Opaque Watercolour Way
Opaque watercolour stain is called "gouache." Moreover to its cloudiness, gouache is a various member of the watercolour family due to it can be layered, manipulated, poured and combined with other Craft media. Prior to the digital hour, gouache was used for advertisements and graphic arts, in that its distinct, matte Stop and privation of reflective properties produced burning designs that could be easily photographed and reproduced. Nowadays, gouache is yet used by illustrators, and is recurrently used to drill color theory.
Understand the Elements of Gouache Paint
Understand the information given on each tube of gouache paint. Gouache paint of medium to high quality lists a number or letter abbreviation below the color name to represent the paint color's degree of opacity, as well as its lightfastness (permanence, or degree of being affected by light). Take note of this information as you practice gouache technique, as it makes a difference in the way the color, wet and dry, looks on the canvas and in color mixing.
Set Up Your Work Station
Gouache paint, like any art material, varies in quality, from inexpensive ($15 for a case of 16 colors) to professional, called "designer gouache" ($4 to $20 per color). The quality of gouache is based on the pigment used to make the paint, and for the well-practiced artist, quality matters, as an art piece produced with low quality will be vulnerable to sunlight, other environmental factors, and time. If you are merely practicing technique, brush application, and color theory, lower-quality gouache is suitable.
Gouache painting requires little setup and little cleanup. Using drafting tape (available at art stores), tape down the edges of your canvas paper (any watercolor paper will do; 140-lb. cold press is recommended) to a flat surface, so that the paper will not wave when wet. Sable hair paintbrushes are best, but any watercolor brushes are suitable for practice. Palette size and the number of water containers (you can use small plastic cups) depends on how many colors you are working with.
Experiment with Color, Stroke and Layering
Work with a wet brush; gouache is in the watercolor family, so even the most opaque colors should not be applied dryly. The amount of water you combine with the paint depends on how vivid or transparent you'd like the color to be, and how you'd like to layer your colors, since, unlike traditional watercolor paint, gouache colors can work together on the canvas in various ways, be it by overlaying colors or blending side-by-side colors with water. This is why experimenting is important: with gouache you will find that there is no "right" way to apply or mix color; you will discover the way that best demonstrates your artistic vision. Remember that some colors will appear different when they dry, depending on lightfastness, opacity and the shade itself.
Paint from Light to Dark
Unlike other painting techniques that begin with the darkest shades on the canvas, such as acrylic, gouache perspective is from light to dark, meaning that the artist completes the lightest areas first, and shades the darkest areas last. The darkest lines and details of gouache paintings are the final steps of the artwork.
Spray Layers with Fixative Spray
Fixative spray (found at any art store) is used as a finish to each layer of a painting and to the final painting. This aerosol spray is used between layers because gouache paint has the ability to "come to life" when the artist applies wet paint to a dry layer on the canvas; the paint can combine colors and create unwanted effects that fixative spray will prevent. For example, if you paint a sky that you are happy with, and must add dark clouds to the sky without "lifting" the paint beneath, fixative spray will create a layer out of the sky so that paint can be applied as a separate layer that won't affect the layer below it.
Experiment with Different Media
Once you've accustomed yourself to gouache application, you will discover a world of creative possibilities, as this paint is highly versatile with other art media, and is flexible for fostering many innovative techniques. Some gouache painters, for example, wet the watercolor paper with a spray bottle to keep color application fluid. Some artists use india ink atop gouache designs to add depth and clearcut lines. Colored pencils can also add detail. Pouring is a technique that involves applying a "masking fluid" to designated areas of the canvas, and literally pouring a mixture of gouache with water over the canvas, leaving the masking fluid-designated area white.
