Intro to Gouache (Beginners Guide)

Hi everyone and happy fri! I know I’ve been mainly inactive in posting on my blog.

Truth is, I’m not sure anyone reads blogs anymore? I’ve been very active in social media mostly on my Instagram account. However, I did recently see a surge in site traffic and blog comments so I figured it was time to update! Hope everyon is safe and well. We’re still in a pandemic but at least there is hope and vaccines available!

Dramatic sky painting in journal with gouache

Recently, I’ve fallen in love with goauche over the last year due to the pandemic. Prior to 2020, I’ve never used gouache before! I was in the midst of a watercolor painting and wanted something more opaque but maintaining the look/feel of watercolors in a way. In comes gouache!

What is Gouache paint?

I like to think of it as a medium in between watercolors and acrylic. It has a butter-cream consistency and heavier body than watercolors but still soluble and vibrant. The main difference is that it does not dry glossy like acrylics and dries more matte. Additionally, some brands add chalk powder to their pigments for the heavier body and it may look a bit more chalky than watercolors. I like to use gouache to work in a way that is closer to oils but keeping a vibrant look with textures. You can achieve amazing brushstroke textures with gouache that you normally would not be able to as with watercolors!

How do I get started with gouache and what brand of paints should I use? What palette?

That’s the million-dollar question! I would recommend starting with a small beginner set of primary colors like M graham’s primary gouache set of 5 or Winsor & Newton's primary set of 5. These are artist-grade brands and I recommend them because you only need a little bit squeezed out for fresh vibrant colors in your paintings. You do not need a million colors to start with! A healthy start is the primaries and if you want to spend a bit more, I’d recommend a warm and cool of each primary color plus a large tube of Titanium white or Zinc White. White is usually mixed in with the color of your choice to make it lighter so in this aspect, gouache is similar to acrylics. Compared to watercolor in which you usually water down the pigment to make it lighter or leave the white of the page for highlights.

Pictured here; the airtight plastic palette for a cheap $10 to get you started. I recommend a color chart as well.

I like to use ceramic paints (see my supplies guide below) but if you prefer storing them in wells in a similar fashion to watercolors - I’d recommend tthis airtight palette to keep your gouache fresh! You may need to spritz them with a bottle of water once a week or every two weeks. The airtight seal increases the longevity of your paints. I’m usually not one to recommend a plastic product but I’ll be in between NYC and Austin, TX this year and needed a travel palette.

Pictured here: Large ceramic palette with mixing space

I would also recommend a ceramic plate or butcher’s tray for mixing paints. Since you’re working with primary colors, you can either pre-mix on your palette surface or mix on the paper.

Here’s my amazon shopping guide if you’re in the U.S. and here’s my lengthy supplies page for details

What type of paper do I use?

You can use watercolor paper! My favorite is Arches hot pressed. When you’re first starting out, I would recommend this Arches paper pad to get a feel of what you like. I find that hot press works best for gouache for the paint to stick. You do not necessarily need 100% cotton paper as you would normally when working with watercolor paints. However, I find that it’s just easier to lift paint and layer when the paper is thicker so Arches is my preference. As you continue practicing, you’ll find what you like and don’t like in your painting style!

What brushes are best for gouache?

Cheap ones! Seriously, I mean the best ones are the ones you use and abuse :) I like that the nylon brushes don’t hold a lot of water. The best consistency for gouache is like a cream texture or tea-like if you want to thin it. If you thin it down even further with water, it’s like watercolors! Think of gouache as two mediums (watercolors and opaque watercolors) for the price of one! You can find a list of my recommended brushes in the supplies list on my page.

I could go on forever about gouache but I hope that gives you a good starting point! Always happy to answer any questions you have in the comments section below or feel free to direct message me on Instagram for a faster response (and more content)!