Matthew James Taylor Matthew James Taylor

Art ›

Gouache Paintings (Still Life Illustrations)

Gouache is a type of paint that is similar to watercolor, but it is opaque rather than transparent. It is made by mixing pigments with a binding agent and water, and it can be applied to a variety of surfaces, including paper, canvas, and board.

Gouache is often used by illustrators and designers because of its vibrant colors and ability to be layered and reworked. It is a versatile medium, and can be used for a variety of styles and techniques, including both loose and detailed works.

There's something about gouache that makes it feel like the perfect medium for still life paintings, at least that's what I use it for.

"Pistachios" Larger than life gouache painting

Pistachios
Artist
Matthew James Taylor
Medium
Gouache on art paper
Date
13 Feb 2005
Time
1 hour

I was eating some pistachios and I noticed how beautiful they looked up close so I decided to do a painting of them.

I drew them in pencil first then painted over the top.

The hardest thing with this work was not eating them till I was finished! =)

"Fruit" Still life gouache painting

Fruit
Artist
Matthew James Taylor
Medium
Gouache on art paper
Date
12 Feb 2005
Time
30 minutes

The brushwork in this still life painting is quite rough but because the colors are reasonably accurate the image holds together quite well.

Unfortunately, the plate is noticably not perfectly round.

Matthew James Taylor

I've been creating art all my life and running this website since 1997! During this time I've found many amazing tools and services that I cannot live without.”
— Matthew James Taylor

I highly Recommend:

Canva

Canva — Best Graphic Design Software

Create professional graphics and social media imagery with an intuitive online interface.

Learn more

Squarespace

Squarespace — Best Website Hosting For Non-Developers

Easy-to-edit website templates, no coding needed. Full commerce and marketing features to run your business online.

Learn more

See more of my recommended design tools.

Sepia ink life drawing

Ink Life Drawing (6 Experiments with Nibs & Brushes)

Logo design concept & colors

Logo Design Concepts, Branding & Colors

Vector portrait of Crystal the Doll

Vector Art (Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Flash & Inkscape)

A pencil drawing of a stand of trees

Trees (Drawings, Illustrations & Other Artwork)

A close-up of my Ikea pig oil painting

Oil Painting (Still Life & Landscapes)

A fractal tree made by recursive drawing

Create Fractals With This Amazing Recursive Drawing Tool

Watercolor illustration example

Watercolor Painting & Illustration

A selection of life drawings in different mediums

Best Life Drawing Mediums (Examples, Tips & Techniques)

Charcoal still life drawing of my shoe

Still Life (Drawings & Paintings)

Graphite Pencil Life Drawing

Graphite Pencil Life Drawing (Rendering & Sketch Examples)

My optical illusion mural

Optical Illusions (Artwork That Tricks The Eye)

A nice sharp pencil

The Art of Sharpening Pencils (Styles & Techniques)

A charcoal portrait of Angela reading a book

Portraiture (Exploring Different Mediums, Styles & Techniques)

My standard life drawing equipment

Best Life Drawing Equipment (What to Bring to a Class)

Detail of a male model in white charcoal

White Charcoal Life Drawing On Toned Paper

A black ball-point pen doodle

Doodles, Little Drawings & Sketches

Black and white charcoal study of folded fabric

Drapery Drawing (Folded Fabric Studies in Charcoal & Pencil)

A fractal artwork of an owl in a tree

Fractal Art (Exploring Fractals & Art Based On Fractals)

AI-generated art nouveau portrait

Art Nouveau (Drawings, Vector Illustrations & AI-Generated Art)

Book illustration cover artwork

Book Cover Design & Book Illustrations

A charcoal life drawing of a female model

Charcoal Life Drawing (Examples On White & Toned Paper)

Chalk life drawing with Conté Crayon

Chalk Life Drawings (Conté Crayon Vs Chalk Pencil)

Web design Web design Architecture Architecture Life drawing Life drawing Art gallery Art gallery Synesthesia Synesthesia Comics Comics

About Contact Privacy

© 1994 — 2024 Matthew James Taylor