Gouache
State Flowers, for Country Living Magazine, originally uploaded by graphicartepsi.
One of my students asked about using gouache today, so I added more samples to my Flickr gouache album, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25146557@N00/sets/72057594048423937/
It's really a fascinating change from watercolor--still water-based, still lift-able and malleable, but much more opaque so you paint mostly dark to light instead of light to dark as you usually do with watercolor.
Painting on toned paper--even black, as I did here in this illustration of State Flowers I did for Country Living Magazine a few years back--really makes the color pop.
You can add a lot of lovely detail with gouache, too...I'm tempted to paint Oliver, my new longhaired champagne colored cat.
The wreath sat in my returned illustrations box for years, till I finally decided to USE it...so it's a clock, here:
and notecards here: http://www.cafepress.com/cathy_johnson.20083895
and even a t-shirt, here: http://www.cafepress.com/cathy_johnson.21263579
(Can you tell I really like gouache, and flowers?)
It's really a fascinating change from watercolor--still water-based, still lift-able and malleable, but much more opaque so you paint mostly dark to light instead of light to dark as you usually do with watercolor. It can be subtle or as bold as the flowers on this wreath...