Block party gouaches
Posted: November 22, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized 13 CommentsI had the great pleasure of being an invited guest at two end-of-session virtual block parties for Sketching PlayLab. If you haven’t heard of these sessions, they’re interactive sketching events led by my good friends Paul Wang and Suhita Shirodkar. Every week they experiment with different techniques, materials and ideas for making art, and they are so much fun. Suhita and Paul will definitely be running more of these in 2021, so if you are in need of ways to keep those creative juices flowing, make sure you get on their mailing list for upcoming sessions!
I did a couple of little gouache demos during the block party. Since the theme of the party was thankfulness, and we were asked to sketch objects that were meaningful to us, I sketched this clay skeleton that I brought home from the Day of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca. I’ve been looking for a name for this guy, and I’m not sure why Paul referred to him at some point as Edward, but the name stuck. Eduardo he shall be from now on.
I also sketched another favourite subject of mine: the ink bottles in my studio. Their shapes and colours always make me happy, and doing a little gouache demo fit well into the idea of play and experimentation since I’ve been playing quite often with gouache these days.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Two lovely sketches … and now we’re into Week 3 of Lockdown 2.0 I feel like Eduardo looks!
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Tony, you need to eat more!! Isn’t that most people’s complaint about lockdown? All that sourdough bread and being too close to the kitchen??
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I love to sketch and paint.
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Me too.
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So therapeutic isn’t it😊🌺💕
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Love your gouache studies. I use Lena
Rivo’s little hinged box to keep my gouache. Really a great solution. It hasn’t leaked and it’s $10 on Amazon. I just had to learn not to put too much paint in the wells. If it starts to mold, I just spray with a little alcohol on top. It works well and I don’t waste much paint. Cheers. Love your blog. I’m going through a real rough patch with my health and it’s keeps me motivated.
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Thanks so much Sara. And sorry to hear about your health. I hope things improve soon for you.
I just checked out that box. I’ve seen other people use that. Seems like a great solution, and economical too. I like the alcohol solution too. And I love Lena Rivo’s work, btw!
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Love these, you are making gouache more and more tempting! What colors did you use for Eduardo? He looks so “life-like”😂
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Eduardo was painted with Burnt Umber and white. A little yellow and a little blue added in places just to shift the colour slightly!
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Thank you Shari, for sharing these two demos, your time and your thoughts with us at Sketching PlayLab. I’m looking at the two pieces and feeling super privileged to have watched both demos and have seen how effortlessly you brought them both to life: a mostly-neutral colored piece and one composed of primaries.
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Thanks Suhita. It was my absolute pleasure to hang out, virtually, with you guys. Such fun to talk about painting and do the demos! I’d come back anytime.
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Oh, I love your ink bottles. Your interest in Gouache has me delving into my Gouache supplies. Schmincke gouache is one brand that you can put into pans and re-wet. They make a beautiful paint. I think I have attended every Playlab. They are inspiration plus along with your online workshops. I am thankful for both as they have kept me motivated in 2020.
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Carmel, so glad that you attended PlayLab. I have done a few practice sessions with Suhita and Paul. They are so generous with both their time and their knowledge. As for The Schmincke gouache, I’ve never seen them here. I am going to have a look online to see if I can find them. Thanks for the tip.
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