From a beginner’s paint set to individual hues, Riot Art & Craft has all of the gouache painting supplies, drawing materials you need. So if you are touching up your Gouache paint skills or finishing your next masterpiece we have you covered.

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Discover The Incredible Versatility Of Gouache With Our Gouache Painting Supplies!

If you love the transparent fluidity of watercolour paint but want the opacity of acrylic paint, then gouache paint is your answer. Gouache is a happy-medium between the two paints, being a type of watermedia that can be watered down for a translucent look or applied thickly for a bold matte finish similar to acrylics.

Riot Art & Craft have an exciting range of gouache painting supplies by leading art brands like Eraldo Di Paolo, Artists First Choice, Art Spectrum and Holcroft. From convenient paint sets designed to get you started experimenting with gouache faster to individual tubes, sketchpads, paint brushes, palettes, canvases and everything in between - we'll make your discovery of gouache an exciting and deeply rewarding one.

Gouache Painting Explained

Gouache paint is often described as 'opaque watercolor'. Pronounced 'gwash', it's made using a combination of coloured pigment, a solid white pigment additive (chalk or acrylic), water and a binding agent, usually gum Arabic.

Being water-soluble, gouache is a stunningly unique and versatile medium that can be applied similar to watercolour but has a heavier, more matte appearance when dried with the radiant brightness of oil paints.

Gouache can be used with other paints, such as acrylics and watercolours, as well as with pens, pencils, crayons and markers for a mixed media project.

Difference Between Gouache and Watercolor

While gouache has similar properties to watercolor paints and can be diluted with water and applied thinly to a surface, it has larger particles of pigment which makes for a far richer colour and more opaque appearance than when using watercolours.
Both gouache and watercolour can be re-wetted and re-worked after they have dried.

Gouache And Acrylics

Acrylic paint is thicker than gouache, more durable and waterproof. Gouache can't be applied as thickly as acrylics as it will crack and is also best suited to heavy paper sketchpads. One of the major differences between the two is that acrylic paint can't be re-wet after it's dry.

Gouache paint becomes translucent when water is added to it and can be re-worked and blended long after it's dried.

Wondering about acrylic gouache? This medium is actually an acrylic paint that has the same matte, opaque look as traditional gouache. However, it's waterproof and shouldn't be confused with the real thing.

Getting Started With Gouache - What Materials Do You Need?

Paint - We sell gouache paint sets in primary colours that are essential for mixing your own unique shades. You can also buy our gorgeous pre-mixed shades by Eraldo in all of the most popular hues.
Brushes - From wide brushstrokes for washes to thin lines for delicate details, our watercolour paint brushes and brush sets are perfect for holding just the right amount of gouache and water.
Paper - Gouache works amazingly well on white paper that's heavy and thick, like watercolor paper. We've got high quality sketchbooks that allow gouache to glide and blend beautifully across the page.
Rags - Rags or paper towels are essential when it comes to gouache painting for wiping paint brushes, adjusting paintings and keeping your workspace clean.
Pencil/ Pen - Sketch out your design first using one of our artist quality pens or pencils by Art Studio.
Easel - Easels are great for working at a comfortable angle and keeping the correct vertical perspective while painting.
Mixing Tray - Learn to mix colours like a pro! Our handy mixing trays and palettes make it easy to blend shades and dilute paint.

Different Gouache Techniques

Try these simple gouache techniques:

Staining - Add some water to gouache paint and apply it thinly with a broad brush across the page. Staining is great for laying the foundation of your painting, such as a sky.
Wet On Wet - Wet your page, then apply wet gouache to it to create blurred lines and interesting shapes.
Blooms - Achieve a transparent watercolor effect by loading your paintbrush with water and a bit of gouache, then dabbing the paint onto the page for some beautifully abstract pools of colour.
Dry Brushing - Get some gouache onto your brush, then wipe most of it off on a paper towel before brushing it across the page for a light and textural windswept look.
Opaque Layers - Use gouache with minimal water for a bright, bold and opaque colour that blocks out everything beneath.
Reworking Dry Areas - Wet your brush and apply it to dried areas to re-work and re-shape lines and images.

Best Gouache Paint

We've got the best gouache paints and gouache paint supplies from brands who understand every artist's needs. Including:
1. Eraldo Di Paolo
2. Holcroft
3. Art Studio
4. Art Spectrum

Mixing And Storing Paints

Our Art Studio paint sets are a great starting point for those wishing to mix their own gouache colours. They come with all of the essential primary colours you'll need for perfecting the art of paint mixing, such as yellow ochre, emerald green, crimson red, ultramarine blue and white gouache which is a must for lightening shades.

Store your gouaches in the original container with lids sealed on tight.

Painting Surfaces For Gouache

Gouache works best on some high-quality watercolour paper pads like the ones we sell from Eraldo Di Paolo and Art Spectrum. The paper is heavy and thick which is perfect for holding a highly pigmented water-based medium such as gouache. However, you can also try canvas and other heavy-duty drawing pads.

Gouache Brush Set

Gouache paint can be used with natural or synthetic brushes. They work extremely well with watercolour brushes that are made to hold both water and paint. Our Art Studio watercolour brush sets come in a range of shapes and sizes and include all of the essentials, such as filberts, flat brushes and round brushes.

Getting Started On Your First Gouache Painting

Watch some helpful tutorials on Youtube or Pinterest to get started on your first project. Gouache is great for both beginners and professionals as it's forgiving, flexible and ultimately so much fun to work with!

Frequently Asked Questions About Gouache Painting Supplies

What Do You Need To Paint With Gouache?

There's a few gouache painting supplies you'll need to start your project:
1. Gouache paint
2. Paint brushes
3. Sketchpad, such as our watercolour pads by Eraldo Di Paolo and The Paper Mill
4. Mixing tray. Our range of palettes are perfect for mixing gouache colours to create stunning shades

What Brushes Should I Use With Gouache?

Gouache can be applied using a wide range of paint brushes. The three best ones to use include:
1. Small round brush for fine details and lines
2. Large round brush for filling in areas
3. A broad brush for washes and background layers

We stock a great range of natural and synthetic paintbrushes that are perfect for any type of gouache painting.

Do You Need Gesso For Gouache?

While gouache is best used on thick paper like a watercolour pad, it also works well on canvas. A canvas primed with gesso is perfect for holding gouache paint. It will help to reduce the absorbency of the paint which will leave more time for you to blend and re-work it as needed.

Can You Layer Gouache?

Gouache paint is opaque and excellent for layering. Start by applying thin layers that are diluted with water and build upon these to achieve the opacity that you need. Ensure each layer is dry before the next. Layers remain workable so you can lift, add and blend them to get the desired result.