electro.dash.666x7]

“Gouache is re-wettable.” Me: *cries in acryla gouache*

[@ZenitsuKunn]

shes pretty

[@recoveringsoul755]

your tears won't ruin your painting then! But it's good for a base layer too so regular gouache won't rewet or mingle colors

[@ladya4723]

acryla gouache it isn't re'wettable?

[@PetitFlorals]

Haha I thought of that too.

[@majickhat5525]

@@ladya4723 no. Acryla gouache is acrylic paint with the look and feel of traditional gouache. It dries permanent.

[@imrobie5758]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@deirdresokolowska5863]

Thank you so much for sharing this

[@musthapherr2567]

I learnt something in this video,! Thanks for the vid!!

[@n.ee.h]

So informative! Thank you. ☺️

[@lai8544]

thanks for this video!

[@lefthandstory1280]

Great work friend 👍😃beautiful😃😃.

[@robins7186]

Terrific video! Gouache IS watercolor - but more concentrated pigment.

[@bookishtxt2114]

Great video💙💙

[@lilacfla]

Thank u. U are a good tutor

[@sallyjoligocki5011]

Great video! Thank you for sharing.

[@AlaskaMaui]

Already made my first gouache painting really like painting with it now

[@ZenitsuKunn]

wow how many paintings have u made 1 week later?

[@PetitFlorals]

Be brave. Don't dilute your paints :)

[@collingrant1394]

This is a good demonstration.

[@Ieat2much]

Very useful thank you. Have learnt a lot about gouache techniques between you, Jess Chung and Lindsey fruglacrafter. But I won’t be measuring with a humidity meter, looking after my houseplants is driving me mad already 🤣😛 .

[@annikadevraj3145]

I have the same pallet

[@edwards1949]

Thanks for a very clear demo. Just a spelling correction: colors have complementary colors because they complement each other as opposites on the color spectrum. A compliment is a positive response from one person to another. Do you see the spelling difference?

[@ghost-vk9hu]

with all due respect to her preferenced, style, etc. you only really need 5 colors to do anything, primary cyan, primary yellow, primary magenta, white and black

[@lucky1u]

Great video editing, camera angles, lighting, etc. great tips as well.

[@AnonYmous-mw1hd]

Personally, I'd like to see close-ups of swatches in "Consistency" about 3 minutes in. I have no idea what she means by "tiny speckles of paper showing through". I've seen what it looks like when the brush gets dry and more of the foundation shows through, but "tiny speckles" baffles.

[@ann-youn-ha-se-yo5307]

Thankyou for this video ❤️🌸👍

[@handz5142]

Off topic but does anyone know what’s type of sweater she has? It’s really nice.

[@charlesfavano7424]

i was wondering can i take a small tube of gouache and mix it with in a 2 oz jar of water so i can use it for either painting or for airbrushing mainly create it in bulk?

[@jekalambert9412]

Gouache painting just became more intimidating now that I have to avoid putting color on until paint is completely dry and I have to measure humidity...I liked gouache before I watched this.

[@PetitFlorals]

Omg please watch my videos then lol. Gouache is so much fun. Watercolors are careful. This is a watercolorist demonstrating gouache.

[@majickhat5525]

You don't have to measure humidity Lol. She is just a nerd about it. Just keep your paint moist while you're painting or re-wet it on the palette when it dries. Waiting for layers to dry is pretty standard though. I use a hair dryer to speed up the process even though it dries really fast anyway.

[@mayloo2137]

Don't be intimidated. I use watercolors- tubes and pencils- and wcs dry really quickly. The results are worth your patience.

[@josephblack4318]

You take so much water that it looks like watercolour. What is the point to use gouache then?

[@PetitFlorals]

lol every gouache user cringed lol

[@roaasart1174]

💗💗

[@MoonSpinners]

The good thing about art is that everyone can do what they want, and use supplies and mediums how they want, but tutorial type videos should really be showing the traditional way of using a medium. In this case, she’s using gouache like watercolour, which is the exact opposite of what gouache is all about. Watercolour should be used as a watery mostly transparent paint, whereas gouache is used to produce a lovely thick opaque flat seamless block of colour. This is not a helpful tutorial for beginners who don’t even know what gouache is.

[@g0thbab369]

I just got gouache today, however I know that you don't have to water them down so much. Mine are super opaic without or with water. I prefer to use them slightly watered down.

[@appleknocker56]

As never used do you put a lil dab on your pallet, mist it w water & can then use it?

[@MarioManzanares]

I know the intention was good, but a lot of the things said in this video are actually quite misleading, especially for beginners looking for information on how to use a medium that is known for its opaque qualities. What was shown in this video is a very particular way to use gouache, and that’s not mentioned at any time. Also, some of the tools used (the humidity-measuring gadget) are absolutely unnecessary for most artists.

[@tkucey8689]

What brushe is used in this tutorial? I'm looking for a new one that holds nice water not one seems to be pretty good

[@vedias2]

Brushes with natural (animal) hair, the same as used in watercolor. If you're vegan, your only synthetic good option is Casaneo brushes :)

[@mayloo2137]

I watched a video recently, and a brush with longer bristles was recommended as it would hold more water.

[@tanveertanveer5221]

like her video

[@benjamina6915]

This is so typical Skillshare, promoting a class or someone for whatever reason while there are other teachers that have way better classes on Skillshare, but don't get any attenton by Skillshare at all. This guide makes gouache seem so intimidating, focussing on all kinds of unnecessary things and never getting around to teaching what a beginner should really know. The presentation and filming is decent, but what good is that for a student if the actual content is, well let's say not so good?

[@vedias2]

Not to mention it is teaching to use gouache kinda like watercolor and telling the gouache is translucent 🤣

[@borleyboo5613]

Yes, exactly. I found this a bit too complicated to be honest. As for the humidity gadget…….WHAT!!!!!

[@alkhemiegypt]

Sorry, but I didn't find this helpful. She starts by saying that gouache should be used at the consistency of melted ice cream and then goes on to use the paint much thinner. I feel she is using gouache paint like watercolour paint, so what's the point? Also, it would have been useful to see a finished piece of gouache work, so we know what we're aiming for. Finally, I found the lighting to be less than ideal, as some of the shots were not very clear. As a beginner's guide I don't think this achieved it's aim of explaining the essence of gouache. :(

[@juliab.8200]

what did you paint at the beginning of the video? It's like the devil out!

[@ichiharahinoe2329]

"Gouache is a transparent medium" Genuinely confused, but okay. ELI5, please?

[@deadpixel64]

It's pretty weird, gouache isn't supposed to be like that. They're literally called "opaque watercolors" 😭 She was like "I water my gouache down so it's like watercolor", yeah, definitely would make it transparent. That what I was confused about personally. But if you're asking about transparent vs opaque mediums then you can think of transparent ones like using a multiply layer in digital art (not exactly of course but close to that)

[@ichiharahinoe2329]

Thank you very much!

[@deadpixel64]

@@ichiharahinoe2329 You're welcome! :D

[@MissGold888]

It’s opaque when mixed correctly. It can be opaque too depending on how much water you mix it with

[@recoveringsoul755]

the whole point of gouache is being able to paint opaque, where it dries with a matte finish, not glossy. And being able to paint a light color over a dark color, like white highlights. She seems to only want to use it like watercolor paint, so really watered down and that isn't what the paint was designed for or to be used like.

[@JerseyAccent653]

4:08 can't see

[@micemincer]

Guache is not a transparent medium, Jesus, she uses it like watercolors

[@mayloo2137]

I agree. If she was going to water down the paints so much, why use gouache at all?

[@tlembro]

Humidity? I live in Florida…..80-100% year round…..I guess mine will never dry!

[@mayloo2137]

You can use a hair dryer if you don't want to wait.

[@majickhat5525]

This shouldn't be called a beginners guide to gouache. There is nothing wrong with the way she uses gouache as her preference but, she should be teaching how to use gouache in the standard way and not her preferred way. That's not very beginner. Also, gouache is not a transparent medium as she suggests. The whole point of gouache is it's opaque, flat, matte finish. She uses it like watercolor, and while that's fine that's not the true purpose of the medium. It's kind of odd to call this a beginners tutorial when she uses it like watercolor. This has absolutely nothing to do with gouache. It also bothers me she didn't know, or wasn't able to identify the brushes she uses. Calling a round a "slightly tapered brush" and the spotter " a small detail brush" really irked me. She didn't comment about whether it was natural or synthetic or the importance of the difference when holding water. Gouache doesn't need much water so watercolor brushes are usually too soft, and hold too much water for gouache use. She should have said either way. Another point is that her color theory is not explained well. When using RYB, the complements are Green, Purple and Orange. When using CMYK, the complements are Red, Green and Blue. While the latter is more useful in color mixing, the former is taught through grade school and is the most common known. So that can be confusing to new people too, who know the complement of blue as orange and not yellow.

[@mayloo2137]

With colors, I use a color wheel.

[@zinncomicsandart8811]

This video has a lot of opinions and personal preferences presented as being facts and rules of painting with gouache , and some incorrect statements as well.

[@AhmetKaan]

*4 Things that Should Guide You:* *1) Your goals.* *2) Your passion.* *3) Your faith.* *4) Your courage.*

[@mnap1595]

As others have noted, I'm not sure this is an ideal beginner tutorial for painting with gouache. As I watched and listened to the tips, all I could think was, "Why are we using gouache here instead of watercolor?" Of course, everyone is going to have a different style, but I think this misses the point of gouache (opacity) and confuses the matter a bit with painting with watercolor and watercolor techniques.

[@bizzybee852]

I do not understand why she even bothers to paint with gouache, which, unlike what she said, is supposed to be an opaque medium not a transparent medium like watercolor. Why doesn't she just paint with watercolors if she is going to water down her gouache to the point of making it act like watercolor and look transparent like water? This video taught nothing useful about gouache painting. This video should have been titled "How to make Gouache paints act like Watercolor paints" or " Tips for overcoming all the problems I created by watering down opaque Gouache paints to make them act like transparent Watercolor paints".

[@dreamrabbits5072]

This is a terrible video, the title should have been completely different. "How to use gouache like watercolors". You don't need to use watercolour paper or stretch the paper! You don't need to water it down so much! I can't believe skillshare put this up.

[@evadewo420]

She even says she paints with water colour and it is too thick for her but she is giving a great tutorial for what her preference is if it is yours than this tutorial is for you otherwise move on.

[@evadewo420]

Love how it can be so vibrant and thick like paint but can be used as water colour. Beautiful work potential. Just learning this exists haha

[@OhElvira]

This is pretty much just a watercolour tutorial, not gouache

[@artoniusxyz129]

This is the reason why you should be very careful using skillshare this girl has no idea how to paint with gouache, also she is using bad examples of color mixing.

[@carmenaureart]

This is not a guache guide for beginners...first she is using it as watercolor, second, the tips are unnecessary and missing completely the actual beginner useful tips.

[@wzb7698]

The accent especially towards the end of a sentence 😢

[@natalie_popova]

i think you're watering down too much

[@ParuAp]

You don't know how to use guache