Mushroom cottage art using gouache
1. Drawing outline
- Print out the reference drawing
- Carefully draw the scene onto the mixed media paper, adding as many mushrooms as you like
- You can also try the tracing method by shading the back of the outline, then tracing over the lines with the shaded side pressed to your art surface
- Take your time with the drawing and make sure you are happy with it before adding paint
2. Mushroom colour palette
- Squeeze out the following gouache colours onto your palette: Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Medium Yellow, Orange Yellow, Vermillion, Scarlet, Crimson, Cobalt Blue, Sap Green, Deep Green, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, and Lamp Black
- Test colour mixing on a spare sheet of paper to make sure its correct before adding to your artwork
3. Painting the background
- Dip the 1-inch flat brush into water and mix Yellow Ochre with a touch of Cobalt Blue
- Apply this mix to the background, covering the entire area evenly
- Once dry, lighten Burnt Umber with white to paint the tree trunks in the distance
- Vary their thickness and direction for a natural look
4. Painting the stems
- Mix Pale Green and Sap Green and paint the foreground, adding Burnt Umber in places for depth
- Mix Burnt Umber with grey to create a base tone for the mushroom stems
- Apply this darker tone to the stems, then go over it with a lighter tone to add depth
- Paint the underside of the mushrooms with a light wash of black
- Use thin black lines to add the gills
5. Painting the caps
- Add a splash of colour to the mushroom caps using Reds and Oranges, varying for an organic look
- Detail the main house however you like to decorate! We added a door, windows, and mailbox with shades of brown
- Paint white spots on the caps
- If the underlying colour contaminates the white, go over it again with more white once dry
- Finish the caps by adding highlights to the gills for depth
6. Undergrowth painting
- Mix a little black into the green gouache shades and paint the foreground around the house and mushrooms
- While this is drying, add the door and any additional details to the cottage
- Tip: adding contrasting colours can enhance the painting and make it more engaging
- Paint some plants in light blue by first laying down a white base, letting it dry, and then glazing light blue over it
- Mix Sap Green with a touch of Scarlet Red to create an olive colour and paint this over the darker areas of the foreground to add depth
You've just created a whimsical mushroom cottage using gouache! Remember, you can use coloured pencils or ink over the top to add even more detail if you like.
- Mixed Media Pad Premium 300gsm A3 15 Sheets (or A4 if preferred)
- Gouache Paints Signature 24pc x 12ml (0.4 US fl.oz)
- Tear-off Paper Palette Signature 50gsm 36 Sheet
- Pencil
- Brushes: 1-inch flat artist's taklon, #10 flat, #2 round
- Reference drawing (printed)
- Water and container for rinsing brushes
- Paper towels or cloth