What are the techniques for painting anime characters using gouache?

In the process of making gouache paintings, most colors need to be mixed on the palette before entering the painting. Mixing colors and using the amount of water and white pink are issues that reflect the expression techniques and characteristics of gouache painting. Watercolor painting simply uses water to adjust the color to control the thickness of the paint, thereby producing changes in brightness. It also uses the dryness and wetness of the water color to obtain the special performance effects of watercolor painting through the bleeding or reset of the color. Oil painting uses mixing oil (turpentine or linseed oil) and white to control the thickness and brightness of the color. Gouache painting is somewhere between the two. You can use water to thin the paint and make it translucent, so that the lightness of the white paper can also show through the color layer. Moisture causes the color to become thicker and thinner, and the thickness changes the brightness, which will produce a wet painting bleeding effect similar to watercolor. This is the thin painting method in gouache painting.

If you use the thick painting method in oil painting to make gouache painting, you have to use less water and more pigment and white to increase the thickness and brightness of the color. However, even though the thin painting method of gouache uses a lot of water, it is impossible to achieve the lively, bright, smooth, and dripping artistic effect of watercolor painting. The thick painting method cannot firmly adhere the thick color layer to the painting paper like oil painting. We often see some gouache paintings that are painted too thickly, causing the color layer to crack and peel off, resulting in damage to the picture.

When mixing colors in gouache painting, water is used for two purposes: one is to thin the colors, making it easier to paint with brushes; the other is that water can make the colors thinner to various degrees, allowing the bright paper colors to shine through The color layer shows changes in brightness. If you use more water and let the colors flow on the paper, you can also create a blending effect of water and color. Generally, the first coloring (or laying down of base color) of gouache painting is mostly done with a thin painting method that contains more water, which can make the color layer soft and subtle and have the effect of receding. This method is often used to draw shadows and distant views of scenery. In the thin painting method, due to the water content and thin color, the powder factor and hiding power will be weakened, and the artistic characteristics of gouache painting cannot be fully exerted. Therefore, the thin painting method is often only used in local areas or to paint the first color.

The thick painting method of gouache can easily produce the artistic characteristics of gouache painting. Therefore, the amount of paint in the palette box should be large, and it must be kept moist and not dry to ensure that the brush can be dipped into the paint grid to draw out sufficient paint. When mixing colors or painting on paper, it can be very rich and full, and the brush can be used smoothly. Be able to do as you please. Sometimes you can dip in several different colors, and you can adjust the right color through brushwork while shaping the object on the painting, which can create a vivid effect of competing colors. Of course, it is never easy to do this without sufficient experience and basic abilities. Because when expressing many bright objects or scenery, such as the sky, water, roads, houses, etc., a large amount of white needs to be added to achieve the brightness requirements. Therefore, when white is needed for gouache painting, white should be used boldly and ensure that there is A certain thickness can make the shape thick and powerful, creating a contrast effect with the thin parts of the painting. Generally speaking, in terms of the thickness of the color used, it is best to use thick paint to achieve better gouache painting effects.

2. The connection of gouache painting

It is easier to draw clear color blocks and clear outlines with gouache paint, but it is more difficult to draw natural and soft connection with gouache paint. In realistic style painting and sketching, expressing the relationship between virtual and real objects often becomes a difficult problem. In sketching exercises, it is common to draw the outlines of objects as clearly as cut and paste. This shortcoming will separate the object from the surrounding environment and weaken the three-dimensional and spatial sense of the object. There are two reasons for this situation: First, the observation method starts from the local point and does not compare the virtual and real relationship of the object contour, which is a cognitive problem; second, although the virtual and real relationship is recognized during observation, However, there is a lack of methods to express this relationship. The solution to the former has been described in Chapter 3, Section 5 "Observation and Mixing of Colors", while the solution to the latter requires understanding some basic rules of water-pink connection.

The key to achieving good results in gouache painting through the connection method is to correctly control the changes in color brightness. In the section "Observation and Mixing of Colors", we have already talked about how to use the palette. First find the correct relationship between colors in the palette, and then enter the picture. This is a great way to rely on color palettes to get the right color connections. Some gouache paintings that are completed in one go are completed using the wet painting method while the color is still wet. When the color is still wet, the color blends together more easily.

The two color blocks, cold and warm, can also be partially overlapped at the connection between the two color blocks while the colors are still wet. After mixing, a transitional intermediate color will be produced, making the connection natural and soft, without any harsh traces. The contour line of the backlit surface of an object is always blurred and blended with the background or projection. It is virtual in the contrast between virtual and real, and weak in the contrast of strong and weak. This relatively virtual color relationship is most suitable for wet painting. method to obtain a more ideal connection effect. However, during the painting process of a work, it is difficult to keep the color of the painting moist for a long time. After the color dries, it loses the effect of wet painting. At this time, you can use a clean brush to apply a layer of water on the parts that need to be connected, so that the dry hue condition can be restored to the wet condition, and then the color of the connection can be adjusted according to this hue condition. In this way, the painter will be much more convenient and confident. This method is often used in gouache painting, because the hue of gouache color is significantly different when it is dry and wet. If you do not use the above method, continue painting on the already dry color layer. The connection between colors mainly depends on experience. It is necessary to grasp that the color personality of the painted colors is basically the same. After drying, it can be connected naturally and will not be stiff and disconnected. . You can also use the first color remaining in the color palette as a basis for connection, or first adjust the hue of the color to be connected as a standard for continued connection. These are methods taken in the absence of experience. With experience, it will not be difficult to judge how to mix the connecting colors. Another dry connection method is to use lines and color dots to connect two different color blocks naturally and softly, showing a rounded three-dimensional effect. You can use lines or dots of either color. , draw a transitional intermediate color at the connection to achieve the expressive effect. This is the same as the use of lines or dots to convey layers of communication in printmaking.

Three-stroke method

The brush is the main tool for painting expression (others include drawing knives and tools for pursuing special effects in the picture). The expression technique of traditional Chinese painting has pen and ink as its core. , brushwork plays a more critical role. Chinese painting is a combination of brushwork, ink, and paper characteristics.

It produces effects through the use of points, lines, and surfaces, which play an important role in modeling, layout, skeleton, and vivid charm.

Chinese painting brushes have different performances due to different materials and production methods. The ways of using the brush include center strokes, side strokes, straight strokes, reverse strokes, and a variety of strokes that vary in virtuality, solidity, and weight. , through various brushwork and ink colors, the works are rich and diverse, showing strong expressiveness and appeal. Although Western painting does not have as important a significance and role as the brushwork technique of Chinese painting, in terms of expression skills, brushwork cannot be ignored either. The brushwork techniques of traditional Chinese painting can provide important inspiration and are worth learning from.

Gouache brushes are the same as Chinese brushes. Their different functions are determined by the different production materials and methods. In color painting, colors are produced through various brush strokes and techniques to produce expressive effects. The texture of the brush (soft and hard), model (size), shape (flat, round, pointed) and color dipping, water content, thickness, dryness and wetness of the color, as well as various ways and techniques of using the brush, are truly and vividly expressed Create complex and diverse images and scenery. Brushstrokes can enhance the atmosphere and artistic conception of the theme, express the author's passion and the sense of movement of certain themes, and can also produce the rhythmic beauty of the picture. Many unique color effects often rely on brushwork to achieve. However, the super-realistic style of painting that emerged in modern times does not pay attention to the expressiveness of brushstrokes. There is even no trace of brushwork in the entire picture. The image is as neat and detailed as a photo. This is a painting style whose purpose is to pursue the sameness to the extreme. realistic sense of reality.

The brushwork in painting is closely related to the painter's style and personality. From the choice of the subject matter to the artistic treatment to the expression method and the mood and artistic conception pursued, all are inseparable from the brushwork. It is difficult to comprehensively introduce this brushwork technique, but for some commonly used brushwork methods with regularity, it should be the basic knowledge and skills that must be mastered.

The difference between large and small brushes - the application of brushes of different sizes is related to observation methods and brush usage habits. At the beginning of learning to draw, people are generally accustomed to using small pens. This is because when sketching at this stage, in the habit of observing scenery, they tend to focus more on details and local parts, and strive to clearly understand every detail they see. It is satisfying to draw it, so I use a small pen.

This kind of performance effect is conceivable. The details of the picture cannot form the center of the theme and cannot produce touching charm. For example, taking a landscape painting as an example, you should at least know how to use large strokes to lay down the background color so that the color has a great relationship. Large pens should also be used for the sky, ground, hills and some parts that need to be concise and summarized; small pens should be used to create smaller images and describe in-depth details. The process of painting a painting requires multiple large and small brushes to divide the work and use them alternately from beginning to end, so that the brushstrokes will not be monotonous and lack expressiveness. Brushstrokes are an artistic means of shaping shapes and expressing themes. To shape the image of characters or natural scenery, brushwork must be combined with the physical characteristics and structure of the object. Round objects must be shaped with many arc-shaped brushstrokes. Vertical objects often need horizontal brushwork to shape, such as thick tree trunks or human arms and legs. Combining horizontal brushwork with painting can show more thickness; when painting water or ground, long horizontal strokes are generally used. It can further show the depth of the plane; when painting large-area still life tabletops, backgrounds, walls, and sky in landscapes and other relatively flat color blocks, the brushwork should avoid being as monotonous and rigid as the masonry craftsman painting the wall. You need to use horizontal, vertical, and natural strokes at will. The diagonal and other strokes with changes in the direction of the strokes increase vividness. But it should be noted that these color blocks are behind the main object, have a certain depth, and serve as a foil for the object. The pen should be used steadily and calmly. The brush used must be of appropriate size. Because the themes expressed in the pictures are different, the required emotional and artistic conceptions must also be different. For example, for quiet and peaceful artistic conceptions, horizontal and softer brushwork is more often used; strong, lively, decisive, and clear brushwork is used to express joy, turmoil, and tension. The calm and steady brushstrokes are closely related to the serious and solemn artistic conception of the picture; the soft and casual small brushstrokes can enhance the graceful and lyrical mood; the bold and bold brushstrokes can show the roughness, boldness and magnificence of the theme.

The effective application of formal factors such as points, lines, and surfaces in brushwork is an important condition for producing rich and vivid expressions in the picture. The method of combining lines and surfaces to express the body has a special painting effect. The dryness, wetness, thickness, and thinness of the lines in the brushwork, as well as the front and side edges, weight, speed, virtual reality, etc. of the strokes can appropriately express various images and picture effects. Chinese brushes have the characteristics of lively and smooth lines, and can be used freely and freely. Square-head flat pens are suitable for using block-surface brushwork to express scenes with a thick three-dimensional sense of space. Some artists who are new to gouache painting often suffer from technical shortcomings, which can be summarized into the following categories:

(1) Focusing on the local area, specializing in small strokes for details and losing the general outline;

(2) Using only one type of brushwork to depict objects of different shapes and textures lacks variation in brushwork, resulting in monotonous effects and loss of vividness;

(3) The brush cannot be closely combined with the body structure, and the body shaping lacks rigor and weight. ;

(4) The brushwork is cumbersome, and the style of writing has no sense of priority and rhythm;

(5) The brushwork is weak and has no changes in strength and reality, making the picture lose its charm.