Painting with Gouache: 7 Serene Examples

Mike Hernandez is an Art Director in the animation industry and a plein air artist who loves painting with gouache. Here, he shares seven of his landscapes along with inside info just for you.

The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who will be joining us on the faculty of Watercolor Live, a virtual art conference taking place January 26-28, 2023, with a Beginner’s Day on January 25.

Painting with Gouache: 7 Serene Examples

I painted this one using only a 1-inch flat brush. I like how this forces me to be more economical with my marks and helps me find more iconic shapes.

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This was the first in the beginning of a series of nocturnal paintings inspired by one of my favorite painters, Frank Tenney Johnson.

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I’ve painted this location many times; it is a personal favorite. The lighting was inspired by Albert Bierstadt.

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This is another from the nocturne series painted on watercolor paper. This was my first time embracing the full benefits of a water-based medium on watercolor paper using the wet-on-wet technique.

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This was painted on bristol paper provided by Cottonwood Arts. I was very surprised by how well the paper held up with heavy paint.

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Another one painted on bristol paper using a limited palette of Primary White, Katsuya Blue, Cad Yellow, Burnt Umber, and Alizarine Crimson.

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One of the largest paintings that I have done using gouache. Because of the size, I stuck with a 3-inch and 1-inch flat brush.

Related: PleinAir Podcast 208: Mike Hernandez on Channeling Fear and More

Join us for the next Plein Air Live online art conference. Plein Air Live gives you invaluable insights and live demonstrations from some of the world’s best plein air artists. Learn more at PleinAirLive.com.

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Blog post prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today