Surely everyone, as a child, drew in kindergarten and at labor lessons with brushes on white sheet, because the words "gouache" and "watercolor" are familiar to absolutely everyone, regardless of the acquired profession in the future.

But before you find out how gouache differs from watercolor, it is worth understanding both concepts.

Who are they?

Gouache comes from the Italian word guazzo and means "water paint". It is one of the types of artificial paints, the ability of which lies in the ability to dissolve in water.

Watercolor means "watery" in French. It refers to adhesive (binding components - dextrin with gum arabic) paints, the solvent of which is water.

Differences

Perhaps the main difference is:

• gouache has a denser, matte and total opaque layer;
• watercolor is valued for its transparency, purity, softness and fineness of the layer.

In application:

• watercolor is used only on paper;
• for gouache, the basis is not only paper, but also harder surfaces, such as fabric, cardboard or salt dough crafts.

Properties:

• watercolor is very practical and convenient in the workflow, because due to its peculiarity, you can safely correct and correct defects even with the help of a wet fleece;
• gouache is much more difficult to remove because of the denser texture.

Structure:

• When dried, the gouache does not become glossy, but on the contrary, with a matte tint and lighter than with the initial stroke. This process occurs due to the white included in the composition. And this is its huge plus: due to an error dark color can be corrected by applying the paint a few tones lighter.
• With watercolor, this process is not possible. She either mixes both colors in herself, or overlaps one with the other.

• in gouache with the help of white, you can create many shades;
• in watercolor White color missing, it is replaced by the paper itself, leaving a gap on it.

Worth knowing:

• if you are just getting started with fine arts, then you should start with watercolor, as it is easier to manage and much easier to remove errors.

Acrylic

Acrylic paint contains acrylic and resins. They lay down fairly evenly and dry quickly.

How is gouache different from acrylic paints?

• Acrylic does not fade and retains its original color perfectly.
• Acrylic does not crumble after a while, either from paper or from other bases.
• After drying, the paint darkens.
• Acrylic is suitable for painting in a watercolor style.

Outcome

The choice for both beginners and professionals is very large.

Now you know how gouache differs from watercolors with acrylics, and with the help of which paints you can bring your inspiration into artistic light, it's up to you to decide.

Children love to draw. Many kids show their artistic talent from childhood. The task of parents is to contribute in every possible way to its development. To learn how to draw beautifully, you should not only attend several lessons and master classes, but also choose the perfect colors for the first time. Since it is on them that the result of the work largely depends, and therefore whether it will disappear or vice versa - an even greater desire to draw will appear. Let's figure it out, what is the difference between such well-known watercolors and gouache, acrylic and oil paints, as well as what are paints for body art - face painting.

Watercolor not just the name of paints, but also the name of the drawing method of the same name. Great for little kids and beginner artists. These paints are made on the basis of water ("aqua"). The beauty of watercolor is that the shade, whatever it is, can be changed by diluting it to the ground with plain water. If you wipe a piece of paper with a damp cotton, watercolor paints will lie down better. Watercolor works best on grainy paper.

Gouache differs from watercolors and other paints in its dense and opaque texture. Gouache is better to start drawing at the next stage of improving your skills. Such paints are quite saturated, suitable not only for drawing on paper, and of any density, they can be used in any hand-made, drawing on fabric. It is enzymes such as kaolin and white that make gouache dense and saturated, which distinguishes it from watercolors and other paints. If a child makes a mistake when working with gouache, you can easily correct the drawing by applying over light tone darker. Gouache brightens after drying.

oil paints are produced, as the name implies, from oils, natural, vegetable oils. It is thanks to their composition that the color of the paints is more than saturated, and the texture is dense and viscous. Most often, oil paints work only professional artists, because thanks to the composition, the paints dry very quickly, creating unique paintings, painted, in most cases, without the help of a brush used by a beginner. It is impossible to correct the picture if you made a mistake in technique, since the paints cannot be blurred, diluted, while not spoiling the general background.

Acrylic paints, unlike oil, are made on the basis of acrylic and resin. Thanks to this, the colors dissolve well in water, paint residues that accidentally go beyond the pattern can be easily removed, and they dry just as quickly. The main difference between acrylic paint and all the others is their ability to retain color, not fade or crumble over time, neither from paper nor from canvas. Acrylic paints lay down very evenly, as if covering the paper with a thin film. Suitable for creating patterns on glass, wood, metal and fabric. At the same time, acrylic paints can also be used for drawings in the watercolor style. Acrylic paints become darker after drying.

face painting- paints designed specifically for drawing on the skin, even the most sensitive and childish. Face painting paints were invented by cosmetic companies, they also developed them. They are hypoallergenic, do not bake, do not crumble, do not spoil the skin, while retaining their color perfectly and are unusually easy to lay on the surface of the skin. The main difference between face painting and other paints is their ability to create extraordinary masterpieces on the skin, and not on paper.

Experiments with artistic means and materials allow artists to find new ways to use them. However, before starting the study, it is necessary to study the main properties and characteristics of these materials.

Watercolor and gouache are two types of paints that are familiar to everyone. school lessons drawing. Presented in stores wide selection both types. The most common answer I hear to the question "What is gouache?" is "Opaque watercolor". But is it really so?

Both paints are made from similar materials (pigment, gum, various additives), have similar applications and require the same care. Watercolor by its nature is transparent, translucent and artists often like its watery, fluidity, light and gentle, as if blurry tones. While gouache contains more pigment particles, which are somewhat larger than in watercolor. This is what makes gouache opaque, and after drying it gives a wonderful matte look. These properties are very different from watercolor.

But how can comparing both colors in a mixed painting technique help? The fact is that knowledge of the properties of gouache and watercolor opens up many various options their application in mixed drawing.

Materials used

• Gouache paints “Turner Acryl Gouache”: Medium Pink (Opera Red), Lime (Fresh Green), Chocolate (Chocolate), Quijada (Japanese Pale Yellow), Light Blue (Aquq Blue)
• Color mixing palettes
• Sketching pencil
• watercolor brushes“Royal Aqualon” №4
• Holbein watercolors: Pink (Opera), Leaf Green, Cadmium Yellow Pale; "Winsor & Newton": Celestial (Cerulean), Caput Mortum (Caput Mortem)
• Paper for watercolors firm "Arches" with a density of 185 g/m2 cold and hot pressing

For my experiment, I used watercolors from Holbein and Winsor & Newton, and gouache paints from Turner Acryl Gouache (due to the content of the binder in acrylic paints, they last a long time after drying on paper). I tried to choose a similar color palette.

I painted two pictures - an ordinary flower study on a rough watercolor paper and clear, colorful graphic drawing on smooth watercolor paper. I painted one of them with watercolors, and the other with gouache paints.

Experiments with acrylic and gouache in the dry-painting technique on hot-pressed paper (smooth watercolor paper)

I drew a graphic drawing on two sheets of hot-pressed paper (smooth watercolor paper), both works were done using the wet-on-dry technique, hoping that the drawing would be clear and bright. I allowed the first layer of each drawing to dry completely before I started painting additional patterns on them.

The watercolors flowed smoothly and softly over the paper and I let each section of the drawing dry completely before starting to paint a new one. The watercolor dries slowly, but I was surprised how well the second coat held up.

Thanks to the massive imposition of colors, the picture acquired a satin sheen. But in some places there was a brush stroke, and the painted green detail on the brown base was not as clear as I would like, but nevertheless brighter than I expected.

The behavior of gouache in a similar work impressed me less. Just like in the watercolor experiment, I let each painted section dry before starting to paint the adjacent section. The gouache dried out faster.

However, I was amazed at how clearly and brightly the second layer of the pattern lay down. The stroke of the brush was not visible. And even the green details on the brown base of the flower were incredibly crisp and opaque.

An experiment with paints in the "wet" painting technique using cold-pressed paper (slightly rough)

Next, I made a traditional peony painting also on two sheets, but using paper of a different texture - cold pressing (its structure is slightly rough). I applied the “wet” painting technique – it was interesting to see how the gouache behaved. I also allowed the first coat to dry completely and applied a second coat of contrast form to test the paint for opacity on wet paper.

As expected, the watercolor began to actively spread smoothly, spreading over the entire wetted surface of the paper. I again waited for each section of the drawing to dry completely before starting to paint the next, and just like in the previous painting, the watercolor took longer to dry. Contrasting shape in the form of a cloud, I made it with Cerulean paint, which has a fairly strong pigment, but nevertheless it turned out to be watery and transparent.

In the second work gouache surprised me more. In most cases, its behavior was identical to the behavior of watercolor in the "wet" technique. It also spread evenly and smoothly over all wet surfaces of the pattern.

But even with this painting technique, gouache dried out faster. And the shape of the cloud, made with Aqua Blue paint, lay down as a completely opaque dense second layer.

What can be learned from this experiment and how to use this knowledge?

I am sure that gouache is more suitable for depicting even, colorful, rich color forms. Plus, it dries faster. This paint is best used as the first layer in multi-layered works, or it can be used as the only layer of the picture, as a clear form-base of the picture. After the paints have dried, the picture acquires a pleasant matte velvety.
As for watercolor, it can also be used in a similar way to gouache, but it requires more skill and skill from the artist in order to achieve a clear picture. Watercolor is great for creative layered work (performed by glazing), its colors mix, the outlines take on a more blurry, mysterious look. Such paintings allow you to show your imagination and interpret it in your own way.

About the artist

Artist, teacher and author works of art, Kassia Koger, an inspired and creative person, creates special courses and seminars that open beautiful world art, turn painting into a truly significant part of life. She is inspired by colors, shapes and everything beautiful in general, but even more she loves the creative process itself and the discoveries that it brings.

Her work has been featured in the National Academy Museum of Design in New York, in The Watercolor Artist magazine, along with other works by authors named " rising stars". Learn more about Cassia and her work by visiting her website here.

Arts and Entertainment

How is gouache different from watercolor? Interesting Facts

Surely everyone, as a child, painted in kindergarten and at labor lessons with brushes on a white sheet, because the words "gouache" and "watercolor" are familiar to absolutely everyone, regardless of the profession acquired in the future.

But before you find out how gouache differs from watercolor, it is worth understanding both concepts.

Who are they?

Gouache comes from the Italian word guazzo and means "water paint". It is one of the types of artificial paints, the ability of which lies in the ability to dissolve in water.

Watercolor means "watery" in French. It refers to adhesive (binding components - dextrin with gum arabic) paints, the solvent of which is water.

Differences

Perhaps the main difference is:

• gouache has a denser, matte and overall opaque layer;
• watercolor is valued for its transparency, purity, softness and fineness of the layer.

In application:

• watercolor is used only on paper;
• for gouache, the basis is not only paper, but also harder surfaces, such as fabric, cardboard or salt dough crafts.

Properties:

• watercolor is very practical and convenient in the workflow, because due to its peculiarity, you can safely correct and correct defects even with the help of a wet fleece;
• gouache is much more difficult to remove because of the denser texture.

Structure:

• When dried, the gouache does not become glossy, but on the contrary, with a matte tint and lighter than with the initial stroke. This process occurs due to the white included in the composition. And this is its huge plus: due to an error, a dark color can be corrected by applying paint a few tones lighter.
• With watercolor, this process is not possible. She either mixes both colors in herself, or overlaps one with the other.

• in gouache with the help of white, you can create many shades;
• in watercolor, white is absent, it is replaced by the paper itself, leaving a gap on it.

Worth knowing:

• if you are just starting to get acquainted with the fine arts, then you should start with watercolor, as it is easier to manage and much easier to clean up mistakes.

Related videos

Acrylic

Acrylic paint contains acrylic and resins. They lay down fairly evenly and dry quickly.

How is gouache different from acrylic paints?

• Acrylic does not fade and retains its original color perfectly.
• Acrylic does not crumble after a while, either from paper or from other bases.
• After drying, the paint darkens.
• Acrylic is suitable for painting in a watercolor style.

Outcome

The choice for both beginners and professionals is very large.

Now you know how gouache differs from watercolors with acrylics, and with the help of which paints you can bring your inspiration into artistic light, it's up to you to decide.

In the section on the question What is the difference between watercolor and gouache? given by the author stand apart the best answer is depending on what, watercolor gives soft pastel tones. Gouache usually gives sharp poster shades.
depending on what you need paint for!
if we say a poster to draw, then gouache, acrylic, gel with sparkles ....
if something is painted over (depending on what) ..maybe a flomik will come up ... (there are those .. who draw on everything)
if you just draw something ... then you can use watercolor pencils instead of watercolors .. or draw with pastels ... or something else ....

Answer from electric welding[newbie]
Watercolor has more pastel, delicate or soft tones. Gouache is harder, richer, and the colors are mostly dark.
Gouache is cracking.
Thanks to watercolor, you can achieve any saturation of the shade. As far as I know, you won't do it in gouache.
Well, already according to a personal feeling, What is more convenient to draw))

Answer from User deleted[active]
The gouache is thick, and the watercolor blurs. Better gouache

Answer from European[guru]
It all depends on what you need to draw. If a poster, you can’t do without gouache, if a drawing, it’s better to use watercolor.

Answer from Stas Babush[master]
In fact, gouache is considered not very useful.
And the difference when drawing is that gouache lays down in a rather dense layer, that is, the top layer sets the color of the picture. When painting with watercolor, the drawing is more airy, but each superimposed layer sets its own hue.
I advise you to try it anyway and decide for yourself.
Personally, I prefer watercolor.

Answer from Jana[newbie]
What's the best? Depends on a person. Watercolor produces lighter, transparent and blurry pictures, while gouache produces richer and darker ones.