Exploring Gouache-style Illustration

Try this! It's a very good prompt:

Gouache painting of a children’s storybook illustration. Crafted with bold opaque colours and painterly strokes. Imagine a sunny meadow on a misty morning: a charming child explorer, designed with childlike simplicity, carefully examines oversized, blooming wildflowers. Accompanied by a tiny, glowing firefly sidekick, set against gentle sunbeams under an earthy, warm, jewel-toned palette. The entire scene should feel adventurous and magical.

This is the first of a series of posts on prompting for children’s picture book illustration. The articles on this subject seem to attract more readers than usual, so I will focus on this to see if it is a subject that readers are interested in: Creating Illustrations (and animation) for Children’s storybooks.

Here's the Prompt:

Why it works

This prompt is layered in a way that helps the AI “paint” with precision:

Style and medium: “Gouache painting” signals a bold, flat, painterly look perfect for children’s books.
Scene Setting: “Sunny meadow, misty morning” establishes atmosphere and light.
Main Subject: “Child explorer” maintains focus, providing details about simplicity and activity.
Supporting Elements: “Glowing firefly,” “gentle sunbeams,” “jewel-toned palette” add mood and magic.

Think in terms of medium, setting, subject, and details. Each layer instructs the AI on the type of image to create.

A little background on gouache in children’s books

Gouache is an opaque, water-based paint made from pigment, gum binder, and filler. Unlike watercolour, it hides what’s underneath, producing solid blocks of colour. Its matte finish and richness make it a favourite for illustrations where clarity and vibrancy matter (University of Minnesota Libraries).

History

The technique dates back to the Middle Ages in illuminated manuscripts, then flourished in the 18th century and beyond. In the 19th and 20th centuries, gouache gained widespread use for posters, advertising art, and children’s illustrations, prized for its vivid opacity and quick coverage.

Why is it suitable for picture books

The bright, flat colours immediately capture the attention of young readers.
Opacity allows artists to layer light over dark, creating playful highlights and magical effects.
Versatility enables the combination of smooth colour fields with expressive brushstrokes.

These qualities give children’s stories a whimsical, atmospheric feel that resonates with themes of wonder and imagination.

Modern use

Many illustrators today replicate the gouache look digitally. AI can mimic the texture and painterly strokes of gouache, providing artists with both the nostalgic warmth of traditional media and the ease of digital editing (Elena Comte Studio).

Takeaway

By giving your prompt a painter’s vocabulary, you’re not just describing an image; you’re tapping into an artistic tradition that has shaped children’s books for centuries. Use medium, setting, subject, and details to guide AI toward illustrations that feel both magical and grounded in storybook history.