How To Paint A Realistic Field In Gouache (With Steps)

Photo by Advaita Raut

Painting a field in gouache can be a tricky concept. There are so many elements to consider. You might wonder how to paint the skies, or you might be perplexed by the finer details. When I first started painting fields, one thing that bothered me was —- how does one paint so many blades of grass?! Finally, there's the nagging question of how to add depth to the painting so that the field looks realistic rather than like a 2D drawing from 5th grade.

I'll try to answer all these questions in this blog post. 

First, let's start with an overview of a few basic materials we'll need for the painting.

Materials:

• Watercolor paper of any size, preferably greater than 250 GSM. This is an ideal thickness for ensuring that your paper holds up to the paint and does not buckle when wet. This is essential for a watercolor or gouache painting. I have used A5 size, 300 GSM Canson Montval paper here. 

• Any brand of gouache paints or poster colors, if you don't have gouache

• Brushes of varying thickness. I used three different brushes here: a large flat brush, a small flat brush, and a fine liner brush.

• A cup of water

• A rag cloth

• Masking tape to cover the edges so that you get clean, frame-worthy lines when you peel it off

The Process:

Determine the Horizon Line

Before beginning to paint, some artists prefer to draw a basic sketch of their subject. I prefer to begin painting directly on paper, but if you're just starting out, a rough sketch may prove to be a useful guide. You'll need to measure 3/4 of your paper and draw a horizon line for the sketch.

This line represents the farthest point of our fictitious grass field, while the bottom-most part of the paper represents the closest point. 

Changing the size of your grass based on this viewpoint is what will give the painting depth. BUT, more on that later. The topmost part of the painting, right above the horizon, is where you'll paint the sky.

Work from Back to Front

It is critical to work from the background to the foreground when using gouache. This means that you must first block in all of the shapes, colors, and figures in the background, and then move to the finer details in the foreground.

Elements such as the blue sky and the dense foliage seen in black would be examples of the background. The foreground of the painting consists of clouds and fine blades of grass. I started with the sky first using the most saturated blue at the top and blended in more white as I swept downward.

Next, I started with the darkest color at the bottom and worked my way up, adding lighter colors and blending them in as I got closer to the horizon.

Super important step - LET THIS LAYER DRY!

Add Clouds

Because the field in the painting is quite detailed, I wanted to keep the skies as simple as possible to avoid a cluttered composition. A few light grey strokes with specks of white highlight should be enough to depict a soft afternoon sky.

Begin Layering

Layering with gouache does require a great deal of patience, so brace yourself!

After blocking in the colors and allowing them to dry, I began painting the blades of grass from the bottom of the sheet (with my liner brush). 

Take note of how these grass strokes are longer and larger than those in the back. That's because, from this vantage point, the grass closest to you will appear thicker and fade away into smaller specks as you move further away.

As I moved closer to the horizon, my grass strokes became shorter and thinner, and I only painted small specks near the horizon line. Also, notice how the colors of the grass were initially dark and did not completely contrast with the background. 

This was done to gradually build layers rather than having a stark contrast that looks unrealistic. Once this layer was dry, I added a tone slightly lighter than the previous one and paint over random grass blades until I reach the lightest shade.

How I Painted the 'Swaying Grass'

Nature's grass strokes are erratic and unruly, not always in perfect harmony. To replicate this element of nature, use random and haphazard brush strokes that go off in different directions rather than painting in a single direction. Ultimately, you want them to appear to be gently swaying in the wind.

You should also make sure that a few grass blades stick out over the horizon, as they would in a natural setting. These minute details are what give a painting a realistic feel.

Colors I Used For This Painting

• For the skies: A mix of Prussian Blue and White. Make sure that you use only a spot of blue and more white for a realistic interpretation. Colors in nature are never as saturated as we like to believe, so keep this in mind while mixing gouache colors.

• For the clouds: Prussian blue, a spot of black, and white

• For the Field: A mix of black and Sienna Brown to block the background color

• For the blades of grass: A mix of Sienna Brown, Cadmium Yellow, and a spot of red. Keep adding yellow and white to lighten the tone as you layer

And there you have it: a simple yet charming field of wheat that appears to sway in the breeze. Please give this easy gouache painting a shot and let me know how if the above tips helped you!

For a quick overview, check out the detailed process on Instagram.

If you'd like to purchase this painting, please visit my Etsy Shop or DM me on Instagram.