Painting Atmospheric Landscapes with Gouache

Begin by getting to know painter Ruth Wilshaw as she tells the story of how she found her passion for painting with gouache. She talks of her early experience with art, her influences, what excited her into making gouache painting a full-time career, and some of her work that may inspire you too.

Explore gouache paints, learning about the four basic consistencies, how to layer, and the different ways to blend. Ruth also guides you through some common landscape elements, such as sky and water, as well as the value of adding silhouettes.

Discover how to find your inspiration in nature by looking at a collection of images and exploring their qualities, commonalities, and magic. Then understand how to take what you’ve found and transfer it into a plan for your painting.

Once your plan is in place and inspiration is flowing, it’s time to paint your rough-edged waterfall landscape. Ruth walks you through using color to capture the right atmosphere for your piece, ordering and sketching the layers of your paint as a guide, and building your landscape from background to foreground.

Ruth shares a selection of her favorite methods for painting different landscape elements. She discusses experimenting with texture before you paint, and gives advice on different approaches to painting and how to stay inspired. She also explains her tips on how to photograph artwork and document the process for social media.