Since various types of pens can be used for gouache painting, the brushing techniques for gouache painting are extremely rich. And it’s borrowing from oil paintings. The brushwork techniques of Chinese painting and watercolor are constantly developed in the process. Common brushwork in gouache painting.
"Flat brushwork" - the handwriting is concealed. The color layer of the painting is smooth;
"Scattered division method"-the handwriting is revealed, but the thickness of the color layer does not change significantly;
"Thick division method"-the color layers are intricately overlapped and the colors are used more Thick, thick and thin;
"Pointillism" - using the space of light and color and the principle of first impression mixing, using dense small brushstrokes (color points) to shape the image. (This brushwork is rarely used and difficult to master, so it is not advisable to imitate it too early when you are a beginner)
In addition, gouache painting also absorbs the knife painting technique of oil painting. You can use an oil painting knife to paint, or you can use a homemade bamboo knife to paint. When gouache painting absorbs the brushing techniques of other types of painting, it must start from the characteristics and performance of gouache painting. The purpose is to enrich the techniques of gouache painting and enhance the expressive power of gouache painting. Generally, when painting virtual places, distant places, dark parts, and shadows, the brush strokes should be blurry, flatter, and the color thinner to increase the sense of virtual distance. When painting near, solid and bright parts, the brush strokes should be more exposed and the color should be thicker to enhance the strong, prominent and clear effect. Of course, these all require the use of different brushwork based on the processing intention of the entire painting. There is also an overall problem with brushstrokes. The brushstrokes used in a painting should also be varied and unified to form a sense of rhythm. Avoid messy brushwork that lacks overall processing intent.
Connection
Because the color of gouache dries quickly and changes significantly between dry and wet, and with the addition of water, the color will flow on the picture, ooze and easily produce water stains, so it is skillful to Mastering the connection skills is very important for painting gouache well. The connection of gouache paintings can be mainly divided into three methods: wet connection, dry connection and crimping.
The so-called wet joining is when adjacent color blocks are connected to the second and third colors before the previous color is dry. Or two adjacent colors touch together. Or add other colors to a piece of color while it's still wet and let it blend. Or you can dip several different colors into different parts of the pen tip, and use the moisture in the belly of the pen to let it absorb naturally when drawing on the paper.
The so-called dry joining means that the adjacent color blocks are connected to the second and third colors when the previous color has dried.
The so-called crimping refers to adjacent color blocks (turning of shapes or different objects). The first color block is painted slightly larger than the shape it should be, and the second and third color blocks form a rhythm. feel. Avoid messy brushwork that lacks overall processing intent. When connecting, it is pressed on the previous piece of color to press out the shape that the previous piece of color should have. When crimping, pay attention to the covering power and adhesion of the color (the color being crimped). Generally speaking, the pressed color is slightly thicker than the painted color.
Overlay
The so-called overlay is to paint one or more layers of color on the already painted color layer. The main function of overlay can be summarized in two points: first, it is a technique for shaping the image by overlapping the color layers of the picture and changing the thickness; second, it is a method of modification. The covering power of gouache colors is relatively strong, but they vary. In addition, water is used when painting. If the covering is not mastered properly, the background color (covered color layer) will easily appear, causing water stains and causing discoloration. Dirty. Sometimes I deliberately cover it with a very thin layer of color to let the underlying color show through. These specific effects are not easy to estimate, so it is not easy to master the coverage skills. You have to figure it out slowly.
Performance materials and painting tools of gouache painting
About inherent color
Intrinsic color is the inherent color of the object itself. To grasp the inherent color, it is mainly to accurately grasp the hue of the object.
Since inherent color occupies the largest area in an object, the study of it is very important.
Generally speaking, the most obvious place where the inherent color of an object is the middle part between the light-receiving surface and the backlight surface, which is the gray part in the sketch tone, which we call half-tone or intermediate color. Because within this range, the object is less affected by the color of external conditions. Its changes are mainly changes in brightness and hue itself, and its saturation is often the highest.
Example 1 A "Apple and Pear" (single object practice demonstration) A-1 Usually when I draw fruits, because lemon yellow has no covering ability, I use the transparency of lemon yellow color to first use lemon Apply a thin layer of yellow as a base. The purpose is to grasp the purity and brightness of the fruit's color. A-2 Start with the dark part of the object and use the inherent color to deepen the color. First draw the dark part of the object, and then use a color with higher purity to draw the inherent color. A-3 Add some light yellow to the highlights to create an apple-like tone. A-4 Draw a shadow to increase the brightness of the bright part of the apple. Note that the highlights should be cooler. A-5 Draw the dark parts and half-tones of the pear. A-6 Use the tip of the pen to sweep the reflections in dark areas. Add a little lemon yellow and white to the highlights of the pear to make the highlights cooler. Use a pointed pen to draw pear and apple handles. A-7 strengthens the dark parts of the pear. Further shaping is done on the bright part of the apple to make the bright part of the apple richer in color. A-8 Apples and pears after completion.
Example 2 As "Apples, Pears, Oranges" (Single Object Practice Demonstration) (Explanation) Different fruits present different inherent colors.
[Tips] Place the natural color in the middle tone. [Brilliant idea] The cold color floats on top of the inherent color. It is very subtle and should not be too cold. It should be kept in touch with the inherent color of the apple. Coloring steps for gouache still life sketching Gouache painting is easy to modify, and beginners often have loose minds and lack strict methods and steps. There should be no carelessness in every step. Only with rigorous training can we progress quickly, otherwise haste makes waste.
(1) Start the draft like a sketch. First use a pencil to determine the position and proportion. Do not use an eraser to avoid damaging the paper surface and affecting the coloring effect. Then use color to finalize the drawing. Depending on the tone of the still life, you can use ocher brown or ultramarine blue to finalize the drawing. The color line can be slightly heavier, and the final color can be used to lightly indicate light and dark, paving the way for the next step of coloring. If you have strong modeling ability, you can also start the draft directly with color lines, without showing light and shade, and directly color.
(2) After finalizing the large color tone, quickly observe the relationship between the overall tone and the large color block, so that you can be confident and apply thinly as soon as possible. Don't think about form and brushstrokes at this time, use fresh color impressions to boldly create the color environment of the picture. Some people are eager to draw in detail after finishing the previous coloring. The relationship between large color blocks should be further adjusted to make the relationship between colors and the overall tone consistent with the actual feeling.
(3) Specific shaping Based on the relatively correct general relationship, further specific shaping is carried out, starting from the main object of the picture and completing it one by one. It is easy to grasp the dry and wet changes of an object by focusing on it, and it is also easy to shape the color changes of its different sides that receive light and backlight. At this time, the eyes should scan the surroundings at any time, starting from the local area but not getting stuck in the local area, focusing on one thing and missing the other. It depends on the relationship between the object and the background and other objects, grasp the proportion, and leave the details in one step. The color used in this pass should be appropriately thickened, and the correct part of the background color can be retained to increase the color gradation of the picture.
(4) Detailed description Although trivial and redundant details can be omitted, the important details that express the characteristics and texture of the object should be strengthened and added to the finishing touch. Details must be integrated into the whole. The last stroke is the most important, it will be revealed to the viewer without being covered.
(5) Adjust and complete a still life sketch outside the studio. As a basic exercise, eight hours is generally appropriate, and we strive to be profound and accurate. After you become proficient, you can perform more fully within three or four hours. Painting takes a long time, the eyes are easily tired, the sense of color is easily weakened, and the detailed description is easily forgotten as a whole. When the sketch is almost completed, restore the first impression and check the picture: whether there are any places that damage the whole when you draw in depth, whether the colors of parts and details "jump out" of the picture, and whether there are any other problems. After inspection, adjust, modify and process.
If you make mistakes, such as painting too thickly, wash it off and paint again until it is complete. To what extent should dry and wet techniques be controlled in gouache painting? What are the application areas? The wet and dry technique used in gouache painting mainly refers to the amount of water and white powder contained in the color.
Dry painting method: It means less water and more powder. This painting method mostly uses squeezing out the water contained in the pen tip. No water or less water is added when mixing colors, so that the paint becomes a paste. First dark and then light, from large areas to details, covering and deepening over and over again, the more you paint, the more fully you paint, and as you progress from dark to light, add more white powder to brighten the picture. The brush strokes of the dry painting method are relatively stagnant and dry, but they are more concrete and strong, making it easy to express definite and clear shapes and colors, such as the distinct concave and convex parts of objects, the bright parts of the main objects in the painting, and the depiction of wonderful details. This painting method pays great attention to the strokes, and strives to observe accurately and make sure the strokes are completed. Each stroke represents a certain relationship between shape and color. The dry painting method also has its shortcomings. Too much use of this method in the picture, coupled with improper application of techniques, will cause the picture to be dry and dull. However, the color of the dry painting method changes little after drying, which is more effective for practicing color and is easy to master.
Wet painting method: This method is the opposite of dry painting, using more water and less powder. It absorbs the splash-ink technique of watercolor painting and traditional Chinese painting, and can best utilize the benefits of "water" in gouache painting, which is rendered by diluting the pigment with water. The wet painting method can also use the transparency of paper and color to achieve the brightness and refreshingness of watercolor. However, the wet technique used in it is more demanding than watercolor painting. Since the gouache pigment particles are coarse, it is required to look at the picture accurately during wet painting. The wet painting part will be rendered successfully in one go. Excessive smearing or multiple smearing will inevitably cause the picture to be gray and greasy. . However, this painting method can be used smoothly and freely, and the effect is moist and soft. It is especially suitable for painting loosely structured objects, faint backgrounds and ambiguous dark surfaces of objects. If used properly, it can express a vivid and vivid charm that is integrated and joyful. Its colors rely on the flow and interpenetration of water, sometimes producing unexpected effects. In order to create this wet effect, not only the paint must be diluted with water, but the painting paper must also be wetted with water according to local and overall needs to ensure that the wet time and color connection are natural. Regarding the control and practical application of the wet painting method, a lot has been said in the above painting steps, so I will not go into detail one by one.
The characteristics and application range of wet and dry gouache painting methods are basically as mentioned above. It should be noted in particular that the boundary between dry painting and wet painting is determined by the water content of the brush. Most people think that using more powder and color and painting thicker means dry painting. This is not accurate because It must be more powder, more color and less water to become a dry painting method. Some people think that less powder and thinner painting means wet painting. This is not accurate. Only when more water is used to dilute the paint can it be called wet painting. Therefore, it can be said that there are dry painting methods with more powder and dry painting methods with less powder. On the contrary, there are wet painting methods with more powder and wet painting with less powder. But whether it is dry or wet, it is still best to use the powder appropriately, so as not to lose the characteristics of gouache painting. Dry painting methods and wet painting methods should be used interchangeably when painting. However, according to the actual needs of the painting, some wet painting methods are used more and some dry painting methods are used more. If a painting uses too much water and uses wet painting methods to process the picture, it will easily lead to loss of control, loose objects, and loss of color luster. Similarly, all dry painting methods are used, and the accumulated color and white powder continue to thicken the picture, which will lead to rigidity, dryness and color peeling, and the picture will be difficult to preserve for a long time.
In short, only when the dry and wet painting techniques are operated reasonably according to the painting steps, from wet to dry, and from thin to thick, can the best effects of dry and wet techniques be exerted. This is a principle that is followed in the general painting process. Its real application must be flexibly mastered according to the requirements of the picture in practice. The first step of gouache still life painting technique: This kind of flat and floating composition feels very natural and is also a form of composition. Single color base. Pay attention to the color and accurate styling. Step 2: This is a picture with purple color. Purple is not easy to paint repeatedly. The color of the first pass should be painted accurately so that the next step can have a good foundation.
First, use rough colored thread to outline the outline and structure. When adding color, use the juxtaposition method to put the colors on top and press the color thread.
Reset is a method of overlaying colors, using color points, color lines, and color blocks for overlapping coloring. Most of the paintings are a combination of reset and juxtaposition in order to fully express the object.
(3) Master the dry and wet change of color. The dry and wet change of color is one of the characteristics of gouache paint. Apply the color on the drawing paper. When it is wet, it will feel more appropriate. When it dries, you will find that it becomes lighter and grayer. Not understanding this feature often brings passivity to coloring. By mastering this characteristic and anticipating the effect after drying in advance, you can avoid adding color later to become an uncoordinated "patch". When painting, paint from thin to thick. Paint thickly first and then apply thinly. The dry and wet changes will be large; paint thinly first and gradually reduce the use of water to paint thicker. The dry and wet changes will not be obvious and it is easier to master. It is also suitable for thick coating when modifying the picture. You can also apply a little water around the area to be modified, and the modified parts will be naturally unified after drying.
(4) The connection of colors in the picture requires that the connection between the two colors should be natural, the transition from light to dark should be smooth, and the colors should be connected appropriately. There are three methods: a. Use wet painting to make light and dark colors, this color and that color interact with each other due to the action of water, so that the effect will be natural and soft. If it doesn't work once, you can draw it again according to this method. b. Use a medium brightness color to paint between the two colors. Although there are obvious pen marks, the transition looks natural from a distance. c. Where the connection between the two colors is stiff, you can use one of the colors to dry-sweep the adjacent area a few times to increase the transitional color gradation. You can also use a pen dipped in a small amount of water and swipe a few times on the rough areas to create a transitional level between the two colors in terms of brightness or color, and the transition will become natural.
(5) Use the pen to move the color on the paper, and the pen marks will appear, which is called brush strokes. Generally, the brushstrokes in the picture can be used to tell the artist's rough painting sequence and how to use the brush to shape the object. The use of the brush is not the purpose, but a means of expression. The brushwork of many painters is different, some are large vertical and horizontal, Some small strokes are painted. Which writing method is better? How to use a pen properly? We should focus on the purpose of expressing the object, based on the different structures, different textures of different objects and the different feelings of the author, and base on the expression. Starting from the object of expression, in order to express the physical structure and color, various brushwork techniques such as painting, placing, dotting, hooking, stacking and sweeping are used flexibly to depict.
Limitations of gouache color purity and brightness
When gouache painting is wet, its color saturation is as high as oil painting. After drying, due to the action of the powder and the color loss The gloss and saturation are greatly reduced, which is the limitation of its color purity.
The brightness of gouache is improved by diluting, adding powder or using lighter colors with more powdery pigments. Its dry and wet changes are very large, and some colors often only add a little powder. The brightness shows a difference in brightness between wet and dry times. Since the color of gouache paint generally becomes lighter after it dries, using the gouache well is the most difficult problem to solve technically in gouache painting. The pink color is precisely the charm of gouache painting. It makes the color of the picture full of the unique "pink" quality of gouache painting, and appears particularly rich in the middle color.
Personal differences of gouache paint
Most colors of gouache paint are relatively stable, such as earthy yellow, earthy red, ocher, orange, medium yellow, light yellow, olive green, pink green , ultramarine, cobalt blue, lake blue, etc. However, colors such as deep red, rose red, green lotus, and violet in gouache paint are extremely unstable, prone to color flipping, and difficult to cover. There are few types of transparent gouache colors, only a few colors such as lemon yellow, rose red, and green lotus. To draw a good gouache painting, you must fully grasp the personality of each gouache pigment and understand its color-receiving ability and covering ability. size, color and price. These issues require continuous practice so that practice makes perfect.
Choice of painting tools
There are no more than three types of gouache pens popular in the market today - sheep brushes, wolf brushes and nylon brushes. The characteristic of Yanghao is that it has a larger water content and more colors. The advantage is that the area painted with one stroke of color is larger. The disadvantage is that due to the large water content, the painted strokes are easy to become muddy, making it unsuitable for detail depiction. The characteristic of wolf hair is that it contains less water and is more elastic than sheep hair, making it suitable for depicting local details.
With the advancement of modern industry, a large number of nylon brushes have become popular on the market. When choosing a nylon brush, you must pay special attention to its texture. It must be soft and elastic, and avoid having an excessively sharp edge. A pen with a strong tip is often difficult to apply paint, and it is easy to drag up the underlying colors on the picture, greatly reducing the coverage. When choosing the shape of the pen, choose different types, such as flat tip, pointed tip, knife pen, etc., to prepare for different occasions and painting needs of different themes.
It is best to use professional products in tin tubes produced by authentic art supplies manufacturers. The paste is fine and the color is saturated. Don’t be fooled by cheap, low-quality products. When choosing paper, you should use textured, high-quality watercolor paper for painting, which should not be too absorbent. Some poor-quality paper absorbs not only water but also color, causing the color to turn black after drying. When painting with such paper, the colors of the painting will not be bright and bright.