Gouache Painting Secrets for Beginners with a RISD Art Professor

This video comprehensively covers the fundamentals of painting with gouache by showing the process of painting a book cover illustration. Materials and techniques are explained, such as how to stretch hot press watercolor paper, what specific gouache colors to buy, and more.
Demo led by Teaching Artist Alex Rowe and RISD Adjunct Professor Clara Lieu.
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Clara Lieu was an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design from 2007-2020. Her artwork has been exhibited at the International Print Center NY, the Currier Museum, Childs Gallery, the Davis Museum, and more. Lieu received an artist fellowship from the MA Cultural Council, has written for the NY Times, and lectured at Brown University, the NAEA conference, and in Vancouver & China. She has been profiled in Artsy, Hyperallergic, KPCC, & WBUR.
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[@muninkiel4688]

I love how the woman is asking the right questions. Subscribed

[@artprof]

Glad to hear you liked our conversation! -Prof Lieu

[@aartadventure]

Agreed! She does a wonderful job of playing dumb and pretending that she doesn't understanding anything about gouache to help those who are new to medium to understand the basics.

[@artprof]

@@aartadventure Hahahaha there are definitely parts of this video where I really truly wasn't playing dumb. (i.e. most of it) -Prof Lieu 😂

[@nightynightshade]

Art Prof: Create & Critique haha yes coming from someone whose used to acrylics I was just as clueless! You asked all the questions I had and I’m happy I didn’t paint thick layers like I was planning on doing.

[@artprof]

Hahaha I feel you!!! Glad to hear my cluelessness helped you! 😂

[@chrisbeacham7882]

At about 25 minutes in, this video gets incredible, this guy tells you how to do all these techniques with gouache - like transparent painting, glazes, getting thin lines, that other videos say you can't do with it. So it's really good and unique information

[@artprof]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the tutorial, thanks for watching! You can see more of Alex's gouache work here on our main site: artprof.org/about/alex-rowe/ -Prof Lieu

[@jamesdolph437]

thank you I was about to leave

[@jeffhreid]

I agree it is worth waiting for the video to develop. The techniques described are very helpful. Gouache is sooo different than oils from an application perspective. Think opaque watercolor.

[@thanh-loandang8006]

I love how genuinely interesting the woman is and how passionate the guy is when he speaks about painting

[@artprof]

Thank you, we had fun filming this! -Prof Lieu

[@okidgaf7643]

both of them paint

[@MrPattioyo]

An art teacher that can actually do art and that teaches through demonstration. Unheard of

[@artprof]

Appreciate your comments!

[@NC-ij9rb]

That’s what we call a good art teacher

[@RegstarRogstar]

art teacher that actually teach you the important stuff!! god imagine being under these two as apprentice

[@persephoneblack888]

This is the art teacher I wish I had.

[@toniecat1028]

Not really. My art instructor in high school was a working artist who was involved in exhibits all over the world and still taught art, had rime for his students, thought up amazing events and taught more art techniques than my husband university professors. My husband always says that I got a better art education in high school than he got in college!

[@DominicGo]

Just wanted to acknowledge that the lady is such an amazing interviewer!!

[@artprof]

Yay! When you are totally clueless about the technique and material it's easy to ask questions.😄 -Prof Lieu

[@griffox]

If someone had asked me immediately after watching this video how long I thought it was, I would have said 15 minutes. This was riveting. I had no idea that 42 minutes had passed. I usually watch tutorials on 2x speed because I get so bored. I never once got bored with this and I'm not even a painter. Well done Prof Lieu and Alex!

[@artprof]

Wow that's high praise! I'm really conscious of how challenging it is to hold people's attention nowadays, so it's great to hear we were effective here. -Prof Lieu

[@reyannacorf71]

I do the same!! I almost always watch tutorials or how-to’s on x1.75-x2 speed especially when people tend to talk slower, but for this tutorial/information video I watched the entire thing on its regular speed and learnt SO much!!!

[@jnttgrcg]

Yes!!! Same thing happened to me. I went to walk my dog and thought I'd just have a short walk because it was late and thought I could just start this video since it was pretty long. What seemed like a few minutes later, I thought, "okay well I should get back inside and I'll finish the video tomorrow" ....I had only 5 minutes left on the video so I just kept walking to finish it hahahaha

[@iamwindextor1]

Is it sad that I've been drawing my whole life, even took art classes in school, but NEVER learned or even heard of gouache? I've always loved watercolor but lack the skills to use them properly. This seems like it would be better for me to try out, I'm noticing a lot of control with color and that's all I want. Favorite quote," You said,' Gouache, I need you to jump.' and Gouache asked you,' How high?' It takes a lot to kind of speak the language, but once you get there it's a really stellar medium." Bars dude.

[@artprof]

I always struggled with watercolor as well, and didn't really see the potential in gouache until I filmed this tutorial with Alex! But yes, gouache for some reason never really got to household name status like acrylic or oil. Thanks for watching! -Prof Lieu

[@DanielaSantos-tv8tt]

Its interesting that in my country (portugal) it was the first ever thing we worked with in school

[@soon_to_emerge]

I went to preschool group when I was like 4 or 5, and there were art classes where we used gouache. I've always considered it to be beginner-friendly medium to teach kids to lay down and mix colours, but to this day I see a lot of people not knowing about gouache at all 🤔

[@susanyoung1600]

This is one of the best interviewers I've seen. Always a pertinent question and draws the most out of the interviewee. Well done.

[@artprof]

Thanks! One of our favorite parts of shooting these tutorials is the conversations we get to have with each other. How cool is it that we are learning while sharing this knowledge with everyone else? 😀 -Prof Lieu

[@mypandapaints5854]

Agreed! So many interviewer set ups on KZbin have awful interviewers who are either stuck in what they want to ask and don't jump on something interesting that was said or too much ego and they make the video all about themselves. Subscribed and can't wait to watch more! Go RISD!

[@artprof]

@@mypandapaints5854 Thanks for the kind comments, glad you subscribed! -Prof Lieu

[@wizardaffairs5085]

Not only was this the BEST gouache tutorial I've ever seen, but watching the art unfold was CRAZY and Clara asked such insightful questions. INCREDIBLE.

[@artprof]

Awww thank you!! -Prof Lieu

[@christophergeiss678]

Hands down best gouache tutorial. Thanks a lot. You de-mystified every key question one could have concerning the medium.

[@artprof]

Thank you! Really glad to hear it was useful! -Prof Lieu

[@victoriavvc]

When I took my intro to illustration class, we mainly used gouache, and my teacher never said anything about the difficulty. He hinted at it being tricky to get the same color you mixed, but he never made it seem impossible. The main thing he told us was just to not paint too many layers. I had my troubles with gouache, but it actually made me love painting with it specifically. I don't like acrylics, and I'm kinda starting to like watercolor, I like "painting" with markers, but gouache is my baby. I like that I can work really fast with it. I did a study from a reference, to mess with color and learn some lighting, i did it in maybe 2 hours, and my professor thought I had spent 5 or 6 on it (in a good way). I don't think I've been able to get that same effect with other paint. I also like to touch it. Let me touch your gouache paintings :p

[@artprof]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with gouache, super helpful! -Prof Lieu

[@ciannacoleman5125]

I had a similar experience with watercolor, it was the first medium I learned and I really love it. Later people started telling me it was one of the hardest mediums. I once was doing a small wc sketch with a portable pallet while waiting at a theater, some guy came up and commented on how good it was and how difficult wc was, I was like “this is just a sketch for practice this isn’t an actual painting” lol.

[@artprof]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I struggled with watercolor for sooooo long, and finally got up the nerve to give it another shot. I just happened to shoot a tutorial at the same time! This watercolor tutorial hasn't been released yet, but you can see the 1 min preview video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mF7Lf2WOp7Wea9k -Prof Lieu

[@YourMajesty143]

Lol @ "gouache is my baby" and " Let me touch your gouache paintings" 😆

[@persephoneblack888]

I wish I had an art professor like this when I went to college. I went to college and got an associate's in fine arts. My art professor told me you can't make money in art, so I got my B.S. in Geosciences. If I had a great teacher like this, I think I would have stuck with art. Now I just paint on my own time. Lol

[@sidilicious11]

I got a four year painting degree at a state college in the 70’s and never once wondered if I’d make a living at it. Nor do I remember a professor talking about it. Very naive of me and a short coming of the program. I did end up doing art for a living, more on the craft end with porcelain. I didn’t keep up with painting but I am feeling such an urge to try qouache. Thus I am here.

[@jshxb14]

props to this guy for bring able to paint such a wonderful piece with someone else watching them, while explaining the techniques hes doing. i could never imagine myself ever doing that

[@Welther47]

I never knew gouache had a bad reputation. Instead I found it fixed the lacking qualities of watercolour.

[@MikazakiAoi]

Same here. I always gravitated towards gouache and knowing many illustrators use it is heartening

[@Tobazhniazhi]

No cheesy music, sponsorship tangents, or vague explanations, but a nice, lucid tutorial. Thank you! I've always struggled with gouache but not to a point of giving up on it like I did with oil paint, this video addressed many of the hindrances I've encountered and clarified exactly the techniques.

[@artprof]

Wonderful, I'm so glad the video helped you with your points of friction in gouache! -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@bones1026]

I really like the format of another person asking questions, as most of the questions were things I’d be wondering!

[@mathilda6763]

I just realised how young the US as a country is....like this church doesn't look like I, as a Central European, would expect when hearing him talk about and an "old church"....the tombstones look old but the church doesn't look like it's older than 200 years. 😅

[@artprof]

Yes! In the USA, a building that is 200 years old is considered to be "old." 😂 -Prof Lieu

[@mikeystorm8124]

Yeah it's always a shocker for like people from the states when they visit the older cities in Europe where some buildings are like 3 times as old as anything in America. Btw the oldest gravestone in my local graveyard is around 400 years old.

[@emma24ism]

Yeah, sitting in my 400+ year old cottage, thinking, thats old?

[@YourMajesty143]

America has only officially existed for about 200 years actually. Prior to that, Indigenous people were living in their own cultural architecture, which obviously didn't include Christian elements like Churches or tombstone graveyards.

[@dynamitekid7847]

I adore the dynamic in this video. She is a very good interviewer who asks the right question at the right time and also lets her own experience come through. And he is calm and passionate about art and explains the medium very well. Good job!

[@artprof]

Thanks, I love learning new stuff and had a blast with Alex! -Prof Lieu

[@short-circuit2339]

I love how she asks questions like a semi automatic. Relentless, direct, and punchy. Awesome guy, he didn't break and answered patiently.

[@artprof]

They make a great team! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@eggasmonster101]

A kneaded eraser, roll it on the page, pulls up the perfect amount of graphite from the paper! :)

[@artprof]

Good tip! 🙂

[@suree861]

I do this all the time since if you try to remove graphite by tapping the kneaded eraser it can tear the paper good advice to beginners out there!

[@callmeKalipso]

I love the way he talks about it. This is his medium, he loves it. ☺️

[@MajorBronsPonies]

Love the way Clara asks those questions. She's, like, playing the part of a student. Really trying to get to those most fundamental and often asked questions. Here's a more personalized question: I've often found many oil paints use walnut oil, and as a person very allergic to nuts (dangerously so) I've found I completely stay away fromthat medium unfoortunately, are there similar oils or additives like walnut oil in gouache? Are their alternatives to those oil (and gouache?) painters?

[@artprof]

Hi! Glad to hear my questions were useful, I've been teaching long enough that I have a "stock" of student questions in my head. I'm fairly certain that gouache has no oil in it, if it did, it would eat through the paper the way oil paint would. But to be absolutely completely certain, I would contact the manufacturer. My personal fav brand of gouache is Winsor and Newton, you could ask them! -Prof Lieu

[@YourMajesty143]

Gouache is just watercolor with chalk, that's what makes it so opaque. If you have no issues with watercolor then you shouldn't have issues with gouache. The only one I'm not 100% certain about is Caran D'ache, since they make a gouache that is completely plant-based, vegan, and environmentally-friendly. So since there are zero plastics used & they rely on "plants", it's possible they might use pigments that cause allergic reactions.

[@sachinprabhusachinprabhu007]

Best gouache tutorial I have come across. The techniques regarding layering, value study, line weight, concept sketch was so much helpful! Thank you so much :)

[@artprof]

Thank you for watching and for your kind comments!🙂 -Prof Lieu

[@stephaniewolfe2665]

This was the most informative gouache video I've ever seen- and I've seen a LOT. Well done!

[@artprof]

High praise, thank you! You might like Alex's pen & ink wash tutorial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH-9nIynhZ1nmKc -Prof Lieu

[@bgrace8]

When he was naming the gouache colors in series 1 it brought me back to my Bob Ross days!

[@artprof]

Awesome!!

[@chrisbeacham7882]

This video is incredible! I watched this thing in the background while painting and kept on hearing really useful stuff so now I'm watching it again with full attention.

[@artprof]

Wow that's high praise, thank you!!

[@Nightjewel-rp1bl]

we're lucky to have this content for free and available for anyone

[@artprof]

We're so happy to be here! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@scootmcgoot570]

Dude is a killer artist all around. From sketching to application and color knowledge. Just awesome. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@artprof]

What a kind comment, will def pass this along to Alex! ❤️ -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@creekkidart7554]

when I started doing gouache two years ago there were no videos, this is the best I've seen!

[@artprof]

Thank you! 🙂

[@ClioMako]

Indeed, this is one of the main reason I gave up on gouache.. Well, time to take it out of the drawer!

[@neverescence]

My favorite part of this is that we all know she knows the answers to the questions she's asking but she asks for our benefit and doesn't say "I know" anywhere in her responses to him once he answers it's just nice to watch

[@artprof]

It's like she's keeping us students company! Haha - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@rhea933]

I’ve watched this video multiple times. I try out some of these tips and then come back and watch again. I learn more each time, and I absorb things I didn’t before.

[@pollyoz2193]

When I was in middle school in the mid 60’s, there was no acrylic in the school I attended. We had poster paint, aka low quality gouache and simply got on with it because that’s all we knew. When acrylics appeared in my first year of high school I found them to be hard to use, greasy feel, dried too slowly, etc. This is a terrific video, great example, detailed explanations and someone asking all those questions that didn’t come up. This is the third video of yours I’ve watched and they are all really useful. Thank you for posting these

[@yimingqin2404]

I have a BFA from a state college and feel like I didn’t get much out of my art program.. it wasn’t as technical and focused on skill as I wanted. This video has been so informative and I really appreciate all the detailed questions the interviewer asks! Absolutely love this channel!

[@artprof]

I’m glad we can help! I’m sorry that’s the case with your school, but we’ll be here to inform as much as possible ;) -Marc Stier, Art Prof Staff

[@MummyBrown]

This vid is so packed with first hand info for truly working with gouache to make it work for you. What a great view! LOVE the start to finish instruction, this process really showed me a lot.

[@artprof]

Thank you! You might also like this tutorial on pen & ink wash illustration which is also led by Alex: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH-9nIynhZ1nmKc -Prof Lieu

[@gayag6096]

The strange part about this that so many (200,000+) watched this and so many comments n nobody hit like or dislike. I was the first one to like it 👍🏼. All that apart, I love how this video is long n detailed in the world nowadays when people make short 10 mins videos to make money. This video adds so much value. And i also love how the lady already has good knowledge about painting and asks all the good questions and the artist too is so patient and calm in answering.

[@carlagrs]

I wasted an year in a very expensive and obnoxious art school and they didn’t teach a 0,0001% of this. I was told that gouache was a poor medium to work with, and it was good only for art studies. So I droped out of that silly place and started painting a lot with gouache, and tbh with everything that I wanted. You to are great artists and also great teachers! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. 💫💫💫💫🍀🍀✌🏻

[@artprof]

I'm glad you found this video informative! I agree gouache can be a great medium with the friendliness of watercolor and the vibrancy of paint. I hope you continue your artistic studies in lieu of your experience at school. If you’d like to watch more, here's our playlist of art tutorials: kzbin.info/aero/PLvt8_pMl6ywn4GCIVFvpdcdaP8ljJAEXp -Marc Stier, Art Prof Staff

[@oNightDreamS]

Thank you so much for making this! While the internet is filled with tips and tricks, not a lot of people explain the process for creating art. So although I can produce decent artwork, the process feels messy and unenjoyable! Looking at the workflow of a professional, everything clears up!!

[@artprof]

Glad you liked it! I feel like its common for tutorials to show fragments of the process, or to leave out mistakes, and how to troubleshoot, so we try to show the big picture! You might like our Creature Design tutorial, it does something similar in showing the entire arc: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5LWf5-jept8eNE -Prof Lieu

[@cloudGremlin]

When I was in college, all we did with guoache was swatches and colour theory. I was one of the only people who fell in love with the medium, and that's only because I was a busybody and learned how to use it via KZbin a week before the classes XD

[@bluewren65]

This blows the idea that you cannot do glazing with gouache right out of the water. I love how many techniques are shown in this video and how it demonstrates their purpose in context. Gouache is an amazing medium for fine art painting. I love it.

[@artprof]

Yes gouache is so much more versatile than people think it is! -Prof Lieu

[@lunasea4309]

I came here to comment how good of an interviewer prof Lieu is and saw everyone here is praising that!! That's awesome. Thanks prof. Lieu for asking useful questions ❤️🙏

[@artprof]

I think so too!! It really helps others learn :) Thanks for watching! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@sonicfreak04]

0:42 is this the scene in "his dark material's the northern lights" where lyra meet with king Iofur? if so beautifully done

[@artprof]

I think it is from the Golden Compass, as Alex was working on several illustrations based on those books. You can see more of Alex's illustrations on his website: www.alexroweillustration.com/ -Prof Lieu

[@ciannacoleman5125]

Thank you for taking the time to give a thorough instruction for gouache, there isn’t enough info on this on KZbin or art blogs and I am interested in learning. It is interesting you did the bulk of the sky after the building and trees, i was taught to ALWAYS do sky first. I wish gouache was taught as a basic like watercolor, I only discovered it by accident a few years ago and haven’t yet tried it. I think it is interesting that you compared it to digital because I work mainly in watercolor and actually found digital quite challenging the first few weeks I started and still have to experiment and spend a lot of time on it before getting it the way I want it. I think digital is somewhat detrimental to traditional art (even basic sketching) because we are becoming a generation who is (somewhat) dependent on cntl-z instead of learning to work with our mistakes. I am sketching more in ink so that I no longer focus on trying to get it right rather than getting it all down

[@artprof]

Thank you for your insightful comment! Yes, there really isn't a lot out there about gouache, but now that I've watched Alex's techniques, I'm now convinced that I was seriously missing out before! I'm similar in that all of my training is in hands-on media. The first time I tried to draw on an iPad, my daughter thought I was crazy for drawing everything in 1 layer, exactly like what you said, that the layers make it possible to easily "undo" everything. Personally, I really enjoy reacting to those "mistakes!" You might like our Gesture Drawing tutorial with cats, it's all about owning those marks that you don't like to push through the process! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3irmKaIhJt-qNE -Prof Lieu

[@moonkilig3234]

Watching your video today really changed something in me. I bought gouache recently and realized i didn't like it. I felte guilty of buying it for nothing because i tried and tried to use but nothing good would come out of it. My panting sucked. And today I tried differently and listened to this illustrator's advice and process and I made a little painting I'm actually proud of. Finally ! And I had a good experience with Gouache ! THANK YOUUUUU

[@artprof]

That is so wonderful to hear!! -Prof Lieu

[@katpaints]

This may be the third time I have watched this. I always found it interesting but really couldn't wrap my brain around it. Then, a few weeks ago, I bought a box of Himi gouache. I have had a few tubes of decent gouache but, being used to a watercolor palette, getting them out and reworkable never seemed to work for me. The inexpensive Himi seems to be what I needed to even understand what I was doing. Watching this video today, I understood what was being explained! I do think we need to be encouraged to just play with some inexpensive gouache just to get the freedom of using it.

[@artprof]

That's so true, I agree! I think the expensive materials are always more intimidating to start out with, so easing in with cheaper alternatives is a great way to go :) - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@TheLightFantasticArt]

A good way to avoid the graphite muddying your color is to do the initial sketch with watercolor pencils.

[@artprof]

Great tip, thanks! -Prof Lieu

[@StrawberryNinjaNibbles]

I’ve done that but the water ends up activating them & giving me colors I don’t necessarily want... do you find that ever?

[@artprof]

@@StrawberryNinjaNibbles I haven't used watercolor pencils before, and in fact, unlike Alex does in this tutorial, when I paint with watercolor/gouache I don't use the graphite at all. Instead I paint with extremely light, thin, washes and then I don't have to deal with the graphite! -Prof Lieu

[@YourMajesty143]

Derwent makes Inktense Watercolor Pencils that dry permanent so that you could layer on top of them without mixing colors, but they also include a water-resistant graphite pencil in their sets -- or you can just buy it Open Stock.

[@princessmanitari4993]

@@StrawberryNinjaNibbles then instead i advice to use a colour similair to the paint you'll use in that area. Soo.. red hat? Red watercolour pencil etc. Just really light sketches of it. I personally used a lot of this really light watercolour pencil as my sketch pencil, now i use a pink pencil for most of my work.

[@darthbee18]

9:50 wow I feel so validated :') :') 😭😭 , I still struggle with mixing colors (to get the colors I want) with gouache, so most of the time I got the colors I liked/wanted more often by chance than not (and as he said, when you mix colors it's better to have more paints than fewer amount of it). To stumble on a useful tip that even a professional uses made me feel such a relief 😭 (I know this sounds so extra but that's how I truly feel about it, as someone who still figures out how gouache works)

[@artprof]

I think when you are first starting to learn how to mix colors a lot of it just has to be trial and error! You can learn all the color theory in the world, but in the end you just have to get down into the paint. If you want more info on mixing colors, we discuss this a lot in depth in our oil painting tutorial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/moHaaX1ofJyWp6s -Prof Lieu

[@murzkatze]

learnt today more about art than in my 11 years of art in school.

[@artprof]

So glad you found us, welcome to the Art Prof family! ❤ -Prof Lieu

[@forestntt72]

Great tutorial. The clever thing here is the Prof already knows the answers, but is asking the questions on our behalf as she knows the kinds of questions that we have throughout the interview. Best art video I have seen in a long time.

[@artprof]

Haha, she really is learning with you some of the time! Especially in the procreate videos-- check this one out if you want to watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmS7eGujYr2GorM - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@TheLugiaSong]

What an absolutely stunning painting! I love the style a lot. He makes it look so easy too.

[@artprof]

Agreed! You might like Alex's tutorial on pen and ink wash illustration: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH-9nIynhZ1nmKc -Prof Lieu

[@raventaboo8833]

This was really helpful to my understanding of Goauche! Answered a lot of questions i had, then some.

[@idc__art]

I love how willing they are to learn and teach

[@summerlovedyou8466]

This video was so informative without being boring. The fact he was making an original piece while describing his entire process really helps you relate each skill into the process of actually making a piece. I feel like sometimes videos about art skills can be useless because its hard to figure out how to actually incorporate that skill into your art while your doing it, but seeing this guide really helped me as someone trying out different medias.

[@artprof]

Yes-- technique is best explained through practice! We're happy it resonated with you :) Thanks or watching! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@portgree]

Really loved this! I'm addicted to gouache. Such a wonderful medium. My favourite! :)

[@artprof]

Thanks!😀

[@fionabromby4546]

Sorry but it does worry me that Artists !,,,,,don’t know how to pronounce the word it a French word meaning colour with water and a more thick binder than pure watercolour. Pronounced Goo ash it IS good as a designer colour as in book cover. BUT.does not blend and is not good for natural subjects. Is also called flat colour. Myself I find it a horrid thick dull medium never use it bar highlights on watercolour.

[@RegstarRogstar]

this is really high level stuff to me and i appreciate that its demonstrated well. they both really know what theyre talking about

[@cosmicsans3275]

I looked all over youtube for a decent gouache tutorial and i never found any - till i found this amazinggg video! I had so many questions about gouache and almost stopped using it, but this video answered all of them. It really helped me gain more confidence using it!

[@artprof]

That is wonderful to hear, thank you so much for watching! We hope your future gouache endeavors go swimmingly :) - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@joannjozwiak2442]

I learned so much more from this demonstration than any book I have. The back and forth discussion was so useful. Thank You!

[@artprof]

You're so welcome, thank you very much for tuning in! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@user-cd9bm1bo5t]

I love the back and forth questions and answers technic in teaching It’s really hard for me to focus for a long time usually but i watched the whole thing whiteout loosing attention as i usually do Thank you soo much ♥️

[@Reb4ful]

This is an exceptional video on Gouache. I am going to have to watch this once again and take more notes as it has so very much information. Thank you.

[@artprof]

Thanks for watching! We have more info on the tutorial page, might help you with your notes! artprof.org/courses/book-illustration-in-gouache/

[@laurav.boloix9106]

This video has helped me return to gouache after I rage-quit it a few months ago. Now I am seeing it in a totally different light, and it's helping me learn it on my own a lot easier. Thank you thank you. I hope you make another gouache video!

[@artprof]

Glad it helped!

[@jengoodwyn2715]

I have watched this again and again. Great tutorial!!

[@raerae6422]

I was spellbound every single second of this vid. Incredible artistry, insightful Q and A, impressive editing and camera work. Subscribed

[@artprof]

Thank you for your lovely comment, it truly made my day! You might enjoy our "Drawing in Taiwan" tutorial, the camera work was especially fun to work on while traveling and drawing. -Prof Lieu

[@louera]

That tombstone with just “mother” on it made me curious. Did no one know her name? Did all they know was that she had kids? If so, what happened to her kids? Did no one absolutely know her to add a simple epitaph? Weird o-o

[@artprof]

I think it's haunting and beautiful at the same time. These are the surprises you stumble upon when you take the time to research your subject and shoot your own reference photos! -Prof Lieu

[@fsmishere5992]

Probably the rest of the text got scraped off

[@mchjsosde]

Maybe her children never learned her first name! The possibilities are endless

[@lizvillegas6603]

What an amazing interview, such a wealth of information in less than an hour. Also, I'm in love with his art style, so moody yet whimsical!

[@PirateOfTheNorth]

I love how you explain references. There are so many in the online art community who say that you’re not a “real” artist if you use references 🤦‍♂️

[@artprof]

We have climbed the pro-references hill and will die on it! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@bones1026]

This is helping me a lot as I want to get into painting and don’t really know where to start... definitely beginner friendly!

[@artprof]

Thanks! A good place to start would be our acrylic painting tutorial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXe4fayKm5KFsK8 -Prof Lieu

[@allunsa]

Just started using gouache in my last semester. Its literally the lovechild of everything I've ever wanted in a paint!!

[@erinjackson6625]

saaame!!!

[@neilagangitlog]

Alex's paintings (and voice) are so heavenly

[@helenbrady6639]

This is a bloody brilliant video, so informative and interesting. Thanks so much for sharing. ❤

[@Billi_crow]

Some really fantastic and inquisitive questions asked! Really good

[@artprof]

Thanks! That's what happens when you pair a clueless art professor with a master of gouache! 😂 -Prof Lieu

[@crystalquartz7883]

This video taught me more in my 3 years in doing Art and design. Also when painting we put a base layer first and then work from there, thin layer to thick layer ( correct me if I’m wrong :-))

[@asaltyem0826]

I am a younger painter. I started using gouache at 17 and I adore it. It’s my favorite medium and I feel like it doesn’t get enough love. I’ve been binging videos and learning as much as I can. This was an awesome video.

[@artprof]

Thanks for sharing! Gouache can be tricky for those who are just starting out, but it's such a beautiful medium when used correctly :) Here's a critique video that includes some gouache paintings, you might enjoy it : kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5jbZX2CecaqoLs Thanks for watching! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@asaltyem0826]

@@artprof I will definitely give that a watch!

[@fatimahaly2410]

Amazing work and the whole video is so extensively explained

[@DuffyWybieBigReputation]

This video was very helpful. Prof Lieu asked all the questions i had and he answered them perfectly. Please keep making these videos! I’m starting a couple projects with gouache and I wish I found this sooner before I started the first one :( I love this video ❤️

[@artprof]

So glad to hear it! If you want notifications on our new tutorials like this on, you can sign up for our email list here: wordpress.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=99a0808d4892572fbbe1bfedb&id=2d18a8d027 -Prof Lieu

[@artgerminate]

This was a wonderful interview/workshop on gouache and its abilities. Thank you. I didn't know one can paint underpaintings with gouache and work in layers.

[@artprof]

Thanks! Yes, gouache is capable of SO much as a paint media!! -Prof Lieu

[@connorroberts1992]

ahh i love coming back here whenever i want a refresher, this video is such a masterpiece it’s so full of extremely valuable information. great work!!

[@inglewood826]

im 23 and love to draw and paint but never had any training. So my drive is just having a overall passion for art. As someone who doesnt know anything about anything, i am LEARNING and i know exactly what she means when she asks her questions! and i see what hes doing/ his goals as he paints and even more so when he explains himself. this is a fantastic video. thank you all who made this happen

[@artprof]

We’re so happy to be able to help you in this art journey, thanks for the support! - Hema Somaya, Art Prof Staff

[@vikiart2749]

Very informative and professional! Tfs! 🌹

[@artprof]

Thanks!

[@JL0ndon]

Omg the Golden Compass/His dark Materials illustrations are fabulous!

[@artprof]

Yes, Alex is a gouache master!!! You can see more of his artwork on his bio page on our main site: artprof.org/about/alex-rowe/

[@JL0ndon]

Art Prof: Create & Critique hes literally the reason i just bought a gouache set! Lolz

[@artprof]

Whoa cool!!!

[@tinaaa2240]

Best videos on painting i've seen in youtube, thank you guys so much for this amazing content

[@vlink4071]

This is the best video/tutorial. Your questions and observations were so interesting and thorough as was the wonderful answers and explanations of techniques.

[@artprof]

We're so glad you tuned in!! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@SatyajitsArtwork]

Thank you so much for this video. I follow you on instagram and today all of a sudden I have found you on youtube. Great job artprof.

[@artprof]

Thanks! Alex has a great video tutorial on illustrating with pen and ink washes that you might like as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH-9nIynhZ1nmKc -Victoria Lin, Art Prof staff

[@artprof]

Thanks for following me on Insta! -Prof Lieu

[@THECRAZY88ARTS]

"Otherwise your ground ends up looking like a big blue rug" damn she really went for scooby doo like that

[@fr7115]

The best gouache tutorial! This is a classic! ❤

[@SharmClucas]

I've been taught and tried out watercolor, acrylic, and oil, and hated all of them. Decided for a long time I hated to paint. Later I found a cheap set of unknown tube paints and decided to buy and play around with it. LOVED IT. It was all my favorite parts of each of the other painting mediums, just depending on how much water I wanted to use. I didn't know what it was and had to do some internet sleuthing to figure out that it was gouache. I had no knowledge of it at all at that point. After watching this I think going into it without any knowledge was to my benefit, I was able to enjoy and discover the medium for what it was instead of coming in with expectations. I really love this guy's art style. I'll have to look him up.

[@artprof]

That's such a wonderful experience! Yes, especially with gouache which can sometimes get a bad wrap, it's nice that you were able to get to know it on your own terms. Well done! You can find Alex's work on Instagram at @arowe.agogo -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@artprof]

See Alex Rowe's tutorial on pen & ink wash: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH-9nIynhZ1nmKc, and Prof Lieu's tutorial about drawing on site in Taiwan! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3PHiGCVlN98gbM

[@jacquestaulard3088]

fine, enthusiastic job. Perhaps you have already answered this: do you also use transparent watercolor with Gouache occasionally? if yes, is wc an effective wash ON gouache?

[@artprof]

Yes, it's really common actually for a lot of artists to use watercolor and gouache together. You can certainly put watercolor over gouache, it will work great. Have fun! -Prof Lieu

[@dionnahfreyer8164]

This was such a great video! I loved watching his process. Thank you for sharing with us. I just learned so much.

[@artprof]

That's great to hear, thank you! -Prof Lieu

[@noabernd1104]

You guys make a great team! Good questions from Clara, nicely answered in a cohesive and comprehensible way from Alex, very dynamic, you complete each other very well.

[@artprof]

Thanks so much!

[@salkittenFA]

I've never seen stretching done with staples! How damaging is that to remove when you're done?

[@artprof]

What I usually do is I make the paper larger than I want it to be, so that when I take the paper off the board and remove the staples, you can just trim the edge of the paper with scissors or a utility knife. Then you don't have to worry about it! -Prof Lieu

[@YourMajesty143]

I see it done all the time and the holes are usually imperceptible. Still though, I prefer using an actual watercolor stretcher that holds the paper with brackets. There are ones sold on eBay and Etsy, but also there are homemade tutorials on KZbin.

[@helmut7365]

Check out James Gurney - he´s a master with Gouache and has a lot of amazing techniques to learn from

[@artprof]

Yes, he's absolutely fantastic, brilliant painter! -Prof Lieu

[@aryafraser]

This is the best gouache video I’ve seen. It was like watching a fabulous movie. What will happen next?! The mystery behind gouache is now uncovered! Thank you!

[@artprof]

Glad you enjoyed it! -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@harunosakura3072]

I forever love your videos guys.. very informative and cohesive 👌🏿🌟

[@Marc-rx5xg]

My art teacher back in highschool: why do you use gouache? Acryllics work nearly the same and are so much cheaper

[@shuzennn]

Imo acrylics are very different from gouache, i don't like them idk why haha

[@juliantotriwijaya9208]

looks like a background from old scooby doo cartoon

[@artprof]

Hahahaha I can see that! -Prof Lieu

[@LunarSafi]

I used to hate painting in school. We used gouache but usually just went straight to painting without wetting the page or doing layers. It was only when I did my portfolio course I fell in love with painting. We only used canvas and acrylics which made painting so much easier. Now I’m going to try gouache

[@yvette7641]

this is sooo inspiring. i like the flow of your conversation and i love his artwork... and your description on timestamps, impressive. thank you, really..

[@artprof]

Thank you so much!! We are so glad you enjoyed it :) - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@dorisw2507]

I really enjoyed this video, but was a bit difficult to watch after awhile as the hammering and speed of questions started to feel feverish and a bit of over kill. I was craving a deep breath of at least one silent moment.

[@artprof]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@MissGold888]

I loved hearing him talk. Could’ve listened for hours. She was annoying, sorry.

[@sarahblam]

This is the video that sucked me into the world of all the fantastic Art Prof videos. Thanks Alex Rowe, and learned so much from your techniques in this video, and Prof Lieu, you asked all the questions I wanted to know!

[@artprof]

Wow, welcome to the Art Prof family! We're so glad to hear it :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@lo1041]

Thank you so much! And excellent video on the gouache process. Both the interviewer and interviewee were great. She asked good questions.

[@artprof]

We're happy you enjoyed it! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@patmaher6305]

This has to be one of the most helpful, inclusive and detailed descriptions of using gouache, the process of painting, and steps of design using reference photos, details of using palettes, and more that I have ever watched! All the nitty gritty questions I usually have (and are not often addressed) are asked and answered. Thank you SO much. Definitely subscribing, hoping all your videos are this fantastic.

[@artprof]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this video! This is one of our "studio" tutorials, they are very time consuming to produce so we have a mix of live videos and the studio tutorials on this channel. You might like this tutorial where I draw on site in Taiwan: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaSYq6WblMuVis0 -Prof Lieu