Gouache Intensive Workshop

Gouache is a medium which has been in use for hundreds of years. In more recent times, it’s been a medium of choice for illustration because of its quick drying time, intense color and matte finish, all of which work well for reproduction, thus the term “Designer Gouache.” However, it has also been used by many fine artists, most notably Henri Matisse, who used gouache for his famous “cut-outs,” and was commonly used by other well known artists including Winslow Homer, Mark Rothko and Marc Chagall, and frequently combined with watercolor for opaque areas in a painting.

In this workshop, we will focus on the versatility of gouache, with attention to color mixing, making color charts, trying various techniques in paint application and experimenting with a variety of papers/surfaces. There will be ample time to practice with this somewhat tricky medium to attain the color, values and feeling of light so important in landscape paintings. Our ultimate goal will be to learn how to create lively, light filled paintings.  We will work from your photos and other reference materials, and you’ll be encouraged to step outside the studio to try your hand at “plein air” around the campus of the WSA. Open to all levels, but some landscape painting/drawing experience would be helpful.

Suitable for intermediate artists. Ages 16+

Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Studio 1