Become a Better oil painter through Gouache

This Course explores how the unique characteristics of gouache painting can be used to enhance your oil painting practice. Gouache, with its fast-drying, opaque nature, offers an ideal medium to develop core painting skills that directly translate to oil painting techniques, such as shape recognition(tiles), color mixing, and brush control.

Throughout the course, students will focus on using gouache to build stronger composition, refine brushwork, and gain a deeper understanding of color relationships—all of which are essential when working with oils. The quicker drying time and the ability to layer in gouache offers a low-pressure environment to experiment and practice without the extended drying times of oils. By applying similar techniques, such as blocking in shapes, layering, and glazing, students will build confidence in their ability to execute more complex oil paintings.

By the end of the course, students will have gained a better understanding of how to approach oil painting with clarity, efficiency, and a more refined sense of composition and color balance. This class is ideal for those who want to enhance their oil painting technique without the intimidating weight of working in oils right away.

Key Topics Covered:

• The fundamentals of gouache as a preparatory tool for oil painting

• Building strong compositions and simplifying form in both gouache and oils

• Color mixing and understanding color relationships across mediums

• Layering and tiling techniques that also apply to Oils.

• How to refine brushwork and apply confident, purposeful strokes

• Working with light, shadow, and value to create dynamic compositions