Behind the Scenes: Gouache painting process and tools

Have you ever watched street artists creating portraits at art events or in tourist spots? Every time I pass by, I’m captivated by how they bring their drawings to life. It always amazes me and inspires me to improve my own skills.

Now, it’s my turn to share how I create my artwork with you. I hope this glimpse into my process can inspire and help you in your own artistic journey.

First, let me share the tools I use for creating custom pet portraits. I use the Winsor & Newton Gouache Paint Set for detailed work and HIMI Gouache for practice. My preferred paper is 300 gsm heavy watercolor paper, and I buy brushes at Michaels or Amazon, prioritizing control. I also use a jar of water for cleaning brushes, paper towels to absorb excess water, and a palette (any flat surface like thick paper, a watercolor palette, or a plate) to hold pigments. For sketching, I use pencils ranging from HB to 2B, a soft eraser, and a paper type to secure the paper.

Let’s talk about sketching!

A well-done sketch is crucial. Sometimes, I get close to finishing, but if the proportions are off, I end up spending extra time fixing them—sometimes even restarting. This is why I focus a lot on getting the sketch right. After I finish, I step back and compare it to the reference photo to ensure everything makes sense.

Building the Tone: Applying the Base Colors

In the next step, I’ll begin laying down the tone for the first layer, starting with the darkest areas, then moving to the midtones, and finally the lightest areas. One of the biggest benefits of working with gouache is that even when mistakes happen, I can use its powerful pigments to easily cover them up. If I were painting with watercolor, there would be no turning back.

Once I’ve established the tones, I can start to observe the relationships between the values. This gives me the time and space to adjust if something doesn’t look right or if proportions get off during the process.

Play with the Strokes: Embracing the Process

Every stroke is fun to make, but it can also be challenging at times. If I accidentally make a stroke the wrong length or angle, I feel the need to fix it. Each stroke is an important part of my process, helping me evaluate my progress and see if I’m improving over time.

Let’s Get it Done!

Then I'm almost done with the piece, I make sure to clean up all the sketch lines to reveal the true composition. Then, I step back from the painting and take a moment to observe it from a distance. This helps me see the overall balance, making sure everything flows together. Sometimes, when I get too close to the work, it’s hard to judge, so stepping away gives me a fresh perspective to determine if it looks right or if it needs any final adjustments.

That’s all for today’s blog! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to watch a short, 3-minute video of the process, check it out here: YiFang Studio’s YouTube. I can’t wait to share more stories and details with you soon. Thanks for reading—see you next time!