A Guide to Gouache
Gouache is highly pigmented with excellent covering power and good light fastness. The opaque colours lighten slightly on drying but remain vibrant and strong. The paint is great for illustrative artwork and general painting on most surfaces. The word ‘Gouache’ originated from France, was inspired by the Italian ‘Guazzo’ technique that dried with similarly a muddy, matte finish.
The Loxley Gouache is available in 25 colours.
History of Gouache
Although, similar opaque water-based mediums had been used by artists for thousands of years, the term ‘Gouache’ was not introduced until the 18th century. During the 18th century gouache was often used for adding fine details in pastel paintings. Then by the 19th century, gouache began to be industrially produced and became popular with landscape artists, due to its transportable qualities. During the 20th century, gouache paint began to be manufactured specially in tubes for more refined purposes.
The difference between Gouache & Watercolour
Gouache and watercolour are often made up of the same pigments. The difference is that Gouache contains pigments that have larger, heavier particles so the paint looks denser and more opaque after it dries, meaning you can’t see the paper through the paint. Whereas, Watercolour has very small particles so the paint is easier to spread thinly and it is not opaque.
Gouache is ideal for graphic design and direct painting, as it dries quickly and has a great matte finish. Whereas, Watercolour, is amazing for experimenting with, building layers and creating watery textures. Gouache and watercolour can be used and mixed together to achieve different degrees of opacity.
Advantages of Gouache Paint
Advantages of Gouache paint
- It dries quickly, meaning you can add multiple layers to either cover up any mistakes or to develop your painting.
- It can be applied in different thicknesses.
- It looks brighter and more opaque as it contains more pigments. Being opaque also means it covers brushstrokes and other marks.
- It is a fun and versatile medium to use.
We are excited to announce that our paint ranges are growing. Recently, we have launched our Loxley Gouache range, which is highly pigmented with excellent covering power and good light fastness.
