Watercolor & Gouache Swatching: Know Your Colors!
Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!
Think you need all the paints to make beautiful art? Think again.
In this video, I’m exploring my two go-to palettes: my long-time watercolor box and a newer gouache palette with a bold, funky color combo. I’ll show you how I get to know my colors through swatching, how I choose my own version of primary colors, and how much fun it is to mix unexpected shades with a limited palette.
I also share tips to avoid mixing up colors in your palette (hello, dark blue and brown! Why do you look so similar in your pans?) and how swatching can give you confidence when using color in your sketchbook.
You might recognize the gouache palette. I’ve been using it in the sketchbook I shared in last week’s sketchbook tour!
If you're curious about color mixing and want to feel more at ease with your materials, this one’s for you.
Tip: Don’t rush to buy more paint. Get to know what you already have. A limited palette can lead to surprising creativity!
Want to see how I mix my watercolors? Check out this video: https://youtu.be/hXspUVnV3Cc
Materials used in this video:
Pink Pig sketchbook, size A5, 150 gsm
Daniel Smith watercolors*
Winsor&Newton Designers Gouache**
Faber-Castell round brush no.6
Faber-Castell PITT oil based extra soft black pencil
*Watercolors in my yellow Case For Making box:
New Gamboge (=warm yellow)
Hansa yellow medium
Cerulean Blue, Chromium
Ultramarine Blue
Indigo
Van Dyck Brown
Burnt Umber
Italian Burnt Sienna
Monte Amiata natural Sienna
Quinacridone Rose
Transparent Pyrrol Orange
Sap Green
**Gouache colors in my Art Toolkit box:
Prussian blue
Cobalt turquoise light
Opera pink
Naples yellow
Raw sienna
zinc white
This Week’s Sketchbook Assignment
Draw your color box! Sketch the palette you’re currently using—watercolor, gouache, or anything else. Add the names of the colors next to each one. It’s a great way to get to know your paints better.
Pick your “primary” colors Choose your own version of a red, a yellow, and a blue from your palette. Be playful and expressive! Think opera pink instead of red, or ochre instead of lemon yellow. These will be your custom primaries.
Start mixing!
Try every combo you can: Greens, Oranges, Purples, Browns, Greys
See how many colors you can create with just your three!
Picking primaries with your own twist brings a lot of personality into your drawings.
Don’t miss next week’s video! We’ll use these custom “primary” colors in actual drawings!
