Simple Gouache Illustrations With Ink Details

Yesterday I shared with you some simple botanical illustrations using gouache, and today I am sharing some more results in my little gouache painting series. Introducing gouache and ink floral illustrations! I painted these in New York a few weeks ago having just spent two plus glorious weeks in Sweden. And now I can see that all those fields of tiny wild flowers certainly did make on impression on me, as these suddenly look like Swedish summer, or at least my version of it! What I learned here is that very simple gouache shapes or a simple painting that doesn’t quite hit the mark can be transformed by adding black ink via a fine-lined permanent marker. So go ahead, paint a bunch of wonky flowers and then transform them with some inkm shall we?

You’ll Need:

gouache paint, I used gold, yellow, green, red and white
watercolor paper
a fine lined permanent marker

How To:

First fill the page (mine is half A4 size) with small yellow flowers, slightly larger gold flowers, red circles (mushrooms) and tiny red berries. Once that has dried add details in white, and paint a green background on some but not all of the painting. Leaving some white background is what gives this piece life, I do believe.

Now, once that had dried the fun starts. Add black line work and little dots and dashes, with your permanent ink pen, just don’t overdo it, which I may have!

Now go make a bunch and save them to use as little gifts or gift cards or to write a letter to a loved one!