Acrylic Gouache Loose Florals

Today I wanted to share an acrylic gouache loose floral painting. I painted this loose floral in my sketchbooks as an exploration of the looser style that I’ve been working on lately.

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Recently I shared an exploration with jelly gouache and several months ago I shared a simple flower painting using acrylic gouache. I think all these projects are a great way to explore different mediums and find what works best for you and what medium you prefer to paint with.

Painting with regular gouache is still my favorite medium but exploration is key to growing your creativity and enhancing your skills. I think I love all wet painting mediums, I keep going back between watercolor, acrylic, and gouache – except oils, but I may try painting with oils soon enough!

Acrylic Gouache Loose Floral painting, paint with me Jasmine Goodwin Designs

Acrylic gouache paints more like acrylic than like the lovely velvety gouache. I like that I can add several layers and not have to be too careful to lift the bottom layer. I also like that it dries a bit faster. The beauty of acrylic gouache is that you have that lovely matte finish that you get with gouache.

I like the texture that I can achieve with the acrylic gouache as well.

Below is a one-minute fast speed (15x) of the painting process.

I generally create a light sketch to see where I want to place my flower and where I need to add foliage. However, when adding the details it is a good idea to explore other areas where additional supporting elements can be added to complete the composition.

A few more points on the similarities and versatility of gouache, acrylic gouache, and acrylic:

Similarities:
Opacity & Coverage: Both gouache and acrylic gouache are highly opaque and provide excellent coverage, making them ideal for vibrant, matte finishes. Acrylic can also be layered for full opacity but tends to have a more satin or glossy finish – however, for a matte finish, there are a few brands that provide a matte finish acrylic paint.
Differences in Composition & Drying:
Gouache is water-based and reactivates with water even after drying, allowing for blending and touch-ups. Acrylic dries permanently, making it more durable and less forgiving. Acrylic gouache, like acrylic, dries permanently but mimics the matte finish of traditional gouache.
Versatility & Surface Use:
Acrylic can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces (canvas, wood, fabric) due to its strong adherence and flexibility when dry. Gouache is best suited for paper, as it is more fragile and prone to cracking when used on non-porous surfaces. Acrylic gouache bridges the gap by offering the versatility of acrylic with the aesthetic of gouache.

So far I’ve been enjoying the exploration using jelly gouache and I think the jelly gouache is perfect to paint at home and even take during our camping trips for some fun outdoor painting.

Here are some of the basic materials you will need to start painting using jelly gouache.