I will update this list as I try more brands.
In This Post
How I define “good” gouache
I place huge importance on opacity and consistency. In order to explain why, let me define what gouache is.
Typically gouache is described as ‘opaque watercolor.’ But it’s much more than that! They share this in common: pigment suspended in a water soluble binder.
In watercolor, pigments are ground into an extremely fine powder, and mixed with a binder usually made of gum arabic. They also often contain other modifiers such as honey, glycerin, ox gall, water, and even fluorescents.
In gouache, pigments are ground up, but not as finely as watercolor. The larger pigment particles are still very fine to a human eye but are larger than what is used in watercolor paint. The pigments are combined with a binder, typically gum arabic. More pigment is added, which is why it’s often referred to as a ‘heavy pigment load.’ So compared to watercolor, the paint is more densely packed with pigment. Sometimes other binder ingredients are used such as dextrin (starchy glue), and other fillers can be added such as ox gall, honey, calcium carbonate. I’ve asked each company I reviewed for information about their binders. Understandably, they didn’t give me the exact recipe, and all I can do is trust what they say. But I wanted to hear directly from the companies because there is a lot of misinformation online about what is inside gouache, and people make assumptions that every brand has the same recipe.
In high quality gouache, the pigment load of the paint is what makes it more opaque. This means every drop of it is packed with tons of pigment and it dries extremely vibrant with a velvety matte finish. Lower quality gouache contains less pigment and more ‘filler.’ But, some pigments are naturally more transparent like phthalos and quinacridones. Even in very high quality gouache, these colors will be slightly less opaque than others. But because they pack more pigment in, they will still be more opaque than cheaper student grade gouache.
Gouache Brand Comparisons (12 and counting!)
Now for the good stuff!
I’ve spent the last 6 weeks of my life swatching, mixing, and painting with 12 gouache brands in addition to writing detailed reviews of each. Why? I’m admittedly obsessed with gouache. Over the last few years I’ve made over 100 videos about it, and I get more and more requests for my thoughts on specific brands. So not only was this incredibly informative for me, but I feel it can be very beneficial to people who are new to the wonderful world of gouache.
I’ve been painting with gouache for about 5 years, during which I spent most of my time using Winsor & Newton Designer Gouache and Holbein Artists’ Gouache. It wasn’t until 2021 that I started using Schmincke Horadam and Shinhan Professional Designer Gouache too. Since then, my travel palette contains a few colors from each brand.
I use these brands because they are extremely opaque and have a beautiful consistency. But while doing these brand comparison tests, I found out there is a wide range of consistencies in gouache brands. If you like one of the brands I don’t like, it’s because we are used to different consistencies, and that’s OK! Honestly you can get used to anything with enough practice.
Going into this big Brand Comparison I wanted to keep an open mind and let the paint speak for itself. To make it fair, I’ve done the same tests for each brand and have written all my thoughts as I go.
Steps to my Tests/Reviews
- Lightfast Test Strips of each color including white tints – currently in the window. I’ll check them once a month, and update the notes in the Gouache Database.
- Mold tests – each brand is inside airtight palettes and has a special place in a dark corner of my room where it can grow if it wants to. I’ll check them regularly and keep notes in the Gouache Database.
- 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.
- A ‘quick’ color mixing card – this is to get a feel for how the paint behaves and how the colors mix before I do the test painting. Usually the mixing charts reveal a lot, it’s my ‘first impression’ of the gouache.
- A test painting – I mostly focused on coastal scenes, as that is something I’m very passionate about, but I didn’t paint the same scene every time. The test paintings are done on toned beige paper because I think that shows me how opaque the colors are better than white paper.
RANKINGS BY BRAND
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.
It’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.
The ranking is calculated based on the performance of three categories: price, opacity, consistency. So if the consistency and opacity are excellent, I’ve ranked the lower priced one higher because I believe in value for money.
For instance, Schmincke is the BEST gouache I’ve ever tried…so why is it ranked #5?? It’s so overpriced above the rest, and all colors contain animal biproducts which goes against my moral code. If it wasn’t for that it would easily be #1.
Consistency is subjective, but can be a HUGE factor in enjoyment. My experience over the last 5 years has shaped how I view the ‘perfect’ consistency. To me, high opacity and creamy consistency are of the utmost importance in gouache. If it’s not highly opaque, it might as well be watercolor mixed with white. If you’ve watched my videos you know my style of painting. If yours is similar, you can trust my opinion! If you have a completely different style, you may want to do your own comparisons. In my individual reviews I discuss why I feel the way I do. For instance, Schmincke is probably the best gouache I’ve ever tried, but it contains ox gall, an animal derived substance that I no longer want to use, so I have to give it a lower ranking.
PROFESSIONAL ARTIST GRADE GOUACHE RANKINGS
| BRAND | PRICE (avg. per tube) | OPACITY | CONSISTENCY | RANKING (1 BEING BEST) | REVIEW | BUY |
| Winsor & Newton Designer Gouache | $7.86 | Excellent | Creamy | 1 – Best Overall in all categories | Review | Buy |
| M. Graham & Co. Artist’s Gouache (5 Color Basic Studio Set) | $10.81 | Excellent | Creamy | 2 – Very creamy and vibrant, a joy to use | Review | |
| Shinhan Professional Designer Gouache | $6.64 | Excellent | Creamy | 3 – Vibrant, smooth, incredible for the low price | Review | Buy |
| Holbein Artists’ Gouache | $12.67 | Excellent | Slightly Stiff | 4 – Gets the ‘Most Opaque’ award | Review | Buy |
| Schmincke Horadam Artist Gouache | $17.20 | Excellent | Creamy | 5 – The best gouache I’ve ever used BUT… (read review) | Review | Buy |
| Daler Rowney Designers Gouache | $5.95 | Very Good | Creamy | 6 – Very rich color, smooth flow | Review | Buy |
| Turner Design Gouache | $7.50 | Very Good | Creamy | 7 – Rich color, smooth flow | Review | |
| Daniel Smith Extra Fine Gouache (Primary Mixing Set) | $11.18 | Very Good | Slightly Sticky | 8 – It was good, I like it better as dried gouache | Review | Buy |
| Royal Talens Extra Fine Gouache (10 Tube Set) | $8.08 | Good | Very Sticky | 9 – Too sticky | Review | |
| Maimeri Extra Fine Gouache | £11.50 | Okay | Very Sticky | 10 – Too sticky | Review |
This page contains affiliate links. If you decide to purchase something using my link, I get a tiny store credit so I can buy more art supplies, so thank you for your support! New Jacksons Art customers will receive a 10% discount on their first order if it is made through any of these links.
STUDENT GRADE GOUACHE RANKINGS
| BRAND | PRICE (avg. per tube) | OPACITY | CONSISTENCY | RANKING (1 BEING BEST) | REVIEW |
| Meeden (24 color Set) | $0.72 | Really Good | Creamy | 1 – Performed slightly better than Arteza | Review |
| Arteza (Earth Tones Set) | $0.74 | Really Good | Creamy | 1 – Fun to use but dries extra fast | Review |
| Caran D’Ache (5 Tube Studio Set) | $5.75 | Poor | Gummy | 2 – Transparent and gummy | Review |
| Caran D’Ache (Dried Pans Set of 15) | $2.20 per color | Poor | Dry & Grainy | 3 – This is basically watercolor | Review |
| Miya HIMI (24 Set) | $1.24 per cup | Poor | Goopy | 4 – Transparent, streaky, and stinky | Review |
| Royal & Langnickel Essentials (24 Set) | $0.82 | The worst | Like bad acrylics | 5 – Do not buy! Horrible | N/A |
The Importance of Opacity in Gouache
Gouache is not inherently opaque. Opacity comes from the pigments. Some pigments are naturally more opaque than others. For instance, cadmiums are naturally very opaque, whereas quinacridones and phthalos are inherently transparent. Therefore regardless of brand, the same colors will be less opaque.
To combat this, some brands will add ingredients to specific colors to improve opacity, such as calcium carbonate. In my opinion, this doesn’t matter unless it effects performance or the lightfastness. Ultimately the paint will speak for itself!
So why does opacity matter that much? Here’s my take: If I wanted transparent color, I would just use watercolor. The reason I use gouache is for the ability to layer, the intense color, and the blendability. To me, it’s all about the layers!
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
In the watercolor world, people say one of the biggest factors in learning proper technique is the quality of the paper. Even if you have the best watercolor in the world, using it on really crappy paper usually results in an awful experience. Yes the masters can create something good on the worst paper…but how many of us are masters?
In my opinion the same idea applies to gouache except instead of paper matering the most, it’s the opacity and consistency that truly matters. Water control is absolutely crucial in gouache technique, so if the paint is very transparent or sticky, you will be banging your head against the wall trying to get it to perform. Even if you use the best paper in the world.
Rather than spend $25-35 on a huge set of student gouache that performs poorly, you can buy 5 tubes of high quality gouache and mix any color you can think of. See my choices here. Does it take a bit of extra work? Yes, but after some practice it becomes completely intuitive to mix your own colors. We aren’t born with that skill. I learned it by practice. I can teach you. A hundred artists on YouTube can teach you. There are so many guides and tutorials out there to learn how to mix color. But you just have to start. Believe in your abilities. It is a LEARNED skill! Here’s my free YouTube video about getting started with gouache, including mixing your own colors.
So in conclusion, don’t waste your money on the cheap crap, buy a few tubes of high quality gouache and enjoy the experience as it is meant to be.
Thanks for publishing this. I personally love the Holbein over Winsor. I love the level of opacity and strength of pigment- it meets my needs. I agree it is more stiff, but I also find with a little water it retains much of its opacity and I like the consistency. Your pieces with the Winsor are amazing where I’m struggling with streakiness.
Sarah, I have found this video to be very helpful! Thank you for spending the time to create such a useful teaching. I bought a Turner kit and have enjoyed it. I also bought a sample kit of Holbein last year and have not used it yet. Because of your video, I will be diving into learning how to use it. Thank you again. I am a watercolor artist and have been very conflicted about using gouache. That is about t change. Thanks Barbara
Can I conclude from this review that the Meeden (student’s) gouache is “better” than the Talens (artist’s) one? That is wild. If I read correctly it performs better on opacity and consistency, right?
No- don’t compare pro vs. student levels. They are in separate leagues.
Thanks for the reply, that’s what I figured, but then from the opacity description (good vs really good) I was confused. Have a nice day
This is so valuable. I took a class on gouache (online) and only after I committed to the class and got the supply list did the instructor indicate that she uses acrylic “gouache”. So basically, an acrylic class that didn’t answer any of my questions about real gouache.
I’ve wasted money on cheaper brands and won’t do it again. I wish i had found your fabulous database and reviews before.
Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to review all of these products! While I have only clicked on a few reviews, I love your work, your photos and your presentation. I appreciate your insights and just wanted to say it out loud. Have a great day.
Hi Sarah, I love your site and videos – so helpful for newbies like me. I purchased the Meeden set after reading your review and have been enjoying them. If possible, would you consider reviewing the Ukrainian brand Rosa Studio Gouache? They are a student line rumored to be good quality but doesn’t have many reviews in English unfortunately. The most appealing part to me is that their paint comes in huge quantities. For example, they have a basic set of 12 colors that comes with 40 ml resealable jars and single colors in 200 ml squeeze pouches. Most brands have such tiny tubes that I’m always a bit stingy with the paint, and it would be really nice to worry less about wasting paint while learning. Thank you!
I already have so much paint, that I’m not really interested in trying brands that come in large quantities. Maybe someday if I get a bigger place!
I am so glad I found your blog. You have so much useful, thoughtful content. Thank you for all the things you share. It’s really helpful.
Thanks a lot from France…here we use 2 excellent and very old brands for gouache ” Linel extra fine by Lefranc & bourgeois” and ” sennelier ” , did you try?? I love very much the ” Lefranc & bourgeois ” , really velvet, opacity, vibrant, and creamy, i think my technique of painting is a little bit like you’rs , give it a try !
Do you think you could add a column to the chart that has the mL size of the tubes for each brand? I feel like the cost per tube is a little misleading when the size of those tubes can vary so much between brands.
Yes, I planned to do that when I recently updated with the new brands, and then totally forgot!
GM Sarah! Just discovered your website and your studies of gouache brands, salute to you for some very valuable studies!! I appreciate that a lot. Due to sheer cost of good paint, I am now embarking on making my own watercolor and gouache paints and wanted to turn you onto a couple of suppliers I have found. One is Guerra Paint and Pigments in Brooklyn New York, the second is Kremer Pigments in New York City. Guerra caters to folks that WANT to make their own paints. They are incredibly helpful to work with and have a selection of pigments that will blow your mind!! Kremer is more of a supply house ! Both are like candy stores for painters!! If you aren’t aware of them, check them out! Enjoy and thank you again!
Interesting. I wonder if it depends where it comes from. I buy mine in UK since I live here from one of the few retailers allowed to sell it. I rarely have a tube with any problems. When I do I can easily mix it with a toothpick inside the tube (some comes out but not much).
But I wouldn’t be surprised if they have changed their recipe. I might investigate by buying a few random tubes from different sources and compare or seeing if people in USA could send me a couple tubes from their retailers. It’s curious!
Hi! Really appreciated this, as I’m a watercolour artist eyeing gouache to try and this cemented Winsor & Newton designer’s gouache for me as the brands I can get easily in Australia are limited!
Hi there!
Thanks so much for all your posts and research about gouache, it’s so helpful as I’m trying to navigate all the different options and your paintings are very inspiring!
I was wondering, have you ever tried the Lefranc & Bourgeois linel extra fine gouache? This is one of the brands on my shortlist – I’ve seen some lovely paintings made with it, but I haven’t heard a lot of discussion about its merits, so I’d love to hear your take next time you feel like trying a new sort.
Best wishes!
I’ve never painted w gouache b4, but I have stumbled upon YouTube tutorials and found you have very similar painting styles as I do. I’ve never used white ink or gouache paint on my watercolor paintings I just try to paint in the negative sometimes I overpaint when I know I should’ve stopped, so I considered using ting bits of white gouache bring out sparkles in the water. Then I stumble on you painting w all gouache ocean scenes. You got me interested so I got ( per your recommendation) the primary color set with white of Windsor Newton. I haven’t opened them yet. The Google news featured you in this gouache testing of pro and student blends. Now I’m ordering an Arteza set, only they come in such tiny tubes and I can’t find where to buy individual bigger tubes outside a set. I figure I can mix my color and values with my WN primary paints and if I need a really bright or special color I can use the Arteza, since I’m just now trying my hand at gouache. Thank you for all your hard work saving others the time and $$$$$$$ to do our own experiments and testing. I love learning from you and really appreciate your hard work.
I Sarah. Congradulations for this outstanding piece of work. You give me the taste to do it again. I used to do my homework of beaux-arts in the early seventies with gouache. For 3 years, I have a new set of Winsor & Newton and I will work with it this summer, if summer comes. I am living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For the last past days I was trying to find informations from W&N. Not very easy. My nightmare was the composition, difference and so on on Primary Red, Spectrum Red (these were include in my set) and Winsor Red and C.F.-Red. I will do my swatches because I am not satisfied with my researches. I don’t want to buy a tube if I have already an equivalent. I will see. Best wishes and have a pleasant season. Your work is fantastic, and you are a very good teacher. Thank you so much. NS
Excellent reviews. I enjoyed the videos while waiting in an airport for my flight. I am a watercolor artist looking to get more into gouache. I bought a pan set of Caran d’arch while traveling in UK but have not practiced enough to make a decision. Your review was helpful. Might get a set of the Arteza. Also surprised that you rated it so highly. Thank you
Donna Atwood
If you can afford a few tubes of the higher quality brands you won’t be sorry!
Hi, this is a excellent post, very useful. I tried a couple of the gouache “buy” links. For W&N gouache, it redirects to JA’s home page, and a search there did not yield results. With Shinhan’s link I got a 404 error. I suggest adding some Amazon links. Cheers!
For some reason if you are in USA my Jacksons affiliate links redirect to the homepage, but I do still get credit for purchases through my links.
Luckily I was approved for affiliate status at Blick Arts so I’m in the process of updating my pages with US links. It takes a while as you can imagine. 😅
I avoid Amazon as much as possible.
Yes, let us all avoid amazon as much as possible! I buy my gouache directly from the importer, a fascinating woman.
I would be interested in knowing about the wet vs dry color constancy for the brands, meaning, to which degree does the paint dry lighter or darker than compared to the wet appearance.
That has more to do with the transparency of the color. All brands have both very opaque and slightly transparent colors. And in general the cheaper student grade gouache is more transparent in general (except the earth tones set by Arteza) so it will have more of a drying shift.
Thanks. I was considering buying one of the brands you did not review well. 😳 Now I will get something else.
Thanks for your hard work! This info is so valuable
Thanks, this is very useful for my purchases