Gouache Baffled Me…Until 10 Tips Made it Fun for Horse Painting (Calm Art Process)

Gouache paints used to confuse me — the color shifts, the water control, the reactivation — all of it felt a bit unpredictable. But over time, I’ve found a rhythm with it, and now gouache has become one of my favorite ways to paint, especially when it comes to capturing the gentle beauty of horses and donkeys. In this calm and relaxing art process video, I’m sharing 10 tips that have made gouache painting feel way more intuitive and fun. From understanding gouache properties and using the “thick over thin” method, to choosing the best brushes and protecting your finished artwork, these insights come straight from my own experience with animal painting and creative exploration. If you’re curious about gouache techniques or just love chill painting sessions and equine art, I think you’ll enjoy this. It’s all part of my artistic process — learning, experimenting, and finding joy in the little details. I’d love to hear from you in the comments — whether you’re an artist or just love realistic animal art, what’s been your favorite part of working with gouache, or what challenges have you run into? ✨IN THIS VIDEO: What is gouache? Understanding gouache color shit Learning water control Reactivation & what that means Difference between traditional & acrylic gouache Cost considerations Brush selection & mark-making Protecting finished gouache paintings ▶️ YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:    • 🔹Creating PAINTINGS, PRINTMAKING, DRAWING,...   ✨PODCAST MENTIONED: Art Juice, Episode 273 “Running a Creative Audit” https://alicesheridan.com/podcast/ ✨INFO SOURCES ABOUT GOUACHE, PAINT GRADES & COLD WAX What is gouache: https://www.youtube.com/live/mOHbwS9S... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouache https://fearlessbrush.com/2023/03/04/... https://www.winsornewton.com/blogs/gu... Student vs artist grades: https://www.creativebloq.com/buying-g... https://willkempartschool.com/what-is... https://www.sennelier-colors.com/en/H... Cold Wax on gouache: https://gamblincolors.com/cold-wax-va... ✨HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR LEARNING GOUACHE:    • INTRODUCTION TO GOUACHE | A Beginners Guid...      • EVERYTHING you need to know to begin your ...      • How To Layer Gouache - Dos and Don'ts      / @emhuesart      / @sarahburnsstudio      / @justindonaldsonart      / @jamesgurney   ABOUT ME: I publish videos once a month sharing my adventures in creating horse and animal art like sculpture, painting, printmaking & more. If you enjoy watching the adventures of an artist making things by hand, I’d love to show you what I make next! ✨🎨🛠️ TOOLS & SUPPLIES used in this video are listed below!!! These are items I have purchased for my own hobby & the links are purely for your own convenience. ○ Winsor & Newton Designer gouache paints https://bit.ly/40WPpeX ○ Royal Talens Art Creation Sketchbook https://bit.ly/4jI2Pmn ○ Masterson Sta-wet palette (small size wet palette) https://bit.ly/40IeUiF ○ Wooden tabletop easel https://bit.ly/40YZhVJ ○ Silver Brush Monza FILBERTS sizes 0, 2, 4, 8 & 12 & ANGULARS sizes 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 https://bit.ly/3ml2jPm ○ Winsor & Newton Cotman ROUND sizes 0000, 1, 3, & 5 https://bit.ly/3EhVbZW ○ Rapheal Kaerell pointed ROUND 1 https://bit.ly/3BuwvgQ ○ Escoda Modernista square brushes ○ The Masters brush cleaner https://bit.ly/4hjpjZq ○ Lint-free blue shop towels ○ Painting gloves https://amzn.to/2J3QPxl ○ Recycled glass jar for paint water ✨ VIDEO CHAPTERS: 00:00 Why I'm trying gouache again 01:09 My color palette 01:33 Tip 1 Understanding Gouache 02:29 Tip 2 Color Shift 07:26 Tip 3 Water Control 09:17 Tip 4 Reactivation 10:07 Tip 5 Traditional vs Acrylic Gouache 11:01 Tip 6 Thick Over Thin 14:36 Tip 7 When Layers Are Too Thick 17:22 Tip 8 Cost Considerations 19:24 Tip 9 Brushes & Mark-making 24:40 Tip 10 Protecting Paintings 25:47 What I'm looking forward to next 26:46 Easter egg MUSIC: Music from YouTube Audio Library. 🔍You might enjoy this video if you were looking for: horse painting process gouache painting tips gouache painting 10 essential tips secrets of gouache painting horses in gouache gouache painting in a sketchbook gouache painting on paper learning how to paint with gouache opaque watercolor paint painting over sketches self-taught art hand made art process #gouachepainting #horsepainting #learningart #gouache #gouacheartist #gouacheartwork #paintwithme #painting #paintingprocess #paintingtechniques