I studied painting back in college, though I only worked with acrylic and oil paints. So I figured, why not try a type of paint I’d never used before? For this piece in my Arts & Fails series – where I experiment with mediums or techniques outside my comfort zone – I decided to try gouache.
I don’t make still life pieces very often, so I also chose a food subject. Previously, I’ve made several donut collages, so this time I went with a gouache donut painting.
Here’s a video of the project:
I began with a sketch, which I then erased to leave faint lines. Next, I blocked in the blue background and pink donut, using plenty of water with the paint. I used detailing brushes to add shadows around and on the donut, as well as highlights. Then I jumped around the piece, adding different colored sprinkles, and finally added shadows to them.
This medium was a bit tricky, and my painting got a little muddied toward the end. I’ve heard gouache can be a difficult medium, and I think the trick is being cautious with how much water you use. I definitely need to experiment with it more – but for a first attempt, I’m glad I gave it a try.
If you’d like to make your own gouache painting, here are the supplies I used:
