Painting Clouds in Gouache

John Muir Laws demonstrates how to paint clouds using gouache, watercolor, and toned paper. (April 2023)

[@Purpleladybirdart]

I’ve seen a few videos about Gouache drying out - yours obviously has and isn’t a problem? Thanks for the video. 🙏💜

[@wendygirling5664]

Jack Thanku So Much for explaining and showing us how to create clouds on toned paper (and white paper) and how to use gouache...really appreciate this lesson x 🙂

[@pennythedomelady]

Wow! This looks possible! Thanks!

[@ellengeyer5000]

Please add link to making a gauche palette. I’m watching this 6 months after first presented and chat is no longer visible. Your tutorials are invaluable.

[@michemman]

John, I have been looking for unicorns who dance in skies amongst the clouds. Say for example a warm sky colour, Schmincke's Ultramarine finest mixed with W & N titanium white gouache (to lessen the granulation rather than to tint it) with a warm, liftable, non granulating yellow cloud glow. QUESTION; What brand, colour or pigment would you then use for the yellow glow of the clouds, without getting a green? For me, this adventure to find unicorns, has been an idea that has taken years of trials, and asking around. This one problem, continues to be of high priority, interest and inspiration! I like the watercolour artist Javid Tabatabaei for his skies. His trick seems to be to use cadmium orange, being opaque, placed closer to the blue of the sky. So me thinks his wet on wet, cadmium is pushing the blue outwards. His highlight for the sun is always paper colour which he leaves, or lifts. He then does your trick of darkening the landscape with a dark green silhouette near it to make the sky really pop with a large focal point contrast. My trick is to slightly make the Ultramarine finest a bit closer to red by adding a touch of a cool red, and to make the yellow with an ochre like jarosite, also with the gouache to stop the granulation, closer to orange and red side of the colour wheel too! We know that a blue violet with an orange becomes grey. So, it becomes a trick of the eye, to make it still appear blue and yellow... The closest I have found to a yellow unicorn, is Qor's yellow ochre (natural), which I found recently! I tend to use the gouache for skies, so I get a flat plane of colour, and then I have cherry blossoms (Plum), with brown grey blue mixes which granulate. I use masking fluid for the branches, and blossoms. After watching this, tinting your dried gouache is a great idea, with a quick, thin glaze (of a warm yellow) watercolour is definitely an option! So thank you for this cloud video. :) I learnt a lot about the grey cloud above and lessening under and lower to see the top of the clouds. I really had a new 3D experience! In kindred spirit, Eliza Most Beautiful Day is Today! 17th of September 2023 10:05pm Sydney Australia xx