I started this gouache journey early last year and I haven't turned back. I really love painting with gouache, its my favorite traditional art medium at the moment. I love the texture it creates, the matte finish, and even how it reactivates when painting on top of it. However, that reactivation can be a problem when trying to preserve your paintings. Accidentally get water on a gouache painting that you've finished equals catastrophe.
Most just preserve their paintings under glass when framed, but I really wanted to find a better solution. While watching TikTok one evening, I came across @micahrauch's account (super nice guy and great artist - you should follow him). In this video, he showed how he preserves his gouache paintings using a wax medium. So I did what I usually do in this scenario, typed in DickBlick.com and immediately ordered Jacquard Dorland's Wax Medium.
After waiting impatiently by the mailbox for a few days, it arrived. I opened up my current sketchbook with gouache paintings, took a little wax on a paper towel and rubbed it into the painting.
I did notice that it changes the color slightly and it also takes a bit away from the matte finish that gouache gives you. You can see that below in the picture. I only applied it to half of this test page.
However, I have to admit, I kinda like how it deepens the color. Definitely a win in my book. Look how the water just beads up on the side that has the wax medium on top.
The side without the wax medium smeared and is a mess now.
I'm now applying this to all of my gouache paintings that are currently framed. This is my first artwork outside of my sketchbooks that I tried it on. It looks great and I'm not worried that a customer will move it from one frame to another and accidentally spill something on it.
Now to figure out how to get good pictures of my artwork so I can have prints made...maybe that adventure will be another blog entry.
Until next time!
Kandra