Spring at the Google Headquarters: The Joy of Gouache!

A few weeks ago I got to play with some new materials from Cretacolor (big fat pencils and crayons!) and a new for me gouache from lascaux - all thanks to Lauren Sunila - a Brand Manager at MacPherson’s

And what is the best test for any new drawing tools? A trip to paint and draw on location!

On one of the very first warm days of this spring, I jumped at an opportunity to join my friend at the new Google buildings. We were short on time so all of these are basically painted from around the same spot. Buildings themselves are mind-bending architectural wonders (I cannot wait to visit one of them inside) - so to get some respite from the hard-to-follow architectural structure I painted green hills and a creek too. 

I loved the coverage and smoothness of lascaux gouache a lot! This is not acrylic gouache - it reactivates with water very nicely! I used three different tools to paint with it (including my finger - which is a good test as some paints cause skin irritation - but none in this case!). Both wet and dry brushing was a joy with these paints. I hope to get my hands on more colors to make some special mixes to take with me in the field next time!