Gouache Techniques: Tiling, Grisaille, and Mid-tone Method

[@TheSandrahsu]

artists who share their techniques to help others should be rewarded

[@HajraMeeks]

how very gracious of you, very much appreciated. wishing you epic painting adventures!

[@procrast]

I'm starting painting with gouache and just found your channel. I need to sleep, almost 5am, but I can't stop watching! great videos, thank you so much

[@DontLeaveMeLucile]

+vlogprocrastinando fellow art-research insomniacs unite! :D

[@jennhoff03]

WOW!!!! Wow wow WOW!!! I had no idea that grisaille even EXISTED, and I am in love!! My jaw dropped open when I saw the effects! I've been using the mid-tone method because that's what I learned in high school art, but this brings a whole new dimension and realism and contrast that I am so excited about!!! Thank you so much for putting this up!

[@HajraMeeks]

+Jenn Hoff You're very welcome, so happy to hear your reaction! Yes, I felt the same way when I learned about grisaille, there's a reason master painters have used it for centuries. Happy Painting!

[@pjlewisful]

I like grisaille the best...thanks for explaining it so well.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Pj Lewis you're welcome. yeah, i like grisaille the best, too. :)

[@Citizen_X.]

Thank you for the demo. I am the type of 'artist' who buys every art material available, but rarely uses them in the right way. This demo surely helps.

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, very kind of you.

[@marilyncramer8530]

Thank you. Your speach patterns are as clear and concise as your instruction method of teaching, making your videos the best ever to follow. The knowledge you are sharing is SOOOOO appreciated.

[@EHYEHasherEHYEH1]

I've had the Flu for the past week and I have been watching your videos on You Tube from the television. I went out and paid for the Speedball Elegant Writer and I am so thankful for you sharing your Art with us. This is my favorite video and I even dreamed about using that Grisaille technique while I slept. I really thank you for this one. I am a fan for sure. Oh that leaf looks so Beautiful. Oh yeah, I even made up some travel water color sets thanks to you and now I know what my Gouache watercolors are for and how to use them. WE love you. Not that you need anyone else to learn from but do see BobBlast videos on You Tube, he changed my whole style of painting. I love that man.

[@HajraMeeks]

Oh, my goodness, what a very heartfelt and lovely thing to read in the morning! Thanks so very much, I am so touched, and it's people like you who keep me posting to my little channel. You have learned so much so fast from my videos, about gouache and grisaille and travel watercolor tins and runny elegant writer ink stuff--wow! You sure made your flu recovery time productive! I have subscribed to bobblast and will check him out as soon as I get the chance. thanks for appreciating my art and videos and wishing you epic art adventures and God bless.

[@nenesimone]

After all these years, this is still my go to vid when I need a gouache refresher. Thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

awww, so wonderful to hear! I have been trying hard to manage my hypermobility disorder and it has prevented my posting anything for years. But each year, for the past 3+, I keep praying I will finally be well enough to paint again--I'm tentatively planning on resuming art and vids Fall of 2024. Let's hope!

[@victorgavrilovic9331]

This is by far one of the best, most educational videos ever made. I appreciate the highly informative and incredible video! Thanks!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're welcome and delighted to hear it!

[@capbin146]

Wow three very different results, the beauty was grisaille vivid and dramatic, the tiling was probably the most like the image. Great lesson. Subscribed so I can get back tomorrow. Like Greg gouache was a way to retrieve lost highlight. Thanks for your generosity in posting!

[@HajraMeeks]

+Big C Thanks, in turn, for your generous comment! Happy to have you as a subscriber and hope you enjoy my other videos. :)

[@KimberleyB]

This tutorial was really helpful! I've recently gotten back into art and there is much to learn as mediums have changed. There's such a wealth of instruction out there now and you're a gem for breaking techniques down like you do.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, and you're very welcome, Kimberly! This video is getting long in the tooth, but it's one of my more popular ones. I have had an account on Patreon for a year plus now where I post longer, private art videos and lots of art instruction posts for just $7 a month if that ever appeals to you.

[@kendalchen]

I never pondered grisaille and water-soluble media. I really like the grisaille idea with the leaf. Great idea to put the three techniques side by side!

[@KHGlass]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video... It was very helpful and informed me a lot about this medium. Recently, I started trying watercolor, but my impatience and coloring style deemed it more unfitting for me than the markers I usually use. Since then, I've been looking for something similar to the paint but have qualities of acrylic, without all the mess, and your videos are just right at the introduction. Something I noticed in this video is the similarity of the Grisaille method with the way I color( the undertones and whatnot ), so I'll definitely give gouache a try. Thank you again for the inspiration!

[@HajraMeeks]

+KHGlass You're very welcome! And yes, I can why realistic coloring with markers has similarities to grisaille--illustrators like Adam Hughes (who is well known in the comics world) use copic markers to do a tonal painting with just grays and then color over the top later, which is just like using the grisaille process.

[@ysabelmariacartago-garcia265]

This is very helpful. I really liked how you explained each technique as you went along. It is really important that creators are aware of what they are doing and how they are doing it to get the best outcome for the effects they are making

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much for your kind comment, and you're very welcome. 😊

[@jofox8066]

I really love the effectiveness of the underpainting in the Grisaille leaf - it looks gorgeous with a strong tonal range. Super demo. Many thanks!

[@HajraMeeks]

+Jo Fox You're welcome! Yes, I'm obsessed with grisaille, it does make just about any piece better. :)

[@144928]

I went through four years of art college never knowing the potential of gouache. Just saw a different video yesterday show a person painting in this media, so I watched your video as well, to find out more. Wonderful video, I will watch many more of your painting videos. Thank you, this is so helpful.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome and best of luck on your art journey!

[@williamaxtell3613]

Wow! Thank for this! I read so many books giving vague advice and this video explains everything properly in under ten minutes :D .

[@HajraMeeks]

You're so welcome, glad you found this so useful!

[@ArsPraestigium]

Thanks very much for making these instructional videos available and informative. Like many, I suppose, I've only considered gouache for adding final highlights to watercolor and other media. I'm going to try playing around with mixing up as you discuss. It looks very interesting.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Greg Edmonds You're very welcome, Greg, so glad you learned something from one of my videos. Good luck with your gouache adventures!

[@reybarreto7979]

I'm totally new to gouache. I've been wanting to work with a medium that dries faster than oil but is more opaque than watercolor and blends easier than acrylic (because of its resolubility), and that seems to be gouache. I like your explanation of different ways of blending and laying down tones with gouache. This is exactly the kind of demo I was looking for. So thank you, much appreciated. I feel I can now dive into using gouache with confidence, having gotten better acquainted with it through your demonstration.

[@HajraMeeks]

Yay! You're very welcome and so lovely to hear that, that's exactly what I hope to hear when I post these videos! And I have a whole gouache playlist here if you want to see more of my gouache demos: kzbin.info/aero/PLAMQu8Nf_JPUHlwX2po2Tlg60-adaIUXe

[@alicearmstrong3651]

Excellent lesson! Very clear step by step instructions, comments and comparisons. Thank you.

[@HajraMeeks]

Alice Armstrong You're very welcome, and I hope you enjoy more of my videos!

[@emilydurham8964]

The grisaille made the leaf look so detailed!

[@HajraMeeks]

yeah, value--light and dark--really works wonders on any drawing or painting, and all grisaille is separate attention to value. when i first found it, I felt the same way, it was like magic!

[@TheJakofClubs]

This is an excellent demonstration. I've just started learning to paint in gouache and have had a really hard time finding info and techniques, so this was really fantastic :)

[@HajraMeeks]

wonderful, so happy to be useful--Good luck on your awesome art adventures!

[@windloaf]

Thanks so much. Never received training in gouache but was expected to use it my first year of art school. This helps a lot.

[@HajraMeeks]

windloaf Awesome, glad to hear it. Good luck in art school and in your painting endeavors!

[@ReallyRedPanda]

So helpful and it was good of you to mention which method is more suited to slower/larger pieces. The mid-tone method looks like it'd be perfect for working while on the go, doing environment studies and whatnot. The grisaille is my favourite one too though. That method is also *super* great for working digitally, coincidentally: do a tonal base, create a new layer, and start adding colour. Thanks for this tutorial, your other videos are also really concise and well-made. Subscribed! :)

[@HajraMeeks]

+ReallyRedPanda Well, thanks! That's a super nice comment, and glad you are finding the videos useful. Expect on seeing a lot of the grisaille--you might even get sick of it! :p --as I really do feel it is very useful to simplify harder pieces. You are spot on about the digital applications of it as well--in fact, Adam Hughes, one of the best known comic book artists, often paints his sketches in warm and cool gray copic markers, then adds color after scanning via photoshop. :)

[@ReallyRedPanda]

^ That's a really cool idea, using copics on the paper first. And Adam Hughes, oh wow, I'm looking at his work and I can totally see that in his sketches. Makes a lot of sense to do that on paper first, I'll try that too. Thanks again! :)

[@junovhs4646]

Just want to say how appreciative I am for you to take the time to teach with these videos, you're very talented and thanks again

[@HajraMeeks]

+Spencer Nunamaker You're very welcome, your kind thoughts are very much appreciated.

[@Skittlezrock161]

Thank you so much for putting the time and effort into making these videos. I'm starting to fall in love with gouache, especially the grisaille method! 😍 the contrast that comes with it is just so beautiful.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, and your acknowledging my time and effort is much appreciated! Yes, I agree grisaille is just super lovely for great contrast!

[@JoAnneMOwens]

Love the last technique, it gives so much more dimension and texture to the painting. Thank you for sharing!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome! Yes, I love how grisaille makes everything more realistic--it's because it pays close attention to values.

[@chantraotep]

Do you teach painting for a living? You sound like a good instructor. You speak pretty quick with no pauses and it makes it obvious to me you know what you're doing. I appreciate that you get straight to the point without going off into a tangent. I'm not calling you a robot but some times its hard to learn with other people's videos when they tell me what they ate last night and how the feel vs your highly instructive videos.

[@HajraMeeks]

Glad you like my video style, very sweet of you! Yeah, I used to teach at a university, and that included Art History.

[@oscarfan98]

Wow! This was super helpful! I'm excited to try them out! Also, I just watched your video on the painting of the girl gouache vs. watercolor and it was amazing!! You are wildly talented!!!! Thank you for sharing your talents!

[@loisbrown7215]

very confident teaching and really informative! you clearly know your stuff, i enjoyed the mentioning of painters who use these techniques, it really adds depth to what you are saying. Looking forward to watching your videos, thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, glad you found this useful, and hope you enjoy some of my other vids, too! :D

[@emmettdivendal2736]

I've been trying to decide on whether I wanted to try gouache for a while now, and this demo has totally convinced me that this medium is what I've been looking for! Thank you so much!

[@HajraMeeks]

+Em D. You're very welcome--hope you have a blast with your new gouache!

[@YoTrippinFoChariZard]

The Grisaille method is beautiful!!

[@HajraMeeks]

yeah, grisaille is totally awesome.

[@Schemilix]

Good stuff! I work a lot with gouache on midtone paper, and as a result I'm finding it difficult to work on white paper without everything looking washed out! This is a helpful primer.

[@HajraMeeks]

glad to help, grisaille definitely helps build bulk and layers.

[@MichelleLynnFineArt]

I use the grisaille method when I oil paint. I just ordered some gouache and it will be here tomorrow. I never thought of using it in that way before! It looks beautiful!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks! Yes, I'm sure being an oil painter, you'll know exactly how to get great results with gouache and grisaille!

[@aseeloso]

Just discovered your channel!I usually always use watercolor but i might have to start using gouache(I'm still learning art and I've never attempted using gouache).I love how it gives off a very watercolor feel or texture but the the thing about watercolor is that its not as opaque which i personally don't really like and also the fact that you can't really layer the colours unlike when using the gouache paints.Your videos have been very helpful and i look forward to seeing more!

[@HajraMeeks]

+aseeloso yay! good luck on your painting adventures!

[@arteworld]

Grisaille is the best.... great informative video!

[@HajraMeeks]

+ArtEWorld thanks! yes, grisaille rocks!

[@curtchiarelli8957]

An outstanding demonstration, clear, concise and well-produced. Thank you for for posting it!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, and thanks for the thoughtful and kind comment! Epic painting adventures to you!

[@njserolf]

I'm trying to start out using gouache and this video has been the most helpful so far. Thanks!

[@HajraMeeks]

you're welcome! Epic gouache adventures to you!

[@IceSorceress]

Never heard of grisaille before! I recognize the concept from digital art, but this is new to me, so thank you very much!

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome! yeah, I found grisaille to be awesome and too yummy and helpful a concept not to share once I found out about it. :)

[@bevfromoz]

Hajra wonderful demonstration of the grisaille method ,it’s like the new greyscale type colouring books that are about today but the method is not referred to in the correct manner ..👏👏

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks, Bev. :) I had no idea greyscale coloring books were even a thing! Seems like, to me at least, that would take all the fun out of coloring or painting if images already came in greyscale. :p And yeah, you're right, that's selling images with the grisaille value underpainting done already, but not labeling the technique formally.

[@bevfromoz]

Hajra Meeks yes I agree takes all the pleasure away I can’t really understand why they are popular , I would rather use the children’s colour books lol I like the adult colour books as a veg out way when I’ve lost my mojo . I also find I learn from them as you take my more risks when u have not invested a lot of time in a drawing.

[@funkygirlkathryn]

I've taken soooo many art classes and never heard of grisalle and I love it I have to try it now

[@HajraMeeks]

funkygirlkathryn Yeah, grisaille is awesome!

[@YanaVallie]

My thought exactly :)

[@sassystuff1020]

I really LOVE the grisaille technique and I'm going to try it out soon! 👍

[@HajraMeeks]

Yeah, I love it, too--it's not commonly taught anymore, but it's super effective. Have fun trying it out!

[@shahrilkharib]

Thank you for the valuable demo. You have provided me a way to salvage a recent watercolour still-life that went awry.

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, so happy you were able to save your painting!

[@francesb7515]

Thank you very much for sharing these techniques! I think the Grisaille method would be most useful for objects in the closest foreground detail.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Frances B you're very welcome! you have good intuition--the foreground objects have the most contrast, thus the grisaille would certainly work best for them.

[@dgbx6]

Lovely. thank you for explaining and demonstrating everything so clearly.

[@HajraMeeks]

+dgbx6 You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@greyareaRK1]

Thank you. I was aware of the three methods, but not clearly defined as you've done. I like how subtle, controlled you are. I've experimented using tonal markers over watercolour, but the results have been mixed. Next, tonal with watercolour.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, glad I was a bit helpful, and wishing you epic art adventures!

[@mikedimples]

Method 3 blew my mind. You are my guache god now.

[@HajraMeeks]

lol, Grisaille IS pretty awesome! :) And I have lots of other grisaille and gouache videos, in case you want to see more.

[@sheriif]

Been painting in gouache for about a year, never tried to use grisaille! totally trying it ASAP thx...

[@HajraMeeks]

+Sherif Emad you're welcome, have fun!

[@Butterinyourear]

Super helpful, thank you! Really love your style of teaching and I look forward to seeing more videos from you!

[@HajraMeeks]

Butterinyourear Yay! Thanks for your energizing comment. I look forward to sharing more videos with nice people like you! :)

[@Amaneeeta]

I love how you explain all the techniques! thank you so much!

[@HajraMeeks]

+Ella Macaraig you're very welcome, appreciate the kind comments!

[@frogskin482]

Practical and easy to follow. Thank you Hajra.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome!

[@SantieAmery]

You are an excellent teacher!!!

[@HajraMeeks]

thanks so much, you're very sweet!

[@Janovich]

Thank you so helpful :)

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome! :)

[@danthompson1m]

This is tremendously helpful. Thanks, Hajra!

[@HajraMeeks]

Daniel Thompson You're very welcome, Daniel. :)

[@marshallerskine355]

Very good and concise demo, appreciated.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, glad you found it useful.

Your video is so informative. I've learned a lot. Thank you :)

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, glad to help!

[@shannonwhite2788]

Thank you you are an amazing painter and help me learn new ways to paint.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Shannon White you're ver welcome! Happy Painting!

[@nicsluckytw1]

thanks for this video! love your comparisons, your technique is great! good job! recommending to others to watch.

[@HajraMeeks]

thanks a lot, much appreciated! Epic painting adventures to you! :)

[@claunag]

Como pintar gouache en español

[@kennbivins]

VERY helpful breakdown. Thank you, Hajra.

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, kenn. :)

[@VKeys97]

you are really great at what you do!!!! :) Thanks for the uploads, really does open up a whole world of art for me, much love ~

[@HajraMeeks]

+Vkee :) thanks a lot, you're very sweet! good luck on your art journey!

[@IHaveNoLaifu]

I'd like to thank you for introducing tonal under-paintings to me, it has helped me a ton with my watercolor paintings. I'm newer to gouache though. I always end up finding a beautiful gouache painting, trying it for myself and then tucking it away for months and going back to watercolor. I find that a big chunk of my problem is that I always accidentally reactivate the layer underneath, and I'm wondering how you managed to avoid that in the grisaille example??

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome! Well, with gouache, the trick is to just work thicker and not try to glaze, as gouache is not good for glazing. Essentially that means gouache is best for few layers or for tiling, but it works with grisaille if your paint gets thicker each layer. Check out this video comparing gouache and watercolor technique: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5XQqZSCn8ekh80 as well as my gouache playlist for more info, and wishing you epic gouache adventures: kzbin.info/aero/PLAMQu8Nf_JPUHlwX2po2Tlg60-adaIUXe

[@chartreusecat6642]

I am so grateful for this video!

[@HajraMeeks]

+cathy montag thanks, how sweet you are!

[@smash_lovely8272]

this is by far the best video tutorial on gouache thank you very much!!!!

[@HajraMeeks]

great to hear, and you're very welcome! Epic painting adventures to you. :D

[@nokkahuilukostaja]

Your explanations are very easy to understand, thank you for doing these videos! I wonder would it work if I make the under painting in gouache and then lay the lighter colors over with watercolor, finally finishing with gouache? Anyway, thanks again for these videos, you got a new subscriber ;)

[@HajraMeeks]

+nokkahuilukostaja You're very welcome! Well, you can paint gouache layers over watercolor layers, but not really the other way around without smearing. This is because the watercolor is transparent so it sinks into the paper and lifts up less when it's dry allowing for many transparent layers. But gouache is thick and opaque and sits atop the paper and will lift up and smear more. So, you can add more gouache (with less water) over gouache, but if you add a transparent watercolor over gouache, it will usually smear or crack.

[@AndrevwZA]

Thank you for the info. I did not know Grisaille had a name. I just thought it was called underpainting. I use it in my airbrushing. Normally start with burnt umber.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Andre van Wyk You're welcome. Yes, plenty of people use it as a learned skill or just intuitively without knowing the formal name, but it works just as well either way! one of my favorite techniques.

[@peacelovesparkles4]

I was taught by my high school art teacher to always do an underpainting, with burnt umber mixed with blue for the dark/cool colors, and yellow for the light

[@sawyerh4062]

Thanks for this your videos have helped me alot in my classes with trying to pick up guache

[@HajraMeeks]

+Sawyer Hewitt awesome, so glad to help! good luck with your classes. :)

[@ashleyhuizar8341]

Great video! I can't wait to get started practicing these techniques.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Ashley H Thanks, and hope you have fun practicing!

[@gwensimmons_gigi1629]

Yes your video was very helpful. I now feel a tad bit more confident to open up, and use my gouache paints!! Thank you!! 👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🎈😀

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, Gwenneth, and wishing you epic gouache adventures!

[@jamietheartist2973]

Very good instructional comparison. Thank you.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Jamie Peter you're very welcome!

[@Marcblur]

Very interesting. I had never really thought about using grisaille for water based media.

[@HajraMeeks]

thanks! Yeah, incorporating grisaille really opens up watercolor to more realistic styles. :D

[@Via_Von]

Thank you for referencing this video for me Hajra - really informative! 👏🏻❣️

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, glad to help!

[@SashaFitzgerald]

Great video, very helpful. I'm going to try out the grisaille technique next. 😊

[@HajraMeeks]

thanks! Yes, do, grisaille is a lot of fun as the results are so impressive!

[@dennisgilpatrick1231]

A very concise and simple tutorial on a frequently overlooked medium. Plus you are one of the few people with videos on this network who can talk fast enough to keep pace with the video.Do you not need to breath when you speak?

[@HajraMeeks]

Dennis Gilpatrick nah, I breathe watercolor and whimsy...:p I've always talked very fast! Appreciate your nice comment.

[@johnstacy6921]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you.

[@HajraMeeks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ghostrally4589]

this was so helpful!!! thank you so much

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, glad to help!

[@kimleon-guerrero9980]

Thanks Hajra, I enjoyed the video. 💞💫

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, Kim--these little maples leaves were a lot of fun. Apart from being instructive, they made a cute miniature Autumn piece once I plopped them onto a black frame background.

[@BiancaHaeckDesigns]

Brilliant! Thanks for this, love gouache, but don't know the techniques very well, so this is fabulous! :)

[@HajraMeeks]

ArtOfBh1 You're very welcome! I love using both watercolor and opaque watercolor (gouache), and I'm glad you liked my techniques video. :)

[@DontLeaveMeLucile]

I really like the 'idea' of the grisaille underpainting. I see that you use a dark & light gray, neutral gray, as the grisaille underpainting. i feel like the grisaille underpainting is very similar to the other two- especially the mid-tone wash example. Is it still considered a grisaille if you use a dark or saturated brown (for this leaf example) rather than the gray/blue/black that you used in your grisaille example here? or would that simply be considered the mid-tone wash method? I mean, if you used a darker shadow (brown shadow) grisaille layer, as the shadow layer, would that be considered a grisaille?

[@HajraMeeks]

+DontLeaveMeLucile yes, a value underpainting is still a value underpainting, no matter what color you use (gray or otherwise). Officially, different colors are called by different names (grisaille for gray, verdaille for green, brunaille for brown), but they are often loosely bunched together as types of "grisaille" as that's the most common word for value underpaintings. Here's a video I did about the different types of grisaille that should help clarify things: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imHXq6GaYplgjJI

[@DontLeaveMeLucile]

+Hajra Meeks haha oh my goodness, I've never heard the names for the different color value underpaintings!! very interesting! thanks for clearing that up for me. I've also heard of a gray grisaille referred to as "the dead layer" especially in relation to old, figurative oil master works. I find it hard to forget such a morbid expression for such a beautiful painting method. a grisaille can truly MAKE a painting, especially with more transparent mediums. I'm currently struggling to figure-out what my favorite medium is, and this video has helped to keep gouache in the runnings; So I want to thank you for creating and uploading this fantastic vid, I really appreciate it... I find it hard to rule-out such a fun medium such as gouache! the ability to rework underlayers gives this paint the positive working qualities of opaque oil, with the drying speed more akin to acrylics and watercolors... which I really life about this opaque medium. I can see myself starting with watercolors and ending paintings with gouache or acrylics... although my heart lies with soft pastels and colored pencils! I suppose only time will tell, what my preferred medium will wind-up being well into the future... time will tell... in the meantime, thank you so much for videos like these, rich help me to make my decision, one checkmark at a time. ;) thanks again, for both the vid and the quick response! how nice of you.

[@HajraMeeks]

+DontLeaveMeLucile no problem, always happy to hear from fellow artists and creative spirits, and it never gets old to hear my videos and comments have been useful! Yeah, I know what you mean about browsing mediums--I started out primarily in love with watercolor, but now I try to share the love between watercolor, gouache, watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, and ink. It's made my art cabinet more crowded with materials which I dislike as a minimalist, but all the mediums I like are variations of the watercolor medium so at least I still have a connecting theme! (By the way, if you love color pencils and pastels, you'll probably enjoy watercolor crayons and watercolor pencils, too.) Good luck on your art adventures!

[@DontLeaveMeLucile]

+Hajra Meeks but have you found that there are watercolor pencils with quality cores that can be used even without water to v create colored pencil paintings? or are they best when used with water? I'm sorry I keep bringing ya back to this videos comments haha

[@HajraMeeks]

+DontLeaveMeLucile no prob. hmmm....I guess i'm not the one to ask when it comes to using the pencils or crayons as "dry media." they all said on the descriptions when I bought them that they can also be used just as well dry, but I can't say how well they work dry myself as I've only ever used them with wet effects.

[@fuhuinacar8435]

Thank You!! I can't wait to try myself

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, and wishing you epic gouache adventures!

[@hanestetico]

Did you use some kind of clear gesso or acrylic medium to fix the grisaille before applying other layers? I know gouache is a rewettable paint and is reactevated when is wet again. Thanks :)

[@HajraMeeks]

No, it's just gouache with more gouache over top. I've found that using the gouache thinner in the grisaille and then using less water and thicker gouache over top and using a light hand while painting minimizes lifting. You can also use black transparent watercolor or ink for your grisaille if you have lifting issues, but as I show in this video it can be done with all gouache from bottom to top if you are careful. Epic painting adventures to you! :)

[@hanestetico]

Hajra Meeks Thank you. I'll trying it soon. Happy panting to you :)

[@Tazzyfish]

Thank you for your great videos! I'm just curious, I've had issues with following the underpainting method before (using gouache). When it comes time to add the colour on top, lots of bleeding and muddiness occurs with the underpainting mixing with my upper layers. I allow the underpainting to dry thoroughly and am careful of how much water I am using with the upper layers. Any tips to avoid muddiness for clean gouache glazing?

[@HajraMeeks]

+Tasli Shaw thanks for watching and appreciate you liking my videos! Yes, bleeding in over layers is a common problem with many of my students painting in watercolor or gouache. Both have a weak gum arabic binder (versus stronger linseed oil in oil paint or plastic polymer binders in acrylic), so one has to be more careful and some bleeding is inevitable. That said, you should 1) use softer brushes (sable hair or soft synthethic-natural hair mix) and a light hand when applying watercolor or gouache. Also, gouache sits more on top of the paper rather than sinking in like transparent watercolor or inks so it is even more readily lifted, a plus for correcting, a negative for layering. So be gentle with your strokes! 2) Also, it helps to work in Thin-to-Thick layers of paint for the most effective layers in watercolor or gouache. Use thin, watery washes of paint for your first layers, then less thin paint, then less thin, and finally thick paint on top for dry brush, details and extra pop and contrast. The thinner your grisaille and underlayers are, the less likely they will lift when more paint is applied later. 3) You are already using less water for later layers and letting past layers dry thoroughly, which is very important, so kudos on that. 4) If all else fails, use a transparent watercolor (or ink, though this will blend less well and won't correct once dry) for your grisaille and then go and do all the top layers with gouache. The watercolor paint as grisialle will be more staining and penetrating and will accept further layers of gouache easier. That's all my secrets, hope that helps you!

[@sandyacombs]

Very nice demo...

[@HajraMeeks]

+Sandy Combs Thanks, Sandy, glad you liked it!

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

Beautiful work and very helpful. Thank you again!

[@bigbee714]

nice job and great explanations, thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, I try my best. :D

[@KateGoesExploring]

Thank you for sharing this! :D It's super helpful and informative. Cheers!

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, so glad to be of some help!

[@charlespost1749]

Thanks, I ran across the term "tiling" recently and thought I understood the concept. Your demo helped.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Charles Post Yay! Glad to help. :)

[@hivernante]

Thank you! This is a really informative lesson.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, Diane. :)

[@AnneloesF]

That was very helpful, thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome!

[@leiamist]

Thank you a lot! You explain it beautifully, really really thank you, finally found someone to learn from :D

[@HajraMeeks]

+Leia Mist you're so welcome! Wonderful to hear you enjoy my videos! Best wishes with your art adventures!

[@TerrieJohnson731]

I am buying DR PH Martin's Bombay inks. I was so hoping I could get a grisaille underpainting that would have some impact without muddying up my colors. User error in watercolor? I will try the inks, I bought 36 Inktense pencils and found that they too are prone to lift and mix. How badly does the ink effect the watercolor layering? And, I have you on my radar for patreon. Just a few more supplies to pick up. New painter! Thank you Hajra!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks for becoming a Patron, Terrie, SOO much appreciated! Well, I've explained this in other videos, and sadly, the Dr. Ph Martins Bombay inks do NOT layer well under watercolor as they leave a semi-glossy skin that repels watercolor a bit. For grisaille, I have long used staining watercolors (like indigo, alizarin crimson, phthalo blue, sepia, etc.) for under watercolor or gouache. More recently, I have tried inktense blocks (maybe they act differently than the pencils) and these also layer well under watercolor or gouache. You can buy a single stick of an inktense block color for around $2-3 open stock and see if it works for you as grisaille under watercolor. Or maybe full saturation of the product is the issue: Be sure to saturate the inktense completely with water and apply it thin to medium density to make it fully waterproof. (You can try re-saturating your inktense pencil application with water and letting that dry before adding watercolor on top.) Hope that helps, and feel free to ask further questions. :D

[@artproper7865]

Really nice video. Very helpful and interesting, I also like the references to other artists. If you haven't heard of him, Takehiko Inoue is a great artist who uses gouache and watercolor frequently. He has an art book called Water, which is a compilation of all the paintings for his manga Vagabond. Pretty awesome.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks, very kind of you, and thanks for mentioning Takehiko--really enjoy artists who mix gouache and watercolor.

[@Northstar_004]

Hi there, could you please explain the difference between gouache and water color?? they seem very similar.

[@HajraMeeks]

Here's a video explaining watercolor vs. gouache properties that should help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ-copKdj5KlqNE Also, here's a video showing a watercolor vs. gouache painting demo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6van4Nudt6Lb9k

[@Northstar_004]

Thank You!

[@gothicpinkk]

How do you decide the undertone color to use? Is it usually black or a dark color?

[@HajraMeeks]

Here's another video specifically about grisaille underpainting that'll help with that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imHXq6GaYplgjJI&lc=z13td14bhqrgjvsba04cin3zwuumcjcbgbg

[@SyntheticLTD]

Wow tons of information! I have been painting for a while (gouache) and recently I ran into a problem... I'm having trouble transitioning from dark to light smoothly. Basically blending... help please??? Thanks for this really!

[@HajraMeeks]

SyntheticLTD This is a tough thing to explain or instruct without seeing your piece and how you're stuck. But, generally, if you're having blending trouble, confirm that your paint isn't too thick or too thin (it should be cream-milky thick, not a paste), and that you are using a wet or damp brush to blend edges. paint consistency is usually the biggest issue when blending. I assume that you are using artist's quality paint and paper as well, which will make painting easier. And also check out my other gouache videos, blending is easier to show and much tougher to explain. Good luck!

[@SyntheticLTD]

Hajra Meeks I get you I get you because in watercolor it's a cakewalk and but more or less I'm having trouble with blending in gouache! Haha it is hard to explain. I totally checked out your videos I LOVE them they're /you're amazing! If I keep having trouble with my piece I'll make a response video. Could also help a lot of other people out. Thanks for getting back to me so quick! Have an awesome day:D

[@HajraMeeks]

SyntheticLTD No problem. Try to work it out, and if you can't make it work, then I think making a video while showing how you are working on it is a good idea, as I, or someone else, might be able to help figure out how to help you with the blending troubleshooting. Thanks for your nice comments, and good luck1

[@SyntheticLTD]

Hajra Meeks I'm going to pick up some more paints today and be at it later tonight, I don't want to leave you hanging!

[@HajraMeeks]

Okay, good luck, but don't feel rushed--I'll be around whenever you get to working on that, whether it's today or next week, so no worries. :)

[@bunchalotta]

Nice, thank you for your efforts, much appreciated.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Ann Smith you're very welcome, your comment is much appreciated as well.

[@sekretsurfer]

Awesome video!

[@HajraMeeks]

+sekretsurfer thanks!

[@alizamolgora2961]

Is this watercolor paper? Or is there a specific paper for gouache?

[@HajraMeeks]

This is Arches watercolor paper. Because gouache is just "opaque watercolor," you can use any watercolor paper for gouache. Gouache also tends to work okay on mixed media papers, too.

[@lydiahidalgo1379]

Thank you, very nice, great explanation.

[@HajraMeeks]

+Lydia Hidalgo you're very welcome, I'm glad you found it useful. :)

[@RobertKimballartist]

Very good video. Thank you for the information.

[@HajraMeeks]

you're very welcome, glad you found it useful! :)

[@sonyagold2305]

Youre awesome! Thankyou 🎨

[@HajraMeeks]

+Sonya Gold you're very welcome and thanks for such a sweet comment! :)