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Learn to Paint with Gouache

With this Gouache painting course and connected community

take at your own pace - start today

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What is Gouache?

Gouache is an opaque watercolor paint. Where transparent watercolors allow you to see the "white" of the paper below the paint, gouache paint can be applied in solid opaque colors, which allows artists to paint in layers. This versatile medium can do MORE than you expect... let's explore it together! 

This purchase includes the 8 recorded lessons with 2 previously recorded live feedback sessions for each lesson and a new weekly feedback session. This is a total of over 60 hours of instructional time. For support, you will also get lifelong access to our instructional videos, discord server for questions, communication, product reviews, peer feedback, reference collections, and more. 

Whether you are starting from scratch or looking to hone in on your gouache painting skills, this course will provide the structure you need to get to a deeper understanding and a wider practice.

All of the content for this course is available online and you will be able to access it at anytime. In addition you will also receive access to any future posted material.

Djamila Knopf

As a digital artist, I've always been extremely intimidated but also intrigued by traditional painting. Turns out all my worries were unfounded because the course made the medium of gouache easily accessible, and introduced all the required techniques step by step. The lessons were engaging, well structured, humorous and entertaining. Justin is a great teacher, and his enthusiasm for painting is infectious! He has managed to create such a positive learning environment for his students, and I loved being part of the community on Discord. Even as someone who has been working as a professional artist for years, I learned many new things, and I can only recommend the course.

Jenny Luco

I really enjoyed this course! The videos were very clear and it felt like Justin was very open to answer any questions, even from those just auditing (like me). Discovering the versatility of the medium was a lot of fun and a wee bit mindblowing at times, haha.

On a personal note: I've mostly been painting digitally for the last few years. Sure I did the occasional watercolour, but while I enjoyed the feel of real paint it also felt like a bit of a messy struggle. After taking this course, I think I may have found a new favourite traditional medium. Gouache can get messy too, but it is also pretty forgiving! Doing the assignments really did give me more confidence as a traditional painter.

All in all: I am very happy I took this class and I am also enthusiastic about the community of students we had here on Discord. Seeing others tackle the same issues and learning the same things really added something for me as well

Tommy

I’d like to take the time to thank Justin properly for the quality of this course! I am a person with generalised anxiety and I really struggle to find enjoyment throughout my journey to become a professional artist, as I obsess very easily on getting everything perfect on the first try or setting standards too high for myself, which results in a lot of frustration. So I cannot stress enough how beneficial it was to have Justin constantly remind me THE important things:

“take your time”, “it’s okay to make mistakes”, “learning happens best at your own pace”, “don’t expect to get it right the first time”, “great technique develops on solid foundations of basic skills, so don’t be afraid/ashamed to spend as much time as you need on mastering those before moving on to the next step” and the very poetic but oh so true “productive complexity can only occur within the bounds of profound simplicity”.

So thank you Justin for creating a welcoming and kind space where I could reconnect with the pleasure of growing as an artist. What I learnt here certainly helped me change the way I view gouache and most importantly the way I see art in general. Keep up the good work and maybe see you in another one of your courses!

Session 1: Painting with Consistency

Gouache is an amazingly versatile medium! While its versatility is fantastic, this often makes the outcome hard to predict or control. The first step in this is beginning to understand the materials and techniques we need to use in order to create consistent marks and passages. This is the base skill that we, at all levels (myself included) can ALWAYS afford to put more time and practice into, and ill show you how!

Session 2: Wet to Dry

This is the second key concept we need to understand: How to lean into the "wet to dry" nature of gouache and water media. This can often be seen as a weakness... but I'll show you how it can become your biggest strength! 

Session 3: Gradients

Gradients are an amazing way to communicate form and movement, and now we will have an opportunity to learn about the practice and application of gradients. There is always more to learn and master when it comes to gradients and this is an open invitation, no matter where you are in your journey, to sit down and learn how to improve! I can wait to dive into this with you!

Session 4: Layering 

Gouache has an amazing capacity for immense layering! This module will explore the art of layering, glazing and re-wetting - you heard that right! you can re-wet and work INTO your painting if you like, and I will show you how!

Session 5: Wet in Wet

Now we are talking! Wet in wet! this is where we begin to dive into the techniques about how to handle, push, and pull the naturally expressive wet quality of gouache. Did you say charging? placing? dropping? salting? lets talk about it.

Session 6: Handling Value

So... your gouache changes value as you paint... lets talk about it! Are there methods and materials that can help us predict, or even prolong the eventuality of this effect? oh yes, Lets get into how to handle value with gouache! 

Session 7: Opaque AND Transparent. 

Like a mentor of mine once told me, "If you are only using gouache for opaque painting you are only using half of gouache." so lets get into the other half, and talk about how to use both opaque and transparent painting to make our paintings even richer! 

Session 8: How far can we push gouache? 

Gouache is often communicated as an intermediate medium. You and I both know this isn't true and that no matter how far you push its use and technique there is always further to go. So lets learn how to push beyond by completing a few paintings together!

What Materials will I need?

First a word on materials. While I am going to give you a list of recommended materials, you need to understand that the materials don't make the artist. You can make amazing paintings on sub par paper, with sub par paints. So if you can't get your hands on the following materials exactly, thats ok. If you have any questions about if you can do it with what you have, send me an email at [email protected] and we can talk about it. 

 

Gouache Course - At your own pace

As someone who is auditing the gouache course you will be able to see all the lessons, participate in the discord community and share your work for peer review. You will be able to attend the live feedback sessions but wont have your work reviewed during this time.  Its going to be awesome!! 

$350.00 USD
3 Month Payment Plan Gouache Course - At your own pace

Make 3 payments of $110.00.

3 monthly payments of $110

Are you looking for other ways to learn from me?

In addition to these courses, I also have a monthly study group and tutorials!

Click Here to Continue Learning

Djamila Knopf

As a digital artist, I've always been extremely intimidated but also intrigued by traditional painting. Turns out all my worries were unfounded because the course made the medium of gouache easily accessible, and introduced all the required techniques step by step. The lessons were engaging, well structured, humorous and entertaining. Justin is a great teacher, and his enthusiasm for painting is infectious! He has managed to create such a positive learning environment for his students, and I loved being part of the community on Discord. Even as someone who has been working as a professional artist for years, I learned many new things, and I can only recommend the course.

Jenny Luco

I really enjoyed this course! The videos were very clear and it felt like Justin was very open to answer any questions, even from those just auditing (like me). Discovering the versatility of the medium was a lot of fun and a wee bit mindblowing at times, haha.

On a personal note: I've mostly been painting digitally for the last few years. Sure I did the occasional watercolour, but while I enjoyed the feel of real paint it also felt like a bit of a messy struggle. After taking this course, I think I may have found a new favourite traditional medium. Gouache can get messy too, but it is also pretty forgiving! Doing the assignments really did give me more confidence as a traditional painter.

All in all: I am very happy I took this class and I am also enthusiastic about the community of students we had here on Discord. Seeing others tackle the same issues and learning the same things really added something for me as well

Tommy

I’d like to take the time to thank Justin properly for the quality of this course! I am a person with generalised anxiety and I really struggle to find enjoyment throughout my journey to become a professional artist, as I obsess very easily on getting everything perfect on the first try or setting standards too high for myself, which results in a lot of frustration. So I cannot stress enough how beneficial it was to have Justin constantly remind me THE important things:

“take your time”, “it’s okay to make mistakes”, “learning happens best at your own pace”, “don’t expect to get it right the first time”, “great technique develops on solid foundations of basic skills, so don’t be afraid/ashamed to spend as much time as you need on mastering those before moving on to the next step” and the very poetic but oh so true “productive complexity can only occur within the bounds of profound simplicity”.

So thank you Justin for creating a welcoming and kind space where I could reconnect with the pleasure of growing as an artist. What I learnt here certainly helped me change the way I view gouache and most importantly the way I see art in general. Keep up the good work and maybe see you in another one of your courses!

FAQ