Painting with Gouache: Create Poetic Illustrations
A course by Cagla Zimmermann, Illustrator and Designer
Discover the creative process behind painting with gouache and illustrate playful scenes that express your inner world
With gouache painting, each brushstroke is an opportunity to open a new door and express your emotions. Illustrator and designer Cagla Zimmermann uses the medium to develop her playful style and spread happiness and hope through her work. Her art has been sold around the world and turned into prints and stationery.
In this course, Cagla shares her expertise in creating captivating artwork with gouache painting techniques. Learn to mix, blend and layer colors to express your inner world and bring your ideas to life on the page.
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 21 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin by getting to know the artist, illustrator, and teacher for this course, Cagla. She takes you through her artistic journey as well as where she finds her inspiration, from her Turkish heritage to fellow artists whose work she admires.
Discover the materials needed for gouache painting and hear Cagla’s tips on how to care for them. Then, explore gouache and acrylic gouache techniques including mixing, layering, and blending, and practice using them with a variety of painting exercises.
Get inspired by visual references, both online and in the real world, then explore composition and create an initial sketch of your illustration. Draw your final design before tracing it onto watercolor paper using a lightbox.
Time to paint your final design! Start with the dominant color first before moving on to details like patterns and flowers. Learn how to make your colors pop on the page before adding finishing touches using the back of your brush. Cagla shows you how to use colored pencils and oil pastels to add texture to your illustration.
Explore how to scan and edit your artwork in Photoshop with different tools and techniques. To finish the course, Cagla gives her advice on using the power of social media to share your work with the world.
- 100% positive reviews (230)
- 5,424 students
- 19 lessons (4h 0m)
- 21 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a folk-inspired gouache illustration using a variety of gouache painting techniques.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in learning to paint with gouache or expressing themselves through art.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is necessary.
You will need gouache or acrylic gouache colors, round brushes, watercolor paper, a pencil, and an eraser.
Reviews
Cagla Zimmermann
A course by Cagla Zimmermann
Cagla Zimmermann is a Turkish illustrator and designer who specializes in the use of gouache. Her artistic journey began in secondary school, where she was chosen to take part in an art atelier organized by her teacher. There, she learned to refine her skills and work with different materials. Cagla went on to study a Master’s degree in international relations but later turned her creative passion into a career after the same teacher encouraged her to post her artwork online years later.
As well as sharing her art with over 22k followers, Cagla runs her own online shop where she sells prints and illustrated stationery products. She has collaborated with a number of artists and musicians, and her work has been sold around the world.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Dipping into the World of Gouache
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Materials and Brush Care
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Mixing
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Layering 1
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Layering 2
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Blending
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Detail Brushes Are Not Scary
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U3
Get Creative and Sketch
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How to Get Inspired
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How to Compose an Illustration
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Sketching the Final Illustration
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U4
Painting with Joyful Colors
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The Tail with Flowers 1
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The Tail with Flowers 2
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The Houses: Mixed Media 1
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The Houses: Mixed Media 2
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The Last Details 1
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The Last Details 2
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U5
Adjusting to the Digital World
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Scanning and Editing the Original Art
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How to Use Social Media Effectively
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FP
Final project
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Illustration with gouache for beginners
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners and covers foundational techniques in gouache painting, illustration, and patternmaking, making it accessible even if you have no prior experience.
You'll need gouache paints, watercolor paper, a variety of brushes, a palette, colored pencils, pastels, and basic cleaning supplies like water containers and paper towels. A scanner or camera is helpful for digitizing your artwork.
You'll learn gouache painting techniques, color mixing, layering, pattern creation, developing a unique illustration style, digitizing art, and strategies for sharing and selling your work online.
The course demonstrates how to mix primary colors, control water-to-pigment ratios, create pastel shades, and use wet-in-wet and layering techniques for smooth transitions and vibrant results.
Yes, you'll learn to create folk art-inspired illustrations, develop patterns such as Iznik tiles and Persian carpets, and digitize your artwork using Photoshop for sharing and selling.
Yes, the course covers both traditional and acrylic gouache, explaining their differences, layering properties, and how to select the right medium for your projects.
Yes, you'll get practical guidance on digitizing your artwork, preparing files for print, and strategies for opening an online shop and selling art prints.
Very detailed content, it is helpful to see the step by step guidance!
Ik vond de basisuitleg van gouache zeer goed toegelicht. Ook de toelichting over hoe je zelf een stijl kunt ontwikkelen vond ik zeer interessant. Heel aangename en goed onderbouwde cursus om mee te starten.
I love the artist's style of art so it was enjoyable to look into it. Quite a few practical tips, however, some things did seem too repetitive for me.
I really enjoyed the course. It has a wonderful personal style and an incredible amount of practical advice.
Really simple to follow and very good quality course