Artwork-Miya Arts Gouache over watercolor on Hahnemühle Cézanne Cold Press. Brushes: Jack Richeson 713995 Watermedia Pocket Plein Air Brush Set Photo reference from Masy on Pixabay.
So how did I get from this to that?
This was done on the other half of the paper from the hummingbird I posted on Saturday.
The steps were pretty much the same, though I used Lemon Yellow for my first wash, Burnt Sienna and Ponceau (Acid Red) for my mid-tones and purple for my shadows (the purples are vibrant in the original, but the scan shows them as more so).
With the hummingbird, I was playing with gouache’s opacity and trying to get the flat, velvety look. For this camel, I kept my colors more transparent by using more water. The purple is the only color that I applied opaquely.
I also played with lifting color. The Cézanne cold press is a very robust paper so I could lift and add more color several times. This can lead to muddy colors, but it can also give your work a subtle light effect and add texture by showing particles of the color beneath.
The gouache lifted easily. This is in part due to the paper, but I found that even the most intense colors lifted more than I would have expected.
love your process. I showed this post to Mark and explained it to him 🙂
Thank you, Alice! I hope Mark enjoys what I’m doing!
This really worked! Those lovely layers filtering through, the sandy texture, the intense desert shadow and the heat of the red. Amazing process. Now, I’m finding myself moving toward a gouache set! Let me know how you like your new set! Always an adventure watching you explore (the Sahara) with paintbrush in hand! Well done.
Thank you, Judy! I’ll bring my gouache set in on Wednesday. I may have the new set by then, too and will bring it if I do, so you can try it out.
This is awesome!! Love what you did with this!! 😍
Thank you, Charlie!
Very cool, Sandra. Thanks for showing what we can do with gouache. I love your camel!
Thank you, Kathy! I’ve got some Holbein gouache coming soon and I can’t wait to try it out.