In this class, we will be focusing on how to make a painting combining gouache and watercolour painting. Gouache has a very stylised and flat graphic look and is a great medium to combine and contrast with other materials.

This class is the first in a series of classes I’m calling The Gouache Files. There are more to come so watch out for my other classes in the series on combining gouache with other materials such as crayon, pastels, inks and collage.

We will start this class by making some watercolour exercises and then move on to how I mix gouache to use as detail and a background before we create a piece of artwork using a bouquet of flowers as inspiration.

This class will cover:

• What materials you will need and the paint I choose to use
• How to tackle painting certain flowers and leaves
• Where to find and choose the subject matter for a painting
• How to use an instinctive and unplanned method for painting with watercolours
• Painting in detail with gouache
• Painting in a flat matt background with gouache

 I’ll talk you through the materials I use for the class and how to add a few tubes of paint to your art box without having to buy lots of new materials and overspend!

I’ll show you how I look for inspiration on the internet and choose the right flower arrangement and vase for a painting.

When I make the class painting you will see how I use a very instinctive form of watercolour painting and respond to the reference picture as I create my artwork. This then dictates the colours I mix in gouache for the detail and background.

This class is suitable for beginners, you don’t need lots of painting experience, just some creative enthusiasm, a few brushes and paints.

This class is for you if you’ve:

• Always wanted to try combining several different types of paint in one artwork
• Have tried one or both gouache and watercolour and want to try some of my methods for using them.
• If you’ve used both mediums a lot, but never together
• If you just love experimenting!

So, follow me on my gouache journey as I investigate this wonderful medium and by the end of the class, you’ll have:

• A much better understanding of gouache
• A method for tackling the combination of the two types of paint
• Confidence to try mixed media
• A good idea of where to find reference material for your subject matter
• My methods for using watercolour to paint flowers and leaves