Discover the pros and cons of sketching with gouache in this in-depth demo and discussion from Art School Live:
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Pros and Cons of Sketching with Gouache: Insights from Jared Eldridge Cullum
Gouache is a fascinating medium that bridges the gap between watercolor and oil painting, offering artists a unique way to create vibrant sketches with both opacity and immediacy. In an in-depth discussion led by Jared Eldridge Cullum, a seasoned gouache artist, the advantages and challenges of sketching with gouache are explored in detail. Jared’s insights provide valuable guidance for artists looking to incorporate gouache into their practice, whether they are beginners or experienced painters seeking to expand their skills.
Understanding Gouache: A Medium Between Watercolor and Oil
Jared begins by clarifying the nature of gouache, describing it as “technically more akin to watercolor,” since it is an opaque watercolor bound in a similar way. However, in practice, gouache behaves quite differently from traditional transparent watercolor. Jared explains, “It feels much more comfortable sketching in a way that one would sketch with oil paint,” highlighting gouache’s versatility in allowing an alla prima or direct painting approach.
This duality of gouache—being chemically similar to watercolor but functionally closer to oil—makes it a highly adaptable medium. Jared emphasizes that gouache provides the “speed of watercolor” combined with the “opacity and layering capabilities” that painters often seek in oil paints.
The Toolbox: Managing Gouache Materials and Storage
A practical aspect of working with gouache that Jared addresses is the use of paint boxes. He recommends investing in a watercolor box to store gouache paints but warns about potential issues. “If you tip the box, the gouache will pour out,” he cautions, advising artists to keep the box flat at all times.
Jared also discusses the problem of mold growth in sealed boxes, especially in humid environments like Pittsburgh where he resides. “If you close the lid tightly and leave it for days, the paint often gets covered in mold,” he shares, noting that this is a common frustration among gouache painters.
To avoid this, Jared suggests allowing gouache to dry completely on the palette if it won’t be used for a while. “You can rewet it similar to watercolor, but honestly, it’s better fresh from the tube,” he admits, acknowledging that gouache doesn’t always reconstitute well once dried.
Pros and Cons of Sketching with Gouache
Jared outlines several key pros and cons of gouache, many of which stem from its unique properties:
- Pro: Fast Drying Time – Gouache dries quickly, often within a minute, allowing for rapid layering and adjustments.
- Pro: Low Fuss, Easy Cleanup – Unlike oil painting, gouache requires minimal cleanup, making it ideal for quick sketches and studies.
- Con: Finicky Layering – Because gouache is water-based, adding too much water on a new layer can lift and muddy previous layers.
- Con: Paint Consistency Challenges – Gouache can dry into chalky, cakey bits that may fall out of the palette if not stored properly.
Jared encourages artists to embrace these challenges as part of the learning process. “Most of the cons are actually just pros once you get used to the medium,” he explains. He advocates for developing an awareness of gouache’s behavior to effectively harness its strengths.
Sketching Techniques: From Found Still Life to Color Relationships
For Jared, gouache is a perfect medium for sketching found still life objects—everyday items that surround us. He shares, “I really enjoy sketching found objects… the whole world is represented light.” This approach helps artists explore warm and cool colors, values, and light relationships in accessible subjects.
Jared stresses the importance of toning the paper before starting a gouache sketch. “I like to start with a warm and a cool stain to get rid of the white,” he says. This initial wash acts as a neutral base, preventing the starkness of white paper from overpowering the composition.
He often uses yellow ochre for warm tones and varies between warm and cool colors to create harmony. “I tend to keep the warm side around where my objects of interest are,” Jared explains, adding that the choice of color at this stage is often intuitive rather than strictly technical.
Minimal Contour Lines and Shape Simplification
Jared advocates for keeping contour lines minimal, aiming for about ten lines to capture the essential shapes without overcomplicating the drawing. He references artist Scott Christensen’s recommendation to limit lines, emphasizing simplification.
He also highlights the flexibility gouache offers during sketching: “If I put a contour line down and don’t like it, I can use clean water to go back to zero.” This ability to erase and adjust easily encourages experimentation and reduces the fear of mistakes.
Brush Choices and Working Big
When it comes to tools, Jared prefers synthetic brushes for gouache due to their strength and ability to push paint effectively. He notes that sable brushes, which he uses for watercolor, do not perform as well with gouache: “I got a nice sable brush once, and it was awful for gouache.” Instead, he recommends flat synthetic brushes, particularly one-inch or larger sizes, to encourage broad, confident strokes.
Working with larger brushes, even on small surfaces, helps artists focus on big shapes and values rather than getting lost in details. Jared shares a practical tip: “I like working credit card-sized, one inch flat brushes because it forces you to think big and broad with shapes.”
Value Control and Layering Strategies
Layering is a critical skill with gouache, given its water-soluble nature. Jared recommends starting with a heavily diluted wash (80-90% water) to stain the paper, eliminating white space and establishing light and shadow areas.
Subsequent layers should be thicker and applied with minimal water to prevent lifting previous layers. Jared advises, “If you have just a hair too much water, you will lift the previous layers and create a muddy mess.”
He also suggests practicing gouache sketching without using white paint as much as possible. This encourages artists to rely on color and value relationships rather than whitening the composition prematurely. “See how much of your painting you can get down without white,” Jared urges, as white can “kill and neutralize your color character.”
Capturing Light and Surface Qualities
One of Jared’s favorite aspects of gouache sketching is exploring how different surfaces interact with light. He enjoys working with subjects that demonstrate a variety of surface qualities, such as porcelain plates versus translucent food items with subsurface scattering.
“I’m fascinated with surface area variety,” Jared explains. He describes subsurface scatter as light passing through an object rather than simply bouncing off it, creating glowing effects. Gouache’s opacity allows him to capture these subtle effects by layering warm and cool colors strategically.
He also discusses the importance of understanding the light sources in a scene. For example, in one demonstration, he paints a sushi plate illuminated by a cool, north-facing window and a warm incandescent light bulb. “I’m always shifting subtly from warm to cool to warm to cool,” he says, explaining how this interplay adds vibrancy and depth to sketches.
Softening Edges and Using Fingers for Effects
Jared shares a unique technique for softening edges by using his finger to pull back paint while it’s still wet. This approach mimics wet-on-wet effects found in watercolor but is adapted for gouache’s quick drying time. “It’s easier to just put the paint down and pull it back with my finger,” he explains.
The Artistic Mindset: Letting Gouache Be Itself
Jared encourages artists to embrace gouache’s inherent sketchiness and imperfections. Unlike oil paint, which can be refined to smooth finishes, gouache tends to develop a “cakey” texture when dry. Instead of fighting this, Jared advises leveraging it to add character and energy to paintings.
“I relish the crumbly part of gouache and allow it to be sketchy and loose,” he states. This attitude fosters a more relaxed and experimental approach to painting, where the medium’s natural tendencies become assets rather than obstacles.
Breaking the Iconic Mindset: Observing vs. Symbolizing
One of the biggest hurdles for artists is overcoming the brain’s tendency to substitute symbols for observation. Jared explains that when painting familiar subjects, like a car or a human eye, the brain often defaults to drawing an icon rather than the actual shapes and values.
“Your brain thinks it knows what it’s doing better than you do,” Jared says. “It tries to create the kind of icon or symbol for that object instead of observing what that thing actually is.”
To counter this, he recommends breaking down the subject into simple shapes and values, almost like rendering it in pixelated or geometric forms. Jared humorously references an old Dire Straits music video with early computer graphics as a mental model for this approach, imagining objects as composed of a few flat planes and simple shapes.
Final Thoughts: Storytelling Through Gouache Sketches
For Jared, gouache sketching is not just about technical skill but also about storytelling. He draws parallels between his sketching practice and his professional work in children’s book illustration and entertainment art, where narrative and emotion are paramount.
“I spend a lot of time thinking about story and how story is conveyed,” he shares. Whether sketching everyday objects or creating complex compositions, Jared aims to create drama and draw the viewer’s eye to the focal point of the piece.
He encourages artists to develop their own style and preferences, noting that some may prefer highly refined paintings while others embrace a looser, chunkier aesthetic. “It’s all personal taste and the kind of story you want to tell with your art,” Jared concludes.
Getting Started with Gouache
For those interested in exploring gouache, Jared’s advice is to start simple, focus on big shapes and values, and experiment with layering and color temperature. Using synthetic brushes and larger sizes can help maintain loose, expressive strokes without getting bogged down in detail prematurely.
Additionally, sketching found still life objects—whether it’s dishes in the sink, food on a plate, or everyday household items—provides ample opportunity to study light and color in a manageable way. Jared’s approach emphasizes learning to see and simplify, which are critical skills for any artist.
By understanding the pros and cons of gouache and adopting a flexible, experimental mindset, artists can unlock the medium’s full potential for dynamic, expressive sketches that capture the essence of their subjects.
Connect with the artist at jaredcullum.com.
View articles on watercolor art and artists here at RealismToday.com.
