Rachel Grossman

Got Gouache?

Rachel Grossman made the poor decision in college to major in what was hard (philosophy) instead of what she enjoyed (art). It took many years to undo that mistake, during which time she took art classes on the weekend, designed posters for anyone who needed one, volunteered as an art parent at her childrens’ schools, quilted, knit, took photographs, learned photoshop, and wished she was painting. About six years ago, she started sketching with a friend, and since then she has completed three years of daily sketching and is now half-way through her fourth.  Daily sketching, much of it urban sketching, has become a joyful addition to her life. Rachel joined USk Chicago in 2018 and has been an admin since 2021.

Urban sketchers often use watercolor to add color to their sketches. Rachel tried, but never got fully comfortable with watercolors. Gouache, on the other hand, felt much more intuitive: you could work from dark to light, without “reserving the white,” and the colors stayed where you put them instead of floating off to other parts of the paper behind your back.  Since diving into gouache, Rachel has experimented with materials (substrates, brushes, and palettes), found ways to make gouache portable, adjusted to its quirks, and reveled in its rich colors and distinctive matte finish. She’s hoping to share her enthusiasm at the Sketch Seminar.

Find Rachel online at  

Facebook:  Rachel Pasch Grossman

Instagram:  @paschpaint