Grumpy White Shark by Meg Lyman
Gouache and ink on ACEO paper
SOLD
Category Archives: Gouache
Plein Air Washington
A few plein air pieces from recently. I’m taking a gouache plein air class in a couple months so I’m practicing. It’s really hard.
Both are limited palette gouache on scrap illustration board. The top one was tinted the day prior. Turns out I’m kind of a slow painter unless it’s a cute squishy animal, and my parts start to go numb before I feel I’m done painting. It’s a great restriction to help practice.
Furiosa
Furiosa by Meg Lyman
9×12″ gouache on cold press
I never gave this one an official post – here is my homage to my favorite movie, Fury Road.
I used gamut mapping and a limited palette to help this obtain the color-filtered look of the movie. My colors were, from top to bottom: gamboge (didn’t use much of this at all), titanium gold ochre, Hooker’s green, burnt umber, neutral tint, cerulean blue, and indigo. I also added a bit of quinacridone red for the faces, gold for the sparkles in the engine grease, and of course white. I could have limited the palette more and had even better color harmony.
Note how all the octopus are hanging on the same horizon line, through the upper middle of the torso for an average-height imaginary octopus. I initially sketched them all wrong, and had to review my perspective rules.
Bonus thumbnails:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Leprechaun by Meg Lyman
~4×6″ gouache on hot press
SOLD
Tooterfish
Tooterfish by Meg Lyman
ACEO gouache and ink on paper
I am not sure why, but I wanted to paint a tuna. They are slightly adorable but mostly terrifying, especially when you consider their size. They can get up to 15 feet long.
15
FEET
Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh
Cowthulhu Redux
Cowthulhu Redux by Meg Lyman
8×10″ gouache and ink on board
SOLD
I sketched one up in 2008 and had to redo it, this time with more spooky noisomeness. Original sketch for your reference.
I did this with a semi-CMYK palette and I really enjoyed it! My colors were Schmincke Delft Blue, Schmincke Magenta, Holbein Permanent Yellow, Daler Rowney Lamp Black, and M Graham Titanium White.
I Regret Nothing
My Little Octopus
11×14″ gouache on board
SOLD
This was a super fun commission and I have no regrets. Using gouache on flat areas of color, the way it was designed to be used, is both satisfying and frustrating. You had better mix enough of that color to get coverage and not have too much water mixed in, or you’re screwed.
Also, painting tiny outlines is oddly theraputic.
Bye 2015!
Furiosa – fan art homage to my favorite movie of all time
2015 was a good year. I was able to focus my art by doing more still life practice and background work, and I really got into the vulture culture/skull collecting community. I appreciate all of you – artists supporting artists, collectors, and the helpful and friendly vultures I’ve met. I hope we all have an awesome 2016!
Buoy – gouache work from a photo I took in La Push
Liberty Leading the Cephalopods – a fantastic commission
Madrona – experimenting with oils and daily painting
Orange Otter – alla prima from life plus a little Klimt influence
Vanitas I – my first try at still life with lead white oil
Octophant – a fan suggestion and experiment in textures
Sad Cuttlefish
Sad Cuttlefish
~4×6″ gouache and ink on paper
SOLD
I’ve been hard at work on commissions and work work. Getting ready for the holidays is a busy job. In the meantime, have a lil cuttlefish. It needs to be cheered up. Will you give it a home?
Octophant
Octophant by Meg Lyman
8×10″ gouache and ink on board
SOLD
Thanks to a fan’s suggestion, I present the octophant! This was a fun textural piece. I used a yellowish underpainting and layered grey over the top, then textured it with a plastic shopping bag to look sorta like elephant skin. I put the bag down haphazardly on the wet paint, put a heavy book on it, and let it sit overnight.
The octophant was textured with brushwork – wet in wet strokes, plus some dry brush. Gouache is the best to play with. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.