Impressionist Gouache Background Tutorial

Do you follow Debby Hughes? One of my favorite people on earth. She has been doing some beautiful things with gouache on her blog lately, and it's given me the urge to try some things with it.

Gouache is a hybrid paint - it a mix between watercolor and acrylic. If you have some brittle and thin skinned artist friends, just bring up the question of whether or not gouache is a watercolor medium and then just walk away while they all fight.

The truth is a) who cares? and b) it has some of the properties of watercolor and some of the properties of acrylic, so it's truly a hybrid. The imaginary rules people like to put on art products aren't as important as what the products actually DO for you, which I'll show you today.

Unlike watercolor, you can't let it dry in your palette and use it again - that's because of its acrylic component. But, in some ways it behaves like watercolor and you can paint beautiful things with it. I like to watercolor with transparent color, but I love creating techniques and background with gouache precisely because it's a more opaque medium, but still has the fun of watercolor.

One of the things I love about gouache is how it lets you layer color, so I decided to create a Monet feeling background with some of my favorite colors.

After that was done (video below), I stamped the sentiment from this sweet set, and I used my embossing mat to impress this beautiful heart die into the watercolor paper. (If you want to do this, the sandwich is: Big Shot express platform open to the setting for embossing folders, grungy cutting pad (doesn't matter if it's warped or scratched), embossing mat, paper (painted side up), die with blades down, clean cutting pad. (I always have one cutting pad that has never been cut into that I use for my foolproof die cutting method).

Isn't that beautiful and subtle? I love it so much. And it's SO subtle, in fact, that the camera completely obliterated the texture in the overhead view. But you can still see that beautiful background I made with the gouache.

The sentiment is from this beautiful set - big enough to let the background be the star.

So here is the video, and I'll have a coupon code for the gouache below.

If you want to try the gouache, you can see their various sized sets here. Use coupon code  

understandblue3 

for 10% off your entire purchase - gouache or anything else. Here are all the supplies I used for this project.

Gouache Paints - 60 Colors (60 x... [ ARTZ ] Die-namics Hearts Entwined [ MFT ] Sweet Nothings [ MFT ] VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -... [ ELH | SSS ] Cotton Candy Card Stock [ MFT ] Fabriano Extra White Cold Press... [ BLIC ] Couture Creations UNIVERSAL 5 x 7... [ SSS ] Sizzix BIG SHOT EXPRESS Gray and... [ SSS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | MFT ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art... [ BLIC ] LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for... [ BRG ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] XL Stamp Storage Pockets [ ELH ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets... [ CHC ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Card Making Supplies - Brand New | My... [ MFT ]

Now today the MISTI team is collaborating with some of the people most beloved to me in the whole world - the team at My Favorite Things. Kim and her teams kindness and generosity to me in this difficult time really brings a little lump to my throat. Kim is one of those people who instinctively knows how to help you without taking any of your depleted energy reserves from you, and that's truly a gift. Jody is one of the funniest, sweetest people I've ever met, and she loves a prank POSSIBLY even more than I do. Julie Dinn is who I want to be if I ever grow up - smart, sweet, and incredibly talented and organized. Kim's family is a treasure to me, and the world had better look out for her girls. They were born on a mission.  Just so you know who your are supporting if you shop at MFT. 

I can't wait to see what their team has done with the MISTI - you can see all the MFT projects here:

Amy Yang
http://sharingnewlove.blogspot.com
Barbara Anders
https://barspaperpursuits.blogspot.com
Jodi Collins
https://stampingalatte.blogspot.com
Julie Dinn
http://www.kreativejewels2.com
Karolyn Loncon
https://karolyns-paperkraft.blogspot.com
Laurie Willison
https://soapboxcreations.blogspot.com
Rachel Alvarado
https://theunpamperedstamper.blogspot.com
Stephanie Klauck
https://sklauck.blogspot.com

So comment on my blog with your favorite MFT product from the release here for your chance to win one of THREE $50 gift certificate from us and and one of THREE $50 gift certificates from MFT.

Loveyameanitbye.