All About Gouache

The term gouache refers to a category of paint—an opaque watercolor. However, not all gouache colors are equally opaque—some are perfectly transparent. The important distinction between gouache and traditional watercolor is how opacity is a central issue in color mixtures.

GALLERY: Joseph McGurl's Landscapes

In this online exclusive gallery, we offer more mesmerizing landscapes by spring 2007Workshop featured artist Joseph McGurl.

Read the feature article on McGurl.

Varnishing a Painting

Varnish paintings on a day with low humidity, and be sure to use a large bristle brush that is free of moisture. Before varnishing, clean the surface of the painting with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Graphite: The Hardness Scale

Graphite pencils and drawing sticks are available in degrees of hardness, with each step producing gradually lighter or darker marks. The scale of graphite hardness is represented by the “B” range, in which a higher number indicates a softer pencil. In the “H” range, the higher the number, the harder the pencil. HB and F pencils are in the middle of the two ranges, HB being the softer of the two.

EXHIBITION: Dan Witz: New Night Paintings

DFN Gallery, in New York City, presents this exhibition of night-themed paintings by Dan Witz through May 5.

Exchange information about upcoming exhibits on our message board, Artists' Forum.

Selecting Colors for Your Palette

Two basic ways to set up your palette are as follows: Either set up a palette mostly of earth colors acting as counterpoints to a few bright, chromatic colors, or set up a palette composed almost entirely of chromatics—with all neutrals mixed from complementary colors.