What is gouache: technique, characteristics, and differences from watercolor

Sol LeWitt, Wavy Brushstrokes 1995, gouache on paper, 153.5 × 153.7 cm, © Sol LeWitt. View works by Sol LeWitt in our Art Shop.

Gouache is often described as a paint halfway between watercolor and acrylic. The comparison helps to place it, although it should be taken with caution. It mixes with water like watercolor, but its colors are usually more opaque and covering. A light brushstroke can be placed over a dark background and, when dry, the surface remains matte, without the usual sheen of other paints.

These qualities explain its presence in very different works: studies on paper, illustrations, designs, posters, and works by artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, or Alexander Calder. They also make it an interesting technique for those who are beginning to approach collecting works on paper.

In this article, we will see what gouache contains, how it is used, how it differs from watercolor, and what to observe before acquiring a work made with this technique.

Table of Contents

1. What is gouache: definition and composition
2. History of gouache in Western art
3. Gouache vs watercolor: key differences
4. How gouache is used: techniques and supports
5. Artists who have excelled with gouache
6. The path to professionalizing your collection

What you will learn in this article

What gouache is, what it is made of, and what characteristics distinguish it from other water-based paints.

How its use has evolved, how it differs from watercolor, and what techniques and supports are commonly used.

How artists like Matisse, Calder, and Picasso worked with it, and what to check before acquiring a work on paper.

By the end of this article: you will be able to recognize the characteristics of gouache, differentiate it from watercolor, and observe a work on paper with more discernment.

Reading time: 6 minutes | Level: introductory | For: art lovers and people interested in starting or expanding a collection

1. What is gouache: definition and composition

To understand the gouache technique, it is essential to break down the chemical components that give it its unique physical properties. Gouache is a water-based paint made with pigments and a plant-based binder, usually gum arabic. It is related to watercolor, although it usually contains a higher proportion of pigment to binder and produces a more opaque layer.

Some formulas incorporate white materials or fillers, such as chalk or clay, to increase their covering power. In others, opacity comes primarily from a high concentration of pigment. The composition can vary depending on the manufacturer, era, and color used.

Among the main characteristics of gouache are its matte finish, color intensity, and its ability to cover the support. With little water, it allows for the creation of compact and uniform surfaces. When diluted, it produces more transparent brushstrokes and washes similar to those of watercolor.

Once dry, gouache can be reactivated when it comes into contact with water again. This facilitates certain corrections and mixtures, although it also requires careful work: insisting too much on an area can lift or alter previous layers.

2. History of gouache in Western art

Opaque water-based paints existed before the word gouache appeared. For centuries, artists used pigments mixed with water-soluble binders to illuminate manuscripts, create miniatures, and add opaque details to drawings and watercolors.

The term gouache began to be used in France in the 18th century to designate a paint similar to watercolor, but prepared to offer greater opacity. In practice, transparent and opaque techniques often coexisted in the same work.

From naturalistic study to modern uses of gouache

Albrecht Dürer, Feldhase, 1502, Watercolor and Gouache on paper, 25 x 23 cm

In the Renaissance, artists like Albrecht Dürer combined watercolor and opaque colors to create nature studies. An early reference is the Young Hare, dated 1502 and preserved in the Albertina in Vienna.

Already in the 19th century, gouache was frequently used alongside watercolor to incorporate highlights, details, and opaque areas. Turner, for example, applied diluted white gouache as a wash. Later, some watercolorists linked to Pre-Raphaelitism used it as a preparation or background.

Its rise in 20th-century design and illustration

Before computer-aided design transformed graphic studios in the 1980s and 1990s, gouache held a central place in commercial illustration, advertising, and poster preparation. Its opacity, matte finish, and ability to form uniform color areas facilitated photographic and printed reproduction. It also allowed for quick corrections, superimpositions, and shape adjustments, making it especially useful in sketches, visual proposals, and originals intended for printing.

3. Gouache vs watercolor: key differences

The comparison gouache vs watercolor starts with a visible difference. In watercolor, the white of the paper is usually part of the image and provides luminosity through transparent layers. Gouache can cover that surface and create opaque color planes.

For this reason, traditional watercolor typically involves working from light to dark areas, reserving the paper for the most intense whites. Gouache offers greater freedom to modify that order: a light color can be layered over a dark one when the lower layer is dry.

Watercolor favors transparencies, gradations, and fluid edges. Gouache facilitates defined silhouettes, uniform backgrounds, and more graphic contrasts. The separation between the two techniques, however, is not absolute. They can be combined in the same work, and a very diluted gouache can acquire transparency.

The color can also change slightly as it dries. Some tones lose luminosity and others lighten, so many artists perform tests before applying them to the final composition.

4. How gouache is used: techniques and supports

The gouache painting technique allows for diluted brushstrokes, opaque layers, flat backgrounds, and small details. It can be used to build an image by superposition or to introduce highlights and accents over a watercolor.

Paper is the most common support, although it can also be applied to cardboard and other prepared surfaces. Stable paper with sufficient grammage will better withstand moisture and be less prone to warping. The choice will depend on the amount of water, the size of the work, and the texture the artist is looking for.

Looking at these details transforms the purchase into a more conscious experience. In our online store, you can discover works on paper and pieces by contemporary artists specially selected by our experts, accompanied by information to better understand each acquisition.

Like any work on paper, a gouache must be protected from intense light, humidity, sudden temperature changes, and inappropriate mounting materials. Before acquiring a piece, it is advisable to check for paint loss, ripples, stains, discoloration, or adhesive residue. If you need help assessing its condition and documentation, you can schedule a personalized advisory session with our experts. We will help you analyze every detail so you can make an informed decision and preserve the work in the best conditions.

5. Artists who have excelled with gouache

Throughout the 20th century, numerous artists incorporated gouache into their work, either as a primary technique or combined with watercolor, ink, pencil, and other media on paper. Artists as diverse as Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, René Magritte, Jackson Pollock, and Egon Schiele resorted to this technique for the intensity of its colors, its fast drying, and its ability to create defined color planes.

The color revolution of Henri Matisse

Matisse in front of paper painted with gouache, Hôtel Régina, Nice. Photo: Lydia Delectorskaya. © 2014 Succession H. Matisse.

Among the gouache artists, Henri Matisse holds a particularly well-known place. From the 1940s, his famous papiers découpés (cut-outs) were made by first painting sheets of paper with flat, vibrant gouache colors, which were then cut out and assembled.  These works marked the last great chapter of his career and renewed his way of working with form and color.

Gouache and the combination of media: Alexander Calder and Picasso

Alexander Calder, Occident, 1975, gouache and ink on paper, 73.6 × 109.2 cm.

Alexander Calder created numerous works on paper in which he combined gouache, ink, and other media. They feature some of the most recognizable elements of his visual language: circles, spirals, suspended forms, and intense colors. Discover Alexander Calder's works available in our Art Shop.

Pablo Picasso, like many other artists, used gouache alone or combined with watercolor, ink, pencil, collage, and other media on paper. Its use is documented in different stages of his career, both in autonomous works and in mixed-media compositions, reflecting the breadth of materials he worked with. Discover Picasso's works available in our Art Shop.

Calder and Picasso are just two examples. Many other artists used gouache within mixed-media compositions, which is common in works on paper. For the collector, it is advisable to check that the technical sheet accurately identifies the different materials used. 

6. The path to professionalizing your collection

Buying works on paper also involves learning to look: understanding the technique, reviewing the state of conservation, knowing the provenance, and assessing whether the piece fits into the collection we want to build.

For those who want to delve deeper into this process, The Club by ArteGlobaL brings together content, meetings, and advice designed to approach art with more information and confidence. A space to discover artists, share questions, and develop one's own criteria when collecting.

Discover The Club by ArteGlobaL, a space to learn, share, and make more informed decisions when collecting.