Get Started with Gouache: A Colorful Guide to Painting the World Around You

by Emma Block

A modern, easy-to-use, and authoritative guide to painting with gouache, including the basics on this exciting and centuries-old medium, techniques for all skill levels, and practice projects from an experienced author and illustrator.

This charming and contemporary step-by-step guide to gouache (pronounced "gwash") is perfect for creative people who have dreamed of painting inspiring subjects from everyday life. Gouache is a water-based paint similar to watercolor that has the opacity and layerability of acrylic paints. It creates wonderful washes, allows for layering and texture, and dries quickly with a unique matte finish.

Illustrator Emma Block presents everything you need to know about this whimsical and fun medium, including expert guidance on tools and materials and techniques that will make it easy to use. Thirty lessons cover subjects from simple, such as your morning coffee cup and bright lemons, to advanced, such as fluffy animals and portraits of your friends and family. All of this is accompanied by her workshop-honed instructions and step-by-step illustrations, which will help you build the skills and confidence to finish beautiful pieces of your own.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Creative, Drawing

192 pages, Spiral-bound

Reviews

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 4 out of 5]

[April 21, 2020] I want want want this! I've been waiting for it since the watercolor book came out.

[November 6, 2020] it's so similar to the watercolor book, I guess I was expecting something a bit different or extra. It's very good and cute as usal.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How excellent! Truly wonderful.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really thought this book was darling! It’s a great introduction to gouache as a medium. Emma Block does a great job with giving step by step help with practicing different techniques and how to achieve different affects.

I think this would be a wonderful book for a beginner getting an introduction to creating art themselves. I had a lot of art lessons growing up so this was a good refresher for me, but at times I was looking for a bit more instruction. Maybe I’m just too much of a perfectionist when it comes to my own attempts at art 🤷🏻‍♀️.

All in all though, this is a book worth picking up!

[Chloe Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a wonderful guide book for gouache painting, I learned so much! 💖

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of this book is what caught my eye. I want to be able to paint those cute cacti! After receiving a digital ARC from Edelweiss, I jumped right in. Emma Block obviously has a passion for what she does, and she shares it in a way that makes this art form attainable.

I enjoyed her honest talk about her journey and discovery of gouache. She doesn't get too in depth like other beginner books about what types of tools an artist should use and how to care for them.Just like her work, her instructions are simple, clean, and joyful! Her light writing style made it feel like I had a friend guiding me the whole way.

I know this book is going to help many people dip their toes into a new and wonderful art form. I can't wait to get myself some paint and brushes and get to work!

[Gina Lento · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in how to paint with gouache, this book is an excellent resource. I already use gouache, but any artist that reads this book will find something in it that they may not have tried before when using gouache, so I found the info to be useful.

This book is great as a reference and for trying out the techniques and tips using the step by step exercises that are provided. The exercises are simple and easy to duplicate. If you don’t have any tubes of gouache, her palette is a good starting point. I have my own color preferences so I used my own paint when I wanted to try out a technique or exercise.

The whimsical exercises were charming and fun to try.

Glad I read it and tried some of the techniques. It was a workshop in a book.

[Katia Vazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! I first became interested in gouache through an internet trend, but it wasn't as easy as people made it look! My friend, who also wanted to learn, bought this book for my birthday and got her own just a few days later after seeing the results!

I'm not an amazing artist, but this book includes lots of little tips at the beginning, and the projects are super beginner friendly. So even if you're not well-versed in the art of goauche, you will be by the time you're done!

I've only completed about 6 projects, but I can already see the difference in my skill. The projects are so fun, I'm excited to finish all of them!

[Miss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am about half way through the lovely projects in this book and really enjoying them. It's helped me improve my colour mixing. The first few projects teach you the techniques you need and then builds on them through the rest of the book. I would recommend reading all the instructions for a project before starting it though as sometimes you need a colour you've mixed for a later step, if you know this in advance you can make sure you've mixed enough of the colour the first time.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book! Emma Block takes us through exercises to build skill in gouache step-by-step. It's like having a trusted art teacher right in the room. As someone familiar with drawing but not painting, I surely would've given up and hurled my gouache set across the room by now if not for this book. Instead, I'm making little paintings that get better with each exercise!

[Ramarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully designed book and I’m glad to have my own copy. I’m looking forward to trying some of the painting projects especially since I haven’t much used the set of gouache paints I have…though I think the projects could be inspiration for other mediums. I like that each project includes a small sketch.

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t typically like instructional step-by-step guides, but this is the best gouache introduction I’ve seen to date. The introduction of materials and color mixing is very detailed and perfect for beginners. The tutorials are meant to teach specific concepts. Well worth going through as a workshop to introduce oneself to gouache.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great basic intro to using gouache with easy to follow step by step directions. I'll be checking this one out from the library again!

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this illustrator and I found this book super helpful, especially when it came to picking skin tone colors.

[Nicky Brinsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Emma Block! Easy to follow and the exercises and techniques are actually things you want to create with gouache. Thanks Emma!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as in-depth as other books on the subject, but does have a cute illustrative style.

[Lynn Hegge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great instructional book to get familiar with gouache paints! Loved the exercises!

[Shona Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great beginners guide to gouache

Has given me lots of confidence to get over that fear of a blank page with my new set of gouache paints.