Gouache Paint

What is Gouache?

Gouache is an opaque watercolour paint. Whereas transparent watercolours allow you to see the "white" of the paper below the paint, gouache can be applied in solid colours. This allows an artist to paint in layers from dark to light.

Gouache dries to a matte finish, which makes it easy to scan or reproduce electronically, since there is no glossy shine.

Acrylic gouache is not really a gouache, because it has an acrylic polymer binder, but it is an acrylic paint that resembles gouache in properties such as its opacity, its creamy texture, and its matte finish. 


Renowned for its brilliance, opacity, and great tinting strength, Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache is a finely ground, water based paint, well suited to illustration with pen, brush, or airbrush.


All Designer's Gouache colours are fully compatible with Winsor & Newton Artists' and Cotman watercolours.


Colours can be mixed with Finity Artists' Acrylic and Galeria Flow Formula Acrylics, however care should be taken because some gouache colours can react adversely with acrylics. Combinations should be tested on the palette paper prior to use in a painting.


For fine art painting, watercolour papers are recommended. For design and illustration, where work is intended for electronic scanning and reproduction, use illustration board or a hot press watercolour paper to get a flat finish that reproduces well.