Gouache Paint: The Colors

Did you know that the word “gouache” comes from the Italian word for “puddle”. That etymology helps Stuart Loughridge remember to keep his paintings loose when painting with gouache on cardboard because it will get puddly and drippy, so the less he tries to overly control it the better the experience overall.

For the first couple passes Stuart likes to use a muted red and yellow, and black as the primary colors that will serve to mix all of his secondary colors, too. Then he adds a cool gray and warm brown to the palette to have a warm and cool neutral. Now, when he needs more punches of color as the painting builds up he’ll reach for a cadmium red and yellow, and ultramarine blue- again, using the primary colors to mix the secondary ones. Titanium white is a staple for gouache painting, but there are other options for white that Stuart discusses as well for when a brighter passage is needed.

Because gouache is not transparent Stuart likes to keep some watercolor pigments on hand to put down some quick washes that act as glazes over the piece. They’re not always needed, but do offer some options for layering and depth that would otherwise not be possible with gouache.

There are also mediums that can be used in gouache to increase the flow a bit that you might want to keep in mind as an option when the paint is not coming off of the brush as you would like.

All of these pigments and medium, if you choose, will get you on your way to creating a beautiful, quick painting.