Fill up
Posted: March 31, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized 21 CommentsThere was a window of opportunity this morning before the rain to do some car sketching in Valois. I brought along my gouache palette and some new M Graham gouache colours that I’m trying. I’ve been reading a lot about this brand of gouache, and although I have been perfectly happy with both Holbein and Winsor & Newton, these colours are really nice. M Graham paints are made with honey and gum arabic, so they’re very creamy. And after testing them out with this quick sketch, it seems to me that they are also highly pigmented. More testing needs to be done but so far, so good. Sketched with a limited palette of Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre and White with a bit of Cadmium Red for details.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
M Graham paints also attract bees when working outside. Also, they stay moist which would be great for gouache. I have watercolor and have to leave the last well empty or I will stick my finger in wet paint using my travel palette. They also don’t dry quickly on Yupo. This is not an indication of poor quality. They are excellent in pigment quality but differ from paints that harden in this way.
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I love what you do with gouache Shari. The blue and red in this painting really pop against the ochre. So much fun. Mary
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Mary, thanks you. I felt so rusty doing this but it’s just the start of plein air season, so I will warm up soon.
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I love M.Graham watercolors! I have been using them for years. I like the fact that they stay moist, but still in the pans will not run when they are dry. The colors are gorgeous. Never tried the gouache. Hope you are enjoying them!
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I love their watercolours too Marilyn. They’re not great for travelling because they’re so runny but I do love them. Turns out the gouache is great too. Thanks for writing.
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Yes, that is true Shari. They aren’t too bad once they set, but how do you stop the other brands from falling out of the pans when used from a tube once they dry? I have that problem when I travel with a palette I have used a wc tube with.
Thanks so much!
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Shari, very nice capturing the scene! Reminds me of James Gurney capturing life/environment as it is today.
This past year I just started painting with gouache – occasionally. My preferred gouache is the M Graham.
Thanks for sharing!
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Deb, it’s good to know that you’ve had a good experience with the M Graham gouache too.
And James Gurney is wonderful, isn’t he? Besides being an amazing painter, he’s also such a generous and kind man. I have painted with him several times.
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Lovely painting. I like the dashes of red in signs, the trees melting into the sky, the car and a lone figure walking away! Wow!
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Ah, thanks Bernadette. I feel very rusty painting outside but it will come back!
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I just started with gouache and noticed they seemed to be more toxic in every pigment than other types of paints. I am curious to try Da Vinci, supposedly non-toxic. I am not planning to eat them, but not sure how much I should worry about the toxicity issue.
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Anna, why do you think they are toxic? I’ve never heard this. There is no smell to these. I can’t tell you not to worry, but I am not worried.
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Beautiful color. Love scenes like this. Just finished your course on Luminous color and finally trying rough paper. And liking it.
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Judy, glad you liked the course, and the rough paper too!
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Really nice. I feel as though I have been there – but with a certain warmth and reassurance attached. A very interesting medium and an equally interesting result.
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That’s such a nice comment to read Chris. Maybe you have been there : )
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Excellent snapshot you captured with your new M Gram Paints. It looks like a snippet from everyday life. I really like the pastel blues and browns you were able to achieve with the gouache. I know they say never to use white with regular colours, but theres an amazing pastel look that can be created this way.
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Thanks so much Shawn. Yes, I like the colours I get with gouache too!
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Very interesting. That’s the brand I eventually bought. So far so good.
Lovely pattern of reds in this sketch.
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I know I’m commenting on an old post Shari, but I gasped when I saw this! I used to live in Pointe-Claire, and that exact spot is where our dry cleaner used to be! We lived on a street called Jervis Bay which ran off St. Louis, Valois was my stomping ground. Lovely painting. Those colours are so vibrant.
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You can comment on old posts! I love sketching in Valois. The buildings are exactly the way I like them. Not too tall and not too new. Thanks for having a look!
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