I had already made a start on the denim jacket (back and sleeve) before the new paints arrived and had had trouble making the fabric look like denim. When I repainted some areas, the bottom layer re-wet and mingled with the new paint layer. That's a quality of gouache that can either work for or against the artist. In this case, it is working somewhat against me as the new color is mixing with the old and it becomes a color I don't really want. But, I'll be able to solve that eventually.
What is concerning me right now is the value of the different sections of the jacket. Some of the highlights are very bright while others read as white but are very subdued. With other paint media, I would use a wash to control the values but, as I've said, gouache lifts any previous layer which then mixes with the new layer. This creates a new color and a new value and it's kind of tricky to get it right. Also, gouache will either dry lighter or darker than the applied color and that also throws another problem into the mix.
Since I've not used this new paint color before, I'm just having to try one thing or another to try to get the look I need. So, while I'd hoped to be finished with this painting by now, it's going to take a while longer. I'll try to post updates along the way but I may just get into the "zone" and finish it all quickly. I hope that happens but I'm not holding my breath!
Oh, I also played with the new color, Titanium Gold Ochre, in the background and I think I'll want to re-paint the background, at least partially. We'll see how that goes when we get there. Funny how one small change affects the whole painting! This may turn into a totally different and unexpected painting!
