Gouache Painting Supplies

Discover the essential supplies you need for gouache painting! From vibrant paint colors and quality brushes to the best surfaces and sketchbooks, this guide covers everything to help you create beautiful art. Whether you’re new to gouache or looking to refine your setup, these recommendations will get you started on the right foot.

Welcome to this guide on my essential gouache painting supplies! I’m sharing everything I use, from paints and brushes to surfaces and sketchbooks. I’m sharing what works best for me in order to help you start or nurture a painting practice.

I previously shared a list of my essential oil painting supplies prompting several requests to share my gouache supplies. Gouache paint (pronounced gw-ash) is similar to both watercolor and acrylic paint mediums. Much like watercolor, it’s a pigment that needs to be mixed with water to spread across paper, canvas, or any other surface. I mostly use traditional gouache, and that’s what I’ll be covering in this post. There is also acrylic gouache similar to acrylic paint in that it cannot be reconstituted with water—it’s permanent once dried.

When working with gouache, I typically use it as my traveling art medium. You may have seen some of my paintings on Instagram recently with my Urban Sketchers group. My setup is fairly compact, and cleanup is easy. That being said, I do gouache painting in my studio from time to time as well.

Alright, let’s dive in and get you set up with everything you’ll need for a successful painting session!

Paint Colors

I don’t work with a set palette for my gouache painting, but I’m working towards establishing one. I think this helps to keep things more simplified. My plan (similar to my oil painting) is to work with a split primary palette, which means having a warm and cool version of each primary color. In addition to these, I’ve also added white and burnt sienna.

The brands of gouache that I enjoy working with the most are M. Graham and Utrecht. If you’re looking for a color palette to start with, here is my recommended list:

Primary Palette

• Titanium White
• Cadmium Yellow
• Yellow Ochre
• Cadmium Red
• Quinacridone Rose
• Ultramarine Blue
• Phthalo Green
• Burnt Sienna

Palette

This travel palette is what I use to store my gouache paint and the surface I use to mix colors while painting. I fill each cavity with a different color and work directly from there. The beauty of gouache is that it can be reactivated with water. So, when I’m done with my painting session, I leave any leftover paint in the palette. Before my next session, if the paints have hardened, I’ll spritz them with water to reactivate them. While I prefer working with gouache fresh from the tube, reactivating them within ten minutes of painting gives them enough time to get quite soft.

I am testing a pochade box for my gouache, but I’m not ready to give it a solid review. Once I am, I’ll update this post with my recommendation.

Brushes

I prefer synthetic brushes for this medium. As I mentioned above, I typically travel with my gouache, and this set of brushes from Jack Richeson is the one I use the most. They are compact and the set of brushes has everything I need.

I also like the Princeton Velvetouch Brushes. If you’re looking for a more premium set, the Sarah Burns Studio X Craftamo Signature Brush Set is beautiful!

Surfaces

I mostly work on paper with gouache. Any watercolor paper is great, but my go-to is the Fabriano Studio Hot Press Watercolor Pad. I typically purchase the 11×14 size (you can cut it down if you need smaller sizes).

I’m also currently enjoying working on toned tan paper. The gouache pops on this surface. The Strathmore Toned Mixed Media Paper in a toned tan that I love. I also love the Strathmore Hardbound Art Journal in toned tan. I use the 8.5×5.5 size as a small gouache sketchbook (I’ve also recently started using the larger 8.5×11 size as a pen/pencil sketchbook).

Other

• Collapsible Cup: You’ll need a container for water to clean your brush. You don’t need anything fancy. At home, I use an old glass jar. When I take my gouache on the go, I pack this collapsible cup. I also carry a refillable bottle of water with me.
• Spray Bottle: This is very handy for keeping your paint wet. If working in the sun or a warm location, a small spray bottle will be your best friend.
• Viva or Car Detailing Paper Towels: A good paper towel is essential for wiping off my brush between colors after rinsing it in water. You don’t want to get your gouache too wet, so this helps prevent that. I recommend Viva Signature Cloth or these blue shop towels.
• Baby Wipes: I use these often to clean up any paint on my hands and surfaces. Baby wipes are especially handy if you’re in a place without access to water and need to clean up.
• Murphy’s Oil Soap: I use Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean my brushes. Honestly, any soap will work; I use it to clean my oil painting brushes, and it works well here too.

And that’s a wrap! I hope you found this guide helpful in assembling your gouache painting toolkit. Having the right supplies can make a world of difference in your artistic creative process. Remember, everyone’s preferences are different so feel free to experiment and find what works best for you.

If you have any questions or suggestions about my gouache painting supplies, I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments below or connect with me on social media. Happy painting, and I can’t wait to see what you create with these recommendations!

More Art Related Posts You’ll Love

• How to Get Started in Oil Painting
• My Favorite Online Painting Courses
• My Essential Oil Painting Supplies

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