Welcome to my Gouache Database – a place where I keep track of all the gouache I’ve tried. This database was born from my obsession with learning everything I can about this interesting medium. My curiosity is only quenched after hours and hours of observation and testing, and by then I’ve already bought two more brands! 😂 It never ends…
I continually update this database as I test things, so check back once in a while.
Table of Contents
(updated May 2025)
PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS’ GOUACHE
| Brand | Tube Size | Cost Range per tube* | Cost range per ml. | Binder Type *** | Vegan?** | Review | Buy | Manufa. Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daler Rowney Designer’s Gouache | 15 ml | $5.93-8.95, £5.50-8.30 | $0.40-0.60, £0.37-0.55 | Gum Arabic + Calcium Carbonate | Yes except the colors containing PBk9 (bone black). | Review | Buy | UK |
| Daniel Smith Extra Fine Gouache | 15 ml | $11.18-18.65, £12.20-16.40 | $0.75-1.24, £0.81-1.09 | Gum Arabic | Yes, except these colors contain PBk9 bone black: Sepia, Ivory Black, Joseph Z’s Neutral Grey & Payne’s Gray. | Review | Buy | USA |
| Holbein Artist’s Gouache | 15 ml | $8.29-23.73, £3.70-12.30 | $0.55-1.58, £0.25-0.82 | Gum Arabic | Yes, except these colors contain ox gall: Cad Red, Cad Red Purple, Cad Yellow, Cad Lemon, Cad Orange Yellow Ochre, Jaune Brilliant 2, Naples Y, Cad Green Apple, Terre Verte, Co Green Pale, Ulta Light, Grey 1, Grey 2, Permanent White, Primary White, Golds, Silver. Some colors also contain PBk9 (bone black). | Review | Japan | |
| Holbein Acryla Gouache | 20ml | $6.34-9.91, £3.60-5.30 | $0.32-0.50, £0.18-0.26 | Acrylic resin | Yes | Review | Buy | Japan |
| Jackman’s Art Materials Handmade Gouache | 14ml | £7.95-9.95 | £0.56-0.71 | Kordofan gum arabic | Yes | Coming soon | Buy | UK |
| Lefranc Bourgeois Linel Extra Fine Gouache | 14ml | €6.30-9.32 | €0.45-0.66 | Gum Arabic | TBD (waiting for company response) | Coming soon | France | |
| Liquitex Acrylic Gouache | 59ml | $9.23-12.52, £11.05-12.25 | $0.16-0.21, £0.19-0.21 | Acrylic polymer | Yes | Review | Buy | France and China |
| Maimeri Extra Fine Gouache | 20 ml | $11.75-14.45, £5.74-7.73 | $0.58-0.72, £0.28-0.38 | Gum Arabic | Yes except the colors containing PBk9 (bone black). | Review | Italy | |
| M. Graham & Co. Artist’s Gouache | 15 ml | $8.97-18.35, £9.25-19.70 | $0.60-1.22, £0.62-1.31 | Gum Arabic, Honey | No (contains honey and a proprietary non-vegan ingredient according to their email). Some colors also contain PBk9 (bone black). | Review | USA | |
| Royal Talens Extra Fine Gouache | 20 ml | $7.74, £2.99 | $0.39, £0.15 | Dextrin | Yes except the colors containing PBk9 (bone black). | Review | Netherlands | |
| Shinhan Professional Designer’s Gouache | 15 ml | $4.43-11.75, £4.10-10.90 | $0.30-0.78, £0.27-0.73 | Gum Arabic | Yes except the colors containing PBk9 (bone black). | Review | Buy | South Korea |
| Schmincke Horadam Artist Gouache | 15 ml | $11.30-22.76, £7.90-16.50 | $0.75-1.52, £0.53-1.10 | Gum Arabic, dextrin | No (all colors contain ox gall). Some colors also contain PBk9 (bone black). | Review | Buy | Germany |
| Turner Design Gouache | 25 ml | $6.59-7.49, £5.39-7.07 | $0.26-0.30, £0.21-0.28 | Gum Arabic | Turner says “Unfortunately, we don’t do this kind of test but I’m pretty sure that excepted colours like the bone black, the colours are vegan.” | Review | Japan | |
| Turner Acryl Gouache | 20, 40 ml | £4.00-7.00 | £0.18-0.20- | Acrylic Polymer | See above | Review | Buy | Japan |
| Winsor & Newton Designer’s Gouache | 14 ml | $6.50-14.65, £5.25-9.10 | $0.46-1.05, £0.38-0.65 | Gum Arabic | Yes, except these colors contain ox gall (and some also contain PBk9): Intense Blue, Primary Blue, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black, Lamp Black, Prussian Blue, Sky Blue, Winsor green and Neutral Grey. | Review | Buy | France |
This page contains affiliate links through Jackson’s Art. If you decide to purchase something using my link, I get a tiny store credit so I can buy more art supplies, at no extra cost to you!
STUDENT GRADE GOUACHE
| Brand | Cost per set | Tube Size | Cost per tube* | Cost per ml | Binder Type *** | Vegan?** | Review | Manufa. Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arteza Premium Gouache Sets | (24)$26.00 (60)$42.92, (24)£30.23 (60)£35.99 | 12 ml | (24)$1.08 (60)$0.71, (24)£1.25, (60)£0.59 | (24)$0.09 (60)$0.05, (24)£0.10 (60)£0.04 | Gum Acacia | The binder is, but unconfirmed if they use any PBk9 (bone black) | Review | China |
| Caran D’Ache Studio Gouache Primary Set (5) | $24.25, £19.70 | 10 ml | $4.85, £3.94 | $0.48, £0.39 | Dextrin | Yes | Review | Switzerland |
| MEEDEN Gouache Paint Set (24) | $18.95, £15.95 | 12 ml | $0.78, £0.66 | $0.06, £0.05 | Unknown | Yes | Review | China |
| Miya Arts HIMI Gouache Set (24) | $27.99, £27.29 | 30 ml cups | $1.16, £1.13 | $0.03, £0.03 | Petroleum based | The binder is, but unconfirmed if they use any PBk9 (bone black) | Review | China |
| Royal & Langnickel Essentials Gouache Set (24) | $24.37, £14.26 | 12 ml | $1.01, £0.59 | $0.08, £0.04 | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Absolutely horrible! Don’t buy. | China |
| Schmincke Akademie Gouache (Primary Set) | £17.80-£20.83 | 20ml | £3.56-£4.17 | £0.18-£0.21 | Biodegradable polymer (not acrylic based) | Yes | Review | Germany |
Notes about my Research
*Prices don’t include shipping or taxes. I attempted to find the cheapest price for each item. For US prices I searched on Blick, Cheap Joes, and Amazon.com. For UK/EU sales I searched on Jacksons or Cass art, or Amazon.co.uk.
**I’ve emailed each company to confirm what is in their paint. If they haven’t responded I wrote ‘unconfirmed.’ There is a lot of misinformation online so I prefer to get my facts straight from the company. Regarding vegan paint – the reason a paint would not be considered vegan is if it contains animal biproducts such as honey or ox gall in their binders, or ivory in the pigments. Some brands that use ‘vegan’ binders use “Ivory Black” or “Bone Black” (PBk9) which is derived from animal bone. So even if the binder is vegan, any colors containing that pigment are not vegan. I’ll update my list as more companies respond.
***I’ve emailed the companies to confirm the binder materials and the manufacturing location. If they didn’t respond, I will write ‘unconfirmed’ until I hear back. However I don’t think all the companies are being forthright about their ingredients. Example: When I emailed Schmincke (twice), I had to specifically ask whether they include dextrin. If I didn’t ask, they didn’t include it in their ingredient list. I don’t think brands are trying to hide anything, I think they assume people don’t care what the exact ingredients are. I also think it’s likely that most of the brands use at least a little dextrin in the binder, but may not disclose this because it’s a very small amount. Does it matter? Not really. But I’m just trying to be super accurate for you all. Many people assume gouache always uses a gum arabic binder, but that’s not always the case, especially in cheaper brands. Dextrin is a cheaper type of binder (a starchy glue), and can be used to replace gum arabic or used in addition to it. It improves the binder strength and matte finish. But it’s a bit stickier than pure gum arabic. So a little seems fine, but if the entire binder is dextrin, I noticed the paint doesn’t flow very well.
Gouache Lightfast Tests (18 Brands)
Some pigments will fade in sunlight. If you sell your original artwork, or want them to last a long time on the wall, it’s important to avoid ‘fugitive’ colors. Many artists have done tests for watercolors and oils, and a small selection of gouache colors, But I couldn’t find a larger source of gouache lightfast tests online. So I decided to make my own. For those who are interested in researching pigments, Handprint and the Pigment database (both of which are widely considered the best resources for pigment data) offer insights into what pigments tend to fade.
I’ve test the lightfastness of all my gouache whenever I buy it. I don’t own every color of every brand, but as I continue to test new brands I will always do a lightfast test for whichever colors I buy. Since I primarily paint with a limited palette, I usually only buy 5-8 colors of each brand. If a color is missing that you really want to see, I highly suggest you do your own tests!
Lightfast tests currently in progress:
- There are current no lightfast tests waiting for results – see all my results below
All Gouache Brands Lightfast Tests – 6 MONTH Results
How to make your own gouache lightfast tests:
Paint on strips of watercolor paper, using the gouache both at full strength and tinted with white. It’s very important to tint with white as the color will often not show signs of fading until tinted. Since most of us dilute and mix our gouache as we paint, the tinted version is more true to real life application. Then paint an identical strip and put that in the drawer (these are the ‘control’ strips you’ll compare to). Leave your test strips in a window and forget about them for 4-6 months.
After 6 months, non-lightfast pigments will show signs of fading. Some really poor quality pigments will show signs of fading after only 1 month! If the pigment has not changed after 4-6 months, it is considered stable. Since I live in northern Scotland I do my tests for 6 months to ensure they get enough exposure to light. If you live somewhere with bright sunshine year-round you probably don’t need as much time. I leave them in the window 24/7. The best window I have is facing west.
Color Swatches of Each Brand I Own
I don’t own every color in every brand, but these are the swatches I have created with what I own. More information can be found in the individual review posts.
These are high resolution scans so they may take some time to load.
Mold Tests – Comparing 12 Brands of Gouache
After hearing about people having issues with mold growing on their gouache palettes, I got an idea to test all of my gouache brands to see if any of them are more prone to mold. I tested them over the course of 2(ish) months.
Experiment Setup/Rules:
To start, (Phase One) fresh paint was squeezed from the tube directly into an air-tight palette. I did not add any extra water or treatment to these palettes. The palette were sealed shut and set on the shelf. I checked them once a week to see if anything was growing.
TESTS BEGAN FEB. 9, 2023
| Brand | Colors in the test | Feb 13 Notes | Feb 19 Notes | Feb 24 Notes | March 5 Notes | March 9 Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arteza Premium Gouache | Taupe, Toffee Brown, Latte Brown | Slight discoloration in corners – Possible binder separation | No change | A little more discoloration on edges | More discoloration, possible mold started on ‘Latte Brown’ | Mold on Latte Brown |
| Caran D’Ache Classic Gouache | White, Primary Yellow, Scarlet, Cyan, Black | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Daler Rowney Designer’s Gouache | Black, White, Neutral Gray | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Daniel Smith Extra Fine Gouache | Hansa Yellow Light, Pyrrol Red, Ultramarine, Lamp Black | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Holbein Artist’s Gouache | Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Lemon Yellow | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| M. Graham & Co. Artists’ Gouache | Azo Yellow, Naphthol Red, Cobalt Blue, Ivory Black | Possible discoloration on the yellow | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Miya Arts HIMI Gouache | White, Lemon Yellow, Deep Red, Ultramarine, Jade Green, Black | No change | Binder separation in lighter colors but no mold | More binder separation in more colors | More binder separation in more colors | More binder separation in more colors |
| Royal Talens Extra Fine Gouache | Yellow, Vermillion, Neutral Gray | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Royal Langnickel Essentials Gouache | Yellow Mid, Rose, Cobalt Blue, Mauve, Deep Green, Prussian Blue | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Shinhan Professional Designer’s Gouache | Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Quinacridone Red, Ultramarine Deep | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Schmincke Horadam | English Red, Helio Blue, Titanium Gold Ochre | Slight discoloration in the yellow corners – Possible binder separation | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Winsor & Newton Designer’s Gouache | Primary Blue, Yellow Ochre, Winsor Green | No change | No change | No change | No change | No change |
At first, the only major changes were on the Arteza Latte Brown which started discoloring quickly and then produced mold after at 3.5 weeks.
Then as more of a real-world test, I began Phase Two which consisted of painting with the colors from the palette. This means I introduced water to them. My theory was that the paint itself does not inherently promote mold growth. It’s what we add to the palettes and how often we use them that contributes to mold growth. After painting with each color, I then reseal the palettes and check them every 4-5 days for another month.
Update: used/mixed/water added on: March 9, March 24
| Brand | Colors in the test | Date Started (useD) | Checked Mar. 16 | Used Mar. 23 | Checked Mar. 30 | Checked april 10 (final check) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arteza Premium Gouache | Taupe, Toffee Brown, Latte Brown | March 9, 2023 | Growth visible on Taupe | More mold on Arteza (see below) | Mold continues to thicken | Mold continues to thicken |
| Caran D’Ache Classic Gouache | White, Primary Yellow, Scarlet, Cyan, Black | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Daler Rowney Designer’s Gouache | Black, White, Neutral Gray | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Daniel Smith Extra Fine Gouache | Hansa Yellow Light, Pyrrol Red, Ultramarine, Lamp Black | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Holbein Artist’s Gouache | Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Lemon Yellow | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| M. Graham & Co. Artists’ Gouache | Azo Yellow, Naphthol Red, Cobalt Blue, Ivory Black | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | Fuzzy patches on Ivory Black | Ivory Black completely covered in fuzzy mold |
| Miya Arts HIMI Gouache | White, Lemon Yellow, Deep Red, Ultramarine, Jade Green, Black | March 9, 2023 | No change | Slight binder separation | No change | No change |
| Royal Talens Extra Fine Gouache | Yellow, Vermillion, Neutral Gray | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Royal Langnickel Essentials Gouache | Yellow Mid, Rose, Cobalt Blue, Mauve, Deep Green, Prussian Blue | March 9, 2023 | No change | Binder separation | No change | No change |
| Shinhan Professional Designer’s Gouache | Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Quinacridone Red, Ultramarine Deep | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Schmincke Horadam | English Red, Helio Blue, Titanium Gold Ochre | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
| Winsor & Newton Designer’s Gouache | Primary Blue, Yellow Ochre, Winsor Green | March 9, 2023 | No change | No change | No change | No change |
The only visible issues after Phase 02 are the Arteza Taupe and Latte Brown, and the M Graham Ivory Black. Otherwise a few cheaper brands had some binder separation.
Conclusion
While doing the tests I learned that some brands use biocide in their paint (like Miya HIMI, who even offer a spray bottle of fungicide for their gouache). It’s reasonable to assume that many brands include biocide in their paint but don’t say anything, because it’s the industry standard (not just for artist paints, but all industries). Without emailing each of them again, I can’t confirm that. So if this matters to you, perhaps try reaching out to whichever brand you’re interested in.
Regarding mold, the Arteza and M. Graham gouache had issues, and this coincides with many reports I’ve received from viewers in the comments of my YouTube channel. I can reasonably assume those brands do not include biocide in their paint. Care should be taken when using those brands in an air-tight palette.
How to Avoid or Remove mold from your Gouache Palette
I used a “wet” palette for my gouache for over a year without issues. If you want to learn more about that, check out this blog post.