Demonstration "Pentel Acryl Gouache"
by Peter Buckey 27th September 2002

Photgraphs and write-up by Peter Johnson

The programme promised a demonstration in Gouache so to see a table laid out with "Pentel Acryl Gouache" came as somewhat of a surprise. Peter told us he had been painting for 23 years, the first 5 in studio which he now regarded as a "waste of time" since discovering his true passion which is painting outdoors (80% of his work). He never modifies work painted outside once back in the studio.

There were several large paintings on display. For me, it was the still-life of apples and a jug that had the most impact.

So why was Pentel Acryl Gouache so special ? Peter liked its handling properties, its luminosity and its versatility. For example, he passed round one painting of a horse's head where spirit based varnish mixed in as an experiment made it look like oil paint. In contrast another painting, of an evening seascape, had a very light watercolour effect. He said it does not go plastic when thick - acrylic does. He likes to mix on the paper and finds that using glazes and washes keeps the painting still luminous even after several layers. He told us that each successive wash takes longer to dry than the previous one.

Peter's demonstration piece was inspired by Turner's Fighting Téméraire. He used the paint in a thick watercolour style, which had similarities with conventional gouache.

His highly entertaining talk was interspersed with many little tips and quotes. For example:

• · Using masking fluid is OK if you put your brush in water, apply for no more that 10 to 20 seconds before putting back in water and then wash out when done. However, masking fluid has a shelf life so do not use if discoloured and try to keep in an almost full bottle by decanting into successively smaller bottles as it is used up.
• · Every picture is an experiment.
• · To quote a friend "Some of us are beginners the rest are learners".
• · Peter had once followed the advice of a colleague to "paint a sky a day for a year" and was very positive as to the benefits of doing this. You can change the time of day by applying glazes of other colours. For example, adding red over a sky makes it turn into a night sky.

Pentel Acryl Gouache is sold in boxes of 14 colours. One box was given away as a raffle prize on the evening and there were others available to buy. Peter's demonstration piece was also given away to one lucky member. It was a most enjoyable evening.

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