Gouache paints come in many colors and are usually mixed with water to achieve the desired working properties and to control the opacity when dry.

Gouache^[p](/ɡuːˈæʃ/; French: [ˈɡwaʃ]), also spelled guache, is a type of paint consisting of pigment, a binding agent (usually gum arabic), and sometimes added inert material, designed to be used in an opaque method. It also refers to paintings that use this opaque method. The name derives from the Italian guazzo, and is also referred to as opaque watercolor or bodycolor (the term preferred by art historians).

Overview[link]

Gouache paint is similar to watercolor but modified to make it an opaque painting medium (non-transparant). A binding agent, usually gum arabic, is present, just as in watercolor. Gouache differs from watercolor in that the particles are larger, the ratio of pigment to water is much higher, and an additional, inert, white pigment such as chalk is also present. This makes gouache heavier and more opaque, with greater reflective qualities.^[1] Gouache generally dries to a different value than it appears when wet (lighter tones generally dry darker, while darker tones tend to dry lighter), which can make it difficult to match colors over multiple painting sessions. Its quick coverage and total hiding power, mean that gouache lends itself to more direct painting techniques than watercolor.^[2] "En plein air" paintings take advantage of this, as do works of J.M.W. Turner and Victor Lensner. It is used most consistently by commercial artists for works such as posters, illustrations, comics, and for other design work. For example, comics illustrators like Alex Ross use mostly gouache for their work. Industrial Designer and Visual Futurist Syd Mead also works primarily in gouache. Most 20th-century animations used it to create an opaque color on a cel with watercolor paint used for backgrounds, and gouache as "poster paint" is desirable for its speed and durability.

As with all types of paint, gouache has been used on some unusual papers or surfaces.^[3]

One variation of the medium is gouaches découpées created by Henri Matisse, cut paper collages. His Blue Nudes series is a good example of the technique.

History[link]

Self-portrait, Friedrich Schwinge.

"Guazzo" was originally a term applied to the early 16th century practice of applying oil paint over a tempera base.^[4] The term was applied to the watermedia in the 18th century in France, although the technique is considerably older. It was used as early as the 14th century in Europe.

See also[link]

• Decalcomania
• Aquapasto

Notes[link]

[p] - The word "gouache" is pronounced "gwash";^[5] the alternate term "body color" is sometimes one word "bodycolor" also "opaque watercolor".

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gouache paintings

• Examples of Matisse Blue Nude gouache decoupes collage
• Gouache from the Tate
• Demo of technique
• Painting gouache illustration
• Info & history

Jacques-Laurent Terrasson (November 27, 1966 in Berlin) is a jazz pianist better known as Jacky Terrasson.

He was born in Germany, but his mother was American and his father French. He studied at the Berklee College of Music before playing in Chicago and New York City clubs. He gained increased attention on winning the 1993 Thelonious Monk Piano Competition. He did early work with Betty Carter and in 1997 he worked on Rendezvous with Cassandra Wilson.

Terrasson is currently represented by Universal Music France.

Discography[link]

• 1994 Jacky Terrasson, Blue Note
• 1994 Lover Man (Released 2002), Venus Records
• 1996 Reach, Blue Note
• 1997 Rendezvous with Cassandra Wilson, Blue Note
• 1998 Alive, Blue Note
• 1999 What It Is (also released as Where It's At), Blue Note
• 2001 A Paris..., Blue Note
• 2001 Moon & Sand with Tom Harrell Jazz Aux Remparts
• 2001 Kindred with Stefon Harris, EMI
• 2002 Smile, Blue Note
• 2003 Into the Blue with Emmanuel Pahud, Blue Note
• 2005 Close to You with Rigmor Gustafsson, ACT
• 2007 Mirror, EMI
• 2010 Push, Concord Jazz

External links[link]

• Official website
• BBC Radio 2
• All Music