Step-by-step Demonstration of Orchids Painting

I love orchids. When I look at them, I always remember how amazing our nature is. Many flowers grow from the same root, but each of them is unique. Their beauty attracts us and we enjoy looking at them again and again. 

Gouache overview

Gouache colours are a popular medium for beginning and amateur artists, designers and illustrators. This article contains useful information about gouache, its features and usage.

What is Gouache?

Gouache is opaque watercolour prepared with gum arabic.

History of Gouache

There are different versions of gouache history. One of them says that it was discovered by an Italian monk in the 11^th Century by adding zinc white to watercolours. Since that time, gouache was considered as a type of watercolours for many Centuries. It was never so popular medium as watercolours and oil colours; however, nowadays its popularity grows more and more. The reason for this are gouache properties that allow to reach great results in technical and graphic illustrations, decorative and fine art.

Gouache Properties

Gouache is known for mattness, brightness and intensity of colours. Unlike classic watercolours it has high covering power, so it is possible to apply light layers of colours above dark ones. There are several types of gouache: classic and acrylic, art and poster gouache. Classic gouache painting can be easily moisturized and edited after drying, while acrylic gouache becomes waterproof. Art gouache features more natural colours than poster. Poster gouache has very bright colours ideal for poster drawing.

Supports for Gouache Painting

Gouache can be used on any kind of paper or canvas. The only limitation - it must not have oily surface.

Gouache Usage

Gouache is very easy to use. That is why it is recommended to art students to sharpen their painting techniques on gouache before they start using oil colours. All you need for gouache painting is paper, palette, brushes, water and gouache.

Useful Tips

• Gouache colours can be mixed with each other in order to reach to the desired hue. To reach a lighter colour, white colour can be used. Such famous gouache producers as LEFRANC & BOURGEOIS produce two types of white colour: mixing white and permanent white (the first one is used for mixing with other colours, the second one – for applying above other layers as it has higher covering power).

• Add sufficient amount of water to make gouache as liquid as shampoo or dishwashing liquid.

• Avoid applying very thick layers, as it can cause cracking of your painting later.

• Note that gouache colours change after drying. Light colours become darker while dark colours become lighter. With experience, you will know what to expect from every colour you use. Another solution can be using small containers for your palette. Place each colour of you palette in a small container with cover (to keep it wet) and stick a piece of paper on it with a colour sample. By this way you can keep the colours you use the most always ready for painting and see how they will look like after drying.

How to Develop Colour Perception

The article contains the theory of colour perception and a very useful exercise that anyone can use in order to develop this skill.

Every subject in the world has its own colour. We can recognize some of them thanks to their colours. We know that grass is green, the sun is yellow, sky and sea are blue. We know that ripe apples are red and unripe – green. Seasons can be distinguished by the colour of leaves on trees: light green in spring, deep green in summer and yellow or orange in autumn.

Scientists believe that ability of colour perception develops with evolution and age of people.

Thus, people of ancient Greece and Egypt recognized fewer colours. This theory is proved by the colour palette they used for their art that is usually limited by yellow, ochre, brown and red shades.

At present, eyes of a mature person can recognize up to 350 colours and shades. However the ability of colour perception is very individual. When children learn to recognize colours their colour palette is limited to the basic colours. It is clearly seen on children’s drawings. Many of them grow up with limited colour perception. For example, two shades of one colour that can be easily distinguished by a person with developed colour perception seem the same for a person with limited ability of colour recognition.

Consequently, two questions arise: why people need to develop colour perception ability and how it can be developed?

It is known that colours effect on people’s emotions, mental state and even physical body. The ability of colour perception allows people to fully enjoy the life in its beauty and diversity.

There are many ways of developing colour perception. One of them is to surround you with original art. It can be beautiful pictures, handmade souvenirs and professionally designed interior. That is why it is highly recommended for parents to decorate children’s rooms with original art instead of posters with cartoon characters.

Another way is paying attention to colours. See, how shades of the same objects are changing depending on light illumination and surrounding objects. For example, if you place a yellow lemon on red surface it will get reddish shades from down, on green surface – greenish. The same lemon illuminated by electricity light will have cold yellow colour with warm shadow, when illuminated by sun light its colour will appear warmer and its shadow colder. Pay attention to landscape colours in different times of day. In the morning colours are cold, illuminated by midday sunshine they are warm. In the evening surfaces and object reflect colours of sunset or night illumination sources (street lamps).

The following exercise is very helpful for those who want to feel colours deeper. Choose one word from each column and try to imagine a scene. Think, which colours can transfer the mood of the picture, time and idea. Paint of draw pictures using varied mediums, such as gouache, water colours, pastel, colour pencils, etc.

Feeling       Object            Time or weather          Place 

Happy         Cat                  Morning                       Garden 

Sad             Soldier             Rainy                           Castle 

Friendly       Horse              Sunny                           Forest 

Angry          Dog                 Snowy                          Desert 

Scared         Girl                  Windy                         Sea 

Mystery      Traveller           Midday                       River 

Calm           Old woman       Night                         Room 

Surprised    Sailor                Midst                         Road 

Brave          Bird                  Storm                        Mountains 

Confused    Boy                   Sunset                       Street 

How to take a photo of a picture

Taking photos of pictures is quite different from taking photos of people, nature and other objects. A photo taken by an unexperienced photographer can spoil all impression of a picture and even Photoshop will not help to correct the image. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use help of a professional to take a photo. Anyway, if you have decided to take a photo by yourself, here some basic advices on how to make it.

• Pictures of a size less then A4 can be scanned. Scan preserves all colors and details of a picture. You can easily use it later for uploading to Internet and printing.
• Take a photo of your picture outdoors during day time. Artificial light at home is not enough to take a quality picture.
• Disable flash. Never use flash for picture shooting as it illuminates some parts of a picture more than needed.
• Disable time and date display.
• Use a tripod. It will help you to avoid the effect of shaking hands.
• The camera has to be directed to the center of the picture and strictly perpendicular.
• Do not take a shot from a very close distance. Fix camera few meters from the picture and zoom it. 
• Before taking a shot, make sure that no shadows drop on the picture.

One more advice: always keep quality photos of all your pictures. You never know then you may need them.


See also:
Fujifilm FinePix S1800 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom 
and 3-Inch LCD
Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch Articulating LCD
Nikon Coolpix L22 12.0MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)