Both gouache and watercolour are known as great beginner mediums. So when you are starting with painting you might have been introduced to both. Both are used by mixing with water which makes them easier than for instance oil paint. They also dry relatively quick which is easier when mixing.

Abstract art is art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead use shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect.

Essential

1. acrylic paints.
2. paintbrushes.
3. painting surface – canvas, wood, paper.
4. artist palette.
5. rag/paper towels.
6. cup or jar of water.
7. soap for clean-up.
8. varnish.

Making gouache waterproof: Simply mix gouache with acrylic medium. Please note that this may reduce the matte look of plain gouache. Painting layers: When painting layers of gouache, it’s important to make sure the first layer is completely dry. If not, the layers will bleed into one another.

Paper. Any paper made for watercolors is appropriate for gouache. You can also use at least 200 g/m², low grammage papers. To prevent any crinkling, paper under 300g/m² has to be wet and stretched on a board or frame.

The major difference between the two paints is that the particles of pigment in gouache are larger and the ratio of pigment to binder is higher. Unlike acrylics or oils, gouache cannot be applied thickly to create texture—if a layer of gouache is too thick, it will crack when it dries.

Opt for Synthetic Brushes — Shah says that synthetic paint brushes tend to work better for gouache painting compared to natural hair brushes. She explains, “The water-holding capacity of the synthetic hair brush is less than that of the natural hair brush.

With gesso-primed canvases, the gouache paint will easily adhere to the surface; just remember to avoid painting in high humidity or over-stretching the canvas since although gouache is more robust than watercolour paints, it is of course still less so than oil paints.

With gouache paint, your choice of surface ranges from paper to canvas to even cardboard. Use your imagination to think outside the craft box and explore other surfaces that gouache works well with. It’s time to start your gouache piece. This technique preserves texture by using slight wet gouache.

Gouache dries with a velvety chalky texture and is easily ruined after painting it because it can easily be reactivated and run with a drop or water or scratched by anything bumping against it. But if you know a few things, you can actually paint with it on wood and it be no problem……and actually quite fun.