#26: How Gouache

My fifth online lesson with Val Webb incorporated brush and ink with the black and white charcoal pencils I used last week. However, Val prefers the use of black gouache, thinned with water, to that of ink, as the texture of the dry gouache has more "tooth".

#26A

#26B

Inspiration:

I used black and white pictures that Val provided through her online class.

What I like about the drawings:
I especially like the cat. I liked the way the white charcoal makes the flecked fur look very realistic. I liked the nose and the eyes of the Pug. In her instruction Val mentions that she likes to complete the eyes fairly soon in making a picture as they immediately bring character to the piece. I love how the cat's eyes looks very surprised, and the Pug's eyes are so very sad.

What I might do differently:
The Pug reminds me of a poster I had years ago that said, "Plan Ahea", with no room for the "d". I sketched my Pug with pencil, only to discover his foot ended up right on the edge of the paper. The cat didn't have as much light reflecting off of its coat, and that was so much easier to draw than the Pug.

What I learned:

I really liked working with the gouache. I love the way it flows, using just a small, round brush. It was also satisfying to have a basic image of the animal so quickly.