Welcome to the wonderful world of painting with gouache, with the
creative guidance of popular artist and illustrator Zoe Ingram.
In this comprehensive beginner's guide, Zoe shares everything she
possibly can about getting started with gouache painting. Why gouache?
Because this exciting paint medium creates opaque effects making it more
vibrant and graphic than traditional watercolours, meaning you can layer
it, paint on dark backgrounds and much more.
Gouache is one of the easiest of paint mediums to use. It's very
forgiving and fun to use and is also versatile. Gouache paint can mimic
watercolour and can give the opacity of oil paint if used with less
water. You can use it to paint large, smooth, flat blocks of background
colour and the finest lines and details. Gouache paint also dries
quickly too, which is a big bonus!
Starting at the very start, Zoe takes you through the basics and
explains what tools and materials you'll need, then explores a wide
range of techniques and finally, there are a host of fun and vibrant
step-by-step projects that you can follow along with or use as a
springboard for your own ideas.
Zoe Ingram's distinctive art makes this book a visual treat, as she
shows you how she paints a variety of subjects, from birds and bugs, to
flowers and foliage, to abstract collages, hand lettering and patterns.
Along the way you'll learn about colour theory, colour mixing,
sketching, washes, mark making, line work, overlaying, working on dark
backgrounds, how to get crisp edges, how to add details, different
approaches to collage and even how to digitise your work so that you can
create repeat patterns and custom prints.
In the projects section you can follow along step-by-step as Zoe paints
a very handsome pheasant, a funky beetle pattern, a trendy houseplant,
colourful caterpillars, bright butterflies, jumbled geometric patterns,
a striking owl, pretty florals, creative lettering, a curious cat and a
free-flow abstract floral piece - after which there will be no stopping
you!
Beautifully illustrated, expertly explained and a riot of colour, this
book will kickstart your love affair with gouache, so all that's left is
deciding how to pronounce it... "gooash"..."gwash"..."goo-uhsh"?!
