As I progress on this artist’s journey of mine, I wanted to try something new. Cue: Gouache. I’ve never used Gouache as a medium, but I knew it was time to learn about it.

For those of you who are unfamiliar: gouache is a watermedia, like watercolour paint. The main difference is that that gouache is more opaque, due to the added white pigment or chalk.

Consequently, this is how I spent a mild, rainy Autumn evening recently. I found myself at West Elm in Central London, sat amongst all the beautiful interiors. My senses went into overload as I began a Gouache Workshop with Emma Block.

Emma Block has been on my radar for a while now. I had always thought of her as my teacher for gouache whenever I’d be ready for it. One day, I saw her promote a workshop on Instagram for a day I was able to go. Without batting an eyelid, I knew it was time and booked it there and then.

Although a short 2.5-hour workshop, I felt like I got over my fear of trying a new medium very quickly. Emma eased us into it with her soothing voice and calm demeanour. She may have even managed to make me understand colour theory finally!

Related: The Art Of Patience Through Sketchbook Practice

I'm so glad that I waited until now to learn with Emma. When we started painting, guided by her instructions, I eyed all the quirky little objects she brought for us to paint. I knew at that moment that I had made the right decision in waiting to learn with her. I loved how my pieces turned out. It was proof to myself that my confidence in painting and drawing is growing. This realization is an important part of my process.

When I try something when I'm not quite ready yet, it's often a waste of my time and energy. It's better for me to jump into something spontaneously when I know the time is right. I have to act on that instinct right away before the moment has passed. Of course, it isn't always possible to learn with whom I want to learn, at the exact moment I'm ready to learn it. Yet, if that's the case, it wasn't meant to be. I move on until the next opportunity presents itself.

So am I ready to move on completely from watercolours? Not quite yet, but I can see myself coming back to Gouache sooner rather than later, and perhaps mix the two mediums together!

Ps. If you’re curious about Emma's Workshops, you can find more information here:
Emma Block Workshops

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.