Paint (acrylic, gouache, tempera) Exploration
- Daniela Reyes
- Nov 23, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 7, 2023
Join me on an exploration of watercolor's versatile effects!
Acrylics and gouache are wonderful paints students can use to explore color. Tempera in particular can be used as practice/training for little kids so they know how to handle acrylics and gouache properly later on. For me, revisiting tempera was a pretty frustrating experience because the colors became dull after drying and were not very pigmented. Acrylic and gouache, on the other hand, were beautifully vibrant. Lastly, experimenting with the different mediums was especially fun and extremely helpful for my own practice. Hooray mediums!
MATERIALS
Acrylics (Professional quality: Winsor & Newton, Amsterdam | Student: Sargent Art)
Paintbrushes (round, fan, flat, detail, soft/hard bristle)
Palette knife (plastic for students)
Sponge brush
Paper (watercolor paper & mixed media) - can also try cardboard or any other hard surfaces for acrylic!
GOLDEN Acrylic mediums: fluid matte medium, paint retarder, molding paste
Liquitex Acrylic mediums: glazing medium, gloss gel, gloss varnish
Paint Exploration
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Acrylics
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Gouache
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Tempera
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Painting Techniques
There are an infinite number of techniques you could use when it comes to acrylics! Please read my notes for specific explanations. Because acrylics are so rich and pigmented, you can easily blend the colors together. However, it is important to blend quickly if you want smooth transitions because acrylics dry incredibly fast. They're also great for blocking larger areas and layering, although more translucent colors like yellow require more coats. One of my past professors suggested adding a bit of white to thicken it up. With acrylics, the type of brush you use makes all the difference for textural effects and the feel of the painting. Please view the photos to see the differences. Lastly, acrylic mediums are awesome for thinning the paint and creating "filters" on top of previous layers, as well as making the paint matte or shiny. Molding paste is especially wonderful for 3D effects that compel you to want to touch the painting.
Gouache is a tricky medium that is beautiful in illustration and design. The best way I can describe it is a mix of acrylic and watercolor, although the paint can be reactivated. What that means is that if you try to layer with diluted paint, the bottom layer will reactivate and it'll mix with the top layer. This is great if you want smooth blending transitions, but not great if you're trying to layer solid colors. To avoid reactivation, try only layering dark colors straight from the tube (no water) on top of light ones. Dry brushes should be used for texture and fine detail like grass in a painting. Gouache is a huge trial and error process, so please keep trying and don't give up!
Tempera is a fun medium for children, but not so much for adults who have already tried acrylics and gouache. Because it's very translucent, you would need multiple layers to get pigmented colors. Patternwork can be achieved by moving your paintbrush in different directions and thinking about rhythms. It's a great and inexpensive medium to use for teaching children how to mix colors and do finger painting as well.
Personal Thoughts
With paintings, it's important to play around with expression and texture. The contrast between smooth and rough strokes could represent clashing personalities or feelings in a piece, and the usage of bright/dark lets the viewer understand those emotions. With a limited color palette using wet media, you could add more dimensions by playing around with those textures and contrasts, but you could also create tones and values to expand on your colors. Mixing the colors before applying them onto the paper and keeping them wet could allow for smoother blending, whereas simply putting down colors without blending may add expressionist or pop-art effects. Differing the “pulse” and the pressure of how hard you press the brush downwards can create undulating patterns that captivate your eye and guide you throughout different areas of the painting as well. On the other hand, the most limited medium to work with is tempera due to its wateriness and “loss” of color once dry. Unlike watercolor, it won’t really “grip” to the page therefore it gives an appearance of “smudgy.” However, it's still great practice for the beginning of anyone's painting journey :)
Additional sources for help!
Exploring my Theme - Cat Characteristics
Inspiring acrylic and gouache artists who have a cat/animal series: Zhanna Kan, Katya Minkina, Lena Rivo
Acrylic Paint
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I chose to represent a playful/mischievous cat for this medium exploration. Because acrylics are a very expressive medium, I thought this personality would be a great match. I started off with an underpainting, and then I added paint retarder (I know, I wish there was another name!) to my paints to blend the cat's colors smoothly. Although it is a black cat, I added slight reds and oranges to the black paint to get different shades and not make it one-dimensional. This same thing applies to the plushie. I then used a fan brush to get the texture of the cat's fur and a sponge to blend the colors of the plushie for a fluffy feel. As for the background, I chose colors that went well with the plushie. I added the molding paste to my paint for texture, then painted with a palette knife to create choppy strokes that mimicked high energy and "fiery" alertness/mischief! One thing I learned is that contrasting smooth and rough strokes can help draw more attention to different areas of the piece and add more life to it. Overall, it was so much fun painting this kitty.
For the Classroom...
Age appropriateness & behavioral expectations:
Tempera can be used for all age groups, although it is recommended that elementary schoolers explore painting with tempera first. Acrylics and gouaches can be introduced in secondary school, and higher quality versions can be given as an option to AP Studio Art students.
Students should not drink or taste any of the paint water (supervise the little ones well)
Students should keep their hands to themselves and not disturb others while they're painting. Keep some wipes or paper towels nearby so they can clean their hands when needed.
Students should handle the brushes with care (i.e. not jab) and wash them well for the next person's use
ALL paints should have their caps put back on once students are done to avoid them drying out!
Students should work on top of newsprint, butcher paper, or plastic table coverings to make clean-up easier
Accommodations
Students who can't move their wrists or have injuries can try finger-painting
For students who have motor issues holding the brushes, thicker brushes may help.
Students who have trouble painting with a paintbrush could try using Liquitex's pouring medium to make "marble" experimental artworks by swirling the paint
Students with sensory issues should be provided with gloves
Project Ideas
My Alma Thomas lesson plan for tempera nature patternmaking :D
Create a pointillism tempera finger painting of your favorite toy
Do a black and white acrylic or gouache value study to practice diluting and blending
Come up with a story you want to paint. Create gouache illustrations using a limited color palette to form a mini-series from your storyboard.
With acrylics, create an impasto landscape of your favorite vacation spot. Adding molding paste is encouraged.
Create an acrylic expressive painting of the subject/emotion of your choice using at least 3 of the techniques shown in this blog.
Safety & Health
Before introducing this in a classroom, it's important to analyze any potential dangers with these mediums. Tempera is generally nontoxic, although you should always check the brand. It should only be used within 6 months after opening, and 2 years if unopened. Acrylics and gouache are also generally nontoxic, although you should only select student-grade qualities with an AP seal. Harmful chemicals to look out for are: cadmium, cobalt, manganese, chromium, and lead. Students should also work in highly ventilated areas and wear gloves if they have skin irritations. Always have them wash their hands after handling paint!
Reference:
Hafeli, Mary Claire. Exploring Studio Materials: Teaching Creative Art Making to Children. Oxford University Press, 2015.
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