As the pigments in this gouache are very finely milled, there is little granulation in terms of pigment separation. Granulation isn’t usually expected from a gouache paint, as it is usually associated with creating flat areas of colour, but I have seen it occasionally in some other brands. However, across some of my more wet swatches of the Holbein Gouache, you can see how the pigment pools in some areas. I prefer to use a hot press paper, which doesn’t usually encourage this effect as a cold press might, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it as a lover of a soft texture! The main difference between Holbein Artist’s Gouache and Holbein Acrylic Gouache is the binder used in each paint. A fixative or mat varnish will enhance surface strength but not without loss of opacity which may change surface color by increasing transparency.

Attributes: Smooth application, great choice for students and sketchbook work, comes in pan format, vivid coloursIt’s not so easy to rank these, because the top 5 or 6 are VERY close to being perfect. To be honest you could buy any of those and have a good experience. Use the opaque matte colours on their own, or combine it with artists watercolours to bring transparency to the painting. The colour range is fairly limited, but they supply an excellent range of primaries, earth tones and all the essential colours to mix a full chromatic range. M. Graham make a fantastic watercolour range too, if you’re interested in finding out the differences between watercolour and gouache, read our guide. In summary, Holbein Acrylic Gouache Paints are vibrant and highly saturated, don’t flake or lift when dry, and they give you a beautiful painting or drawing with a velvety matte finish. I truly enjoyed painting with them and would recommend them to anyone who wants to use a gouache paint that has acrylic tendencies.” Acrylic gouache is matte, opaque acrylic based watercolour paint. Use this type of paint as a ground Most colours contain more than one pigment.

Without a doubt, Artist gouache ranges are more expensive per ml than Designer gouache ranges. Their dependence on high quality, lightfast pigments is possibly one reason for this. Designer Gouache paints may contain a higher proportion of Titanium White or opacifying agents which are inexpensive and help keep the cost down for the artist.Certain pigments are more transparent in the Caran D’ache range of gouache paint. Pigments such as magenta appear transparent on paper, so if you want to make them more opaque, add white to the mix. Main preservatives used in Holbein gouache are Benzisothiazoline and Thiabendazole at very low, not dangerous amounts. The composition is confirmed to be non-toxic. I’ve been hearing about Holbein a lot, and many artists recommend it across Facebook communities and Reddit.

Traditional gouache is a water-based paint characterised by a matt, opaque finish. Like watercolour, it uses gum Arabic as a binder, but because it contains opacifying agents it offers a velvety application of colour, fast drying time, and high opacity. It is a medium often used in illustration and design because a matt surface is easier to digitally reproduce and it lends itself to bold, graphic painting techniques. Traditional gouache is also used by many watercolour artists because its opacity can be very useful for adding highlights and details on top of the luminous transparency of watercolour. The two mediums can also be used interchangeably. I’ve separated the gouache into two main categories: professional and student level. The main difference is that the majority of the professional grade gouache pigments are considered lightfast, and they use high quality gum arabic binder. Swatches of each color on both white paper and toned beige paper. My swatches focus on the opacity of the paint, not dilution. All gouache can be diluted like watercolor, but not all gouache is equally opaque. Firstly, I looked at the closest colours to true primary colours in the palette – Scarlet, Canola Yellow and Ultramarine. Both Scarlet and Canola Yellow lean towards the warm side of the spectrum, which meant the greens and aubergine colours I mixed all felt warm – however, perhaps this is exactly what I should have expected from a Summer themed palette! I could definitely see how these colours could help create the feeling of the end of a late summer day, basking in the warmth of the dappled light coming through the trees at the edge of a cool lake…. Now can I be transported there?

Anna Moss

Most colours rank as moderately permanent. Therefore it’s advisable not to use this brand if you are planning to sell the original gouache painting, as the colours may start to fade over time, especially when displayed in bright natural light settings. If you are selling your work, make sure to get acid-free paper. Use gouache with any artist quality watercolour sketchbook or surface. Most colors are not very permanent so if you want to display your gouache art, use a fixative or matte/satib varnish to protect your painting. I was mixing up some colors for the painting and swatching each new color – no muddy colors, stable coverage. Immense possibilities for new colors:

Painting light on top of dark with high quality gouache is easy. Save money: Skip the student grade crap& buy a limited palette of HIGH quality Gouache All Holbein colors are highly pigmented and made of finest pigments that guarantee stable quality and coverage. Holbein Acrylic Gouache does not have the same fragile surface as traditional gouache made with Gum Arabic because the acrylic paint film is more flexible. It can be mixed with other acrylic or traditional gouaches, as well as with watercolours. The properties of acrylic gouache are more similar to matte acrylic paint, rather than gouache. Its main difference is that it dries to a water resistant finish, whereas gouache is rewettable. Acrylic gouache is compatible with other water soluble media. Holbein Acrylic Gouache They are also very fast-drying! Less than5 min and a thin layer will be dry on paper and the paint starts to harden on the palette.

Unlike watercolor, gouache can provide full coverage of color. Not only that, but after it is applied to the paper, it will dry in a smooth and flat texture, which is why it works so well in certain types of illustrations. In addition, since this medium has a fast drying time like acrylic paint, and possesses an opaque appearance, you can even add layers of gouache to your composition to hide mistakes or create more depth. But before you start, it's important to have high quality paint on hand. This may alter reproduction qualities of art work to be photographed. If mediums are applied, care should be taken to insure a very thin coating only.