Be generous with black gouache

For my average painting, I’m using about 85% watercolors and 15% gouache.

For the Selene paintings with a black sky, I’m using a lot of gouache. Really a lot of gouache. Then also gouache for the stars.

Let me do a quick rewind here. If you don’t know who Selene is, she’s the Greek Goddess of the Moon. She’s actually a titan who drives the moon chariot across the heavens.

The Greeks painted her with horns. I don’t like that aesthetic so I use the Art Nouveau aesthetic – a beautiful (often nude) woman who sits on the moon.

I’m a huge fan of Art Nouveau. I love the lines. I love the feel. I love the art.

Anyways, back to black gouache.

When you paint with it, be generous. You might have to add more than one layer. Really cake it on too. Just make sure that you don’t accidentally spill it anywhere else because if you do, you may ruin that painting. It’s not coming off.

The featured image is me holding Selene Gazes Upon Endymion. Endymion was Selene’s favorite lover. She had her share of affairs (what’s with the Greek Gods & Goddesses and all their affairs?) but her favorite lover of all-time? A mortal shepherd boy named Endymion.

One day, she was looking down from the moon and gazed upon him, then fell in love with him instantly. Of course a mortal couldn’t resist a Goddess so they ended up having 50+ daughters together, with each one of them being beautiful like their parents.

So yeah, cake it on. And if you’re doing a night scene and you need stars, be sure to wait until the black is fully dry before adding the stars or else you’ll get a result you don’t want.