Author Topic: Gouache  (Read 2446 times)

Offline FrenchBlue Joy

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Gouache
« on: November 27, 2013, 12:03:58 PM »
Today NONE of my white inks wanted to do the job!  My McCaffery's ivory was too faint (the French postal workers won't try very hard to read faint hairlines, I find!), and my NEW bottle of Pen-White would not cooperate at all.  It kept pooling at the baseline!  Annoying, and gum arabic wasn't helping me at all. 

I got up, stomped over to the sink and quickly mixed up a bit of Linel Gouache, making quite runny whole-milk consistency and filling a dappen dish.  I added a drop of gum arabic to the mix and VOILÀ !  Why do I ever bother with white ink when gouache is so easy?  Sometimes I want the convenience straight out of the bottle, but getting familiar with gouache is a good idea if you're not already.  Comes in so handy when you need to color-match when addressing envelopes, too...

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Gouache
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2013, 01:46:19 PM »
Wonderful! Maybe you could walk us through the steps! Pictures?  ;)
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Erica
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Offline Estefa

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Re: Gouache
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2013, 03:22:26 PM »
Hi Joy, I am very new to this although I know from my illustration practice that it can be really hard to find a decent, covering white. I just tested Zillers Ink North Wind White and the Schmincke Calligraphy Gouache Deckweiß. For me it is hard to get the gouache to the right consistency (the Goldpearl colour works great though!). I manage to write with it, but it is not even – the beginning is covering, but a little too fluid (if I flex too much I get blots), and then it gets too transparent. Maybe I thinned it too much. Maybe I need to add gum Arabic.

The Ziller ink is really nice to write with – just when it's dry it looks a bit cracked (I don't know if I say this right …). I will try to take picture tomorrow. Did any of youhave this problem with the "craquelé" (with the other Whites you mentioned )?

So this McCafferys ivory is not really great? I was thinking of ordering one of these …

Stefanie aka Estefa
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