How to Create a Gouache Color Card

Learn how to create a gouache color card, with illustrator Maru Godàs

A color card shows you the various tones available in a single color. Color cards can be really useful when it comes to planning gouache illustrations. The best thing about them? They’re really easy to make.

Maru Godàs (@marugodas) is an illustrator who’s passionate about urban drawing and often works into her own sketchbooks, which she takes with her on her travels. She shows you how to create a gouache color card in this video tip.

Watch her advice!

1. Paint the light colors

Take a piece of paper, a flat brush and the color you want to use for your card. Start with the pure color, in this case Maru has chosen blue. Gouache allows you to create a flat, opaque shade. Now create the other, lighter shades by adding increasing amounts of white to your pure color.

Gouache tends to go a bit darker as it dries, which is why you need a color card. It will help you know what your final colors are actually going to look like.

2. Now do the same with the darker shades

Repeat the process, this time for the darker shades. Add different amounts of black to the pure color until you achieve the right mix. Be careful not to add too much black, as it quickly darkens your shade.

3. Wait for it to dry

Once you’ve painted the light, dark and pure shades onto your card, you need to wait for it to dry. We recommend using fixer after it’s dry, to help increase longevity.

4. Add information to your color card

Add useful information next to each shade on your color card, from the color name, brand manufacturer, resistance to UV light or color reference number.

Love this tip? If you’d like to learn how to explore new creative languages and use them in your illustration and urban sketching projects, don’t miss Maru Godàs’ online course: Pictorial Sketchbook With Gouache.

You may also like:

- Introduction to the Illustration of Characters with Gouache and India Ink, with Andonella
- Illustration Techniques With Watercolor and Gouache, a course by Alinailustra
- Creative Drawing With Ink and Gouache, a course by Lucía Coz