Plein Air Essentials: Gouache Basics

In this lecture, I talk about the materials and gear that you will need for painting outdoors with gouache.  As additional reference, I've included a supply list of materials and gear, and also the story of how I made an easel for gouache.  **By the end of this talk, you should understand what you need to go into the field with gouache to sketch with confidence.

Here is an outdoor gouache sketching demonstration of a rock outcrop.  This one illustrates how to start the painting with a watercolor pencil.  Additionally, I've added two images in the resource file:  One, a photo of the scene, should you wish to paint along; and two, a photo of the finished sketch.  **By the end of this demo, you should be able to create a realistic depiction of a rock outcrop or similar in strong sunlight.

Here is the second outdoor gouache sketching demonstration, this time, of a tree.  This one illustrates how to start the painting with an "ink brush."  (This is a Pentel Aquash Pigment-Filled Ink Brush.) I've also added two images in the resource file:  One, a photo of the scene, should you wish to paint along; and two, a photo of the finished sketch.  **By the time you finish watching this demo, you should be able to use a water brush to start the initial drawing and to add dark accents later in the process; and also to create a tree form effectively.

Here is the third and final outdoor gouache sketching demonstration, this time, of a lake and cliff. This one illustrates how to start the painting with just a round brush and continue in a loose, painterly manner. I've also added two images in the resource file: One, a photo of the scene, should you wish to paint along; and two, a photo of the finished sketch. **By the time you finish watching this demo, you should be able take just one or two brushes and paint freely.

In this final demonstration, you'll learn to adjust your field sketches, keeping in mind that you want to do as little as possible to avoid overworking--hurting the "freshness" of the sketch.  Included are finished versions of the three field sketches.