For the Fun of It - Gouache pt. 1, What the heck is a gouache????

everyone's favorite in-between paint.

This week's column is the first in a series about gouache. In this first part, we're going to be looking at the different types of gouache.

If you like this kind of deep dive into materials, check out my series on fountain pens.

What Is Gouache?

I don’t think I’ve ever said gouaches in my life.

You've probably heard of watercolors, or acrylics, or oils, but maybe not gouache (pronounced g’wash). It's an unusual paint that's gone in and out of fashion over the years. My first experience with gouache was in college, where we used it to paint backgrounds for animation. It's matte, which makes it prime for reproduction. Sometimes it’s not that lightfast, which is why it hasn’t been used much in fine art.

But, I feel like gouache is having a moment now- the jelly gouache set was all over IG a while back.

I've always thought of gouache as the perfect midpoint between acrylic and watercolor- but that's not quite right. There are a few kinds of gouache, too, which complicates things. Generally, gouache operates like a more opaque watercolor paint, which can be diluted to nice washes, or built up for full coverage. My favorite feature is the matte-ness, because it makes layering other media like color pencil or crayon a lot easier. The colors usually scan well.

Let's dive into the different types though, because each type offers different pros and cons, and if you already have proficiency in one medium, you might find a type of gouache that works best for you.

Traditional Gouache

Traditional gouache, or designer's gouache, is the closest cousin to watercolor. If you like watercolor, traditional gouache behaves similarly except it's usually got an opacity to it. It's rewettable, which means that when you layer it, it will reactivate the layers below unless you are careful. A common recommendation for tube-based traditional gouache is Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache. James Gurney has a lot of great suggestions and tutorials for gouache on his blog.

My workhouse gouache palette- W&N + Sui Gouache

You don't have to use them straight from the tube either, you can put them in half or full pans just like watercolors and let them dry. That's what I do because I favor portability over anything else. You can even drop a few drops of water to get that nice creamy consistency that makes smooth washes a breeze.

I did this cat with the set above!

There are some pan gouaches, but usually, they can feel more like student paint sets. I do have to shout out Caran D'ache’s set though. Phillipa Rice uses this set, and I have been loving it because it gives such an interesting texture to artwork. The streakiness feels intentional!

This big boy was painting in the Caran D’Ache, including the eyes which were done with the white layered on top. The bottom layers weren’t too disturbed.

Acryla Gouache

I have used acryla gouache in all of my books.

I come from an acrylic painting background, and if you're comfortable in that space, you might prefer acryla gouache. When it dries, it's waterproof- which means it can be layered and glazed endlessly. Some people might say that acryla gouache is just acrylic paint, but I think it has different qualities- for one, it's usually matte, which makes it easier to layer on top of, and it's easier to thin down to a consistent, even wash. Holbein's acryla gouache is the Cadillac of acryla gouaches, but if you're looking for a bargain, Turner gouache is cheaper. I've also recently been playing with Liquitex acrylic gouache (love the spout on the bottles), though I find they aren't quite as opaque as Holbein.

You can do an underpainting in a bright and layer over top!

Because they aren't re-wettable, you'll have to use a palette and lay out your colors each time you paint. Sta-wet palettes are my favorite for books, because it'll keep your paints fresh for longer, but I also often use the tear-away wax paper palettes for ease of use.

Jelly Paint

Now to talk about TikTok's favorite paints. Himi gouache, or Jelly cup gouache, is really convenient and offers a lot of colors and paint for a cheap price. They weren't for me! They're messy, and I don't really need that many colors at one time, and the palette is big- they might work for you, but I think for most people, you'd be better off with a smaller, more curated set that you can actually fit in your bag or on your desk.

A Curated Palette

One of the nice things about gouache is the sheer amount of colors available. Especially with traditional gouache, you can use it with watercolor which opens up a whole new range of colors. If you're thinking about getting into gouache, i'd recommend either a traditional starter set (with a red, yellow, blue, and a dark brown or Paynes grey, and a big ol tube of white.) You’re always going to need like 5x as much white. Or at least I do.

Or, you can pick colors you really like! Lately, I've been really enjoying pre-mixed color blends, which is something that gouache does so well. If you use a lot of pale lavender in your work, why not get that shade so it's easy to lay down washes in your sketchbook?

I love companies like Sui Gouache, who offer gorgeous sets on their website and on Amazon of muted, pastel colors. They aren't for everyone's process, but for me, the convenience of having such pleasing colors make it exciting to sit down and paint.

Kimberly Gee

is on substack!! Kimberley is one of my agency sisters, and her books are some of the most thoughtful socio-emotional stories I've ever read. Her first column on her substack “Picture Book World” is so thoughtful and I can't wait to see what else she makes.

I'm writing this on my new Freewrite Alpha! I bought this as part of their Kickstarter campaign (and while I would never recommend doing their Kickstarter, as it was one of the most delayed ones I've been part of), the actual device is really neat and I'm excited to see it fit into my workflow. I'm sure you've been blasted with some of their Ads on Instagram over the years, and it really does deliver a distraction-free writing experience, or at least a way to type fast and quickly without overthinking too much. My previous method was a keyboard attached to my phone, and I recommend that as a cheap alternative to see if it works for you.

Also, there's a February drop in my shop, Art and Fluff! I made some fun multicolored cat stickers, linocuts, and of course, another drop of some tiny paintings of dogs and cats. I'll be doing a drop every month, or so, I think! That feels nice and sustainable.

ok love u bye