Liquitex Acrylic Gouache v. Golden SoFlat Matte Acrylic - What's the difference?

In a previous video I did about acrylic gouache ( • Gouache Diaries | Liqu... , I got comments saying Liquitex is just a matte acrylic, not proper acrylic gouache, So now that there is a brand that is calming to be a matte acrylic I can now test that theory!
SoFlat matte paints are acrylic paint formulated to dry to a matte, opaque finish with minimal brushstrokes. Liquitex's Acrylic Gouache is also formulated to dry to a matte opaque finish. Both paints are acrylic formulas. Are they basically the same thing? What is the difference, if any, between acrylic paint and acrylic gouache?
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[@BirdwithaBrush]

We used to have reps from both companies come give demos and answer questions at our local art store before covid, and this is what I gleaned from these presentations. Liquitex products are all acrylic paint. They name the various lines based on the type of paint that it's most like. So they call their extra fluid acrylic formula 'ink', and even put it in bottles that look like traditional ink bottles because it is most likely to be of interest to artist who use inks. They call their matte, self-levelling, opaque acrylic 'acrylic gouache', because it's intended as acrylic paint for people who like the properties of gouache. I get where they're going with naming this way, but it definitely confuses people. Golden clearly calls everything acrylic paint, and names the lines based on their properties. So their acrylic ink line is called High Flow, and their line for people who like the properties of gouache is the SoFlat Matte. Golden is also pretty cool about continually testing their products and sharing information with the artist community. Even if you don't use their brand much, it's worth subscribing to their free Just paint newsletter for general paint information. Since a lot of pigments are by nature transparent or semi-transparent, it's pretty common for gouache and acrylic formulated with gouache properties to use white and/or black and/or earth tones to create mixes that are more opaque. I would guess that one of the reasons Golden includes real cadmium paints in their line is that these are single pigment red and yellow pigments that are more opaque than many other pigments of these colours. Last time I checked, Liquitex was still being very cagey about what pigments are in their cadmium free paints, and I have to imagine that they are made with a mixture of pigments and not a single pigment replacement. In their lines that have both a cadmium and cadmium free version, they're both series 5 and equally expensive. There are also additives called opacifiers that are added to traditional gouache, and could be in these acrylics with gouache properties, as well. My understanding is that these can include chalk or marble dust, which seem to me like they would be functionally equivalent to white pigment in terms of lightening a colour, but since they are not pigments, would not have to be listed in the pigment list on the container.

[@studio.spirit]

Wow thank you for all the information, very interesting.

[@mendyhand3895]

I just keep hearing about the odor that the So Flat puts out. And the constant stirring, and higher price….game changer for me. But I will try them both. Thanks for all of the great info! - Messy Mendy 👍🙏🏻🎨🖌👩🏻‍🎨🤗

[@1RealRoyalPain]

Thank you ❤

[@1RealRoyalPain]

Do you have a KZbin channel or a blog On another social media. The reason why I’m asking is because I would love to follow you because you were so knowledgeable on this and I think I could learn a lot from you instead of wasting my time on these other channels.

[@donotshowmyname9547]

Some people commenting on acrylic gouache have clearly not used Tuner or Holbein. While liquitex is clearly just matte acrylic, the other two behaves and dries very differently from any acrylic paint.

[@lafayettesouls9763]

I agree that acrylic gouache is just a matte acrylic, regardless of the brand Holbein, turner, liquitex and now golden! It's just how the companies want to market them.

[@donotshowmyname9547]

Have you even used the two Japanese brands?

[@lafayettesouls9763]

yes, I have and aside from different consistency, they are just matte acrylics. @@donotshowmyname9547

[@slickschoppers]

I agree with you on most. but I think you were WAY off with the brush stroke comparisons. I've tried both, and even in your video, the Liquatex is CLEARLY leaving more and deeper brush strokes. it's not even a comparison between the two. liquatex shows brush strokes far far far more. I think price was the biggest factor in your decision. Nothing wrong with that. but in my opinion, Golden so flats are worth the higher price.

[@studio.spirit]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ginaulgen3920]

I'm a fan of matte acrylics and have colours in both these in your demo. I've tended to use the SoFlat when doing larger areas or abstract shapes but enjoyed the Liquitex when doing smaller tighter paintings, I think the squeezy bottle cap helped with grabbing colours and mixing quickly. Had to use a wet palette though as they dry out too quick for me whereas I've dipped straight into the Golden pot for paint and haven't mixed all that much on a palette, I'm sure that's a convenience thing. Nice review thanks.

[@GoldenPaints]

Large blocks of color were definitely a goal when we developed SoFlat!

[@studio.spirit]

Thank you for watching glad you found it useful! Would love to see what you create, Instagram?

[@kennethtwist8662]

Excellent presentation. Thank you.

[@studio.spirit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bethroberts3351]

Very helpful, thank you

[@kevinwalker3918]

Thank you! Lots of great insight!

[@studio.spirit]

Thanks for watching glad you found it useful.

[@mvswaaij]

Thank you !

[@studio.spirit]

You're welcome!

[@default_mode]

Fantastic review, thanks for being so thorough

[@studio.spirit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@masja1790]

Would I be able to use the liquatex to paint on polymer clay?

[@studio.spirit]

ummmm am just planning a video about Liquitex for polymer clay (Halloween) so am hoping it does! I have tried test pieces so far so good.

[@masja1790]

@@studio.spirit sounds amazing. Waiting for that video with excitement then 😊

[@davidburton-richardson9516]

Pigment seperation ??. Just stir or shake for a few seconds. Easy 👍

[@studio.spirit]

Ummm yes, however some of them especially the green was difficult to mix it was like mixing oil and water together. Plus i like to just get the colour and use it not fanny about.

[@davidburton-richardson9516]

Ah yes I see. I can relate to that. Thank you 👍👍

[@TheEvelyneB]

I'm curious. Do they mix well together? You mentioned that the white from Golden is more affordable so if I want to buy a really basic kit to start with (to see if I really like the mat finish before investing too much $), could I buy the Golden white and mix it with three colors (ex. red, yellow, blue) from Liquitex?

[@studio.spirit]

They do mix well together that how am using mine up. Thanks for watching.

[@mendyhand3895]

So interesting! Thx!

[@studio.spirit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@PinkpantherLVdragon]

Acrylic gouache is not just matte acrylic. Gouache is also opaque. That’s why golden doesn’t name So Flat “gouache”. Non-acrylic gouache cracks if too thick; acrylic gouache is flexible. The color charts show that Golden is not very opaque. However, Liquitex acrylic gouache has taken care to make their product as opaque as possible, without jeopardizing the lightfast rating.

[@studio.spirit]

Good points, but in my use of these products the ‘opaqueness’ of them are pretty much the same, Golden’s chart is comparing them to the other acrylics they make, which is why they say they are less opaque because they are, against their other products. It is also why they wouldn’t call it a gouache as well because Golden only make acrylics, so calling it a gouache wouldn’t fit with their branding. Cracking wise your right traditional gouache does crack, but anything with the word acrylic in it should be flexible, both Liquitex and golden don’t crack. Thanks for watching. Am open to suggestions to further test these?

[@piethein4355]

@@studio.spirit realistically no one would make an acrylic that cracks unless for some kind of technical paint (you sea this in minature painting lines sometimes), but it is definetly not imposible, you'd just need to use a less elastic plastic binder and if you really wan't to take it up a noch a binder that shrinks as it dries.

[@clubjer]

How well does the Liquitex take to thinning? Could it be run through a airbrush?

[@studio.spirit]

No sure about air brushing, but it does water down well as I have used them as washes sometimes. Thanks for watching.

[@LuvHrtZ]

Forgive me if I am wrong but isn't Guache just watercolour mixed with a touch of white?

[@studio.spirit]

That’s the first time I have heard that, but no it’s not gouache has different binders and more pigment which makes them more opaque. If you add white to watercolours yes it makes them more opaque but makes the pigment pastel and even dull some pigments. Thanks for watching.

[@nicholascaldwell6079]

@@studio.spirit Before gouache became a product in its own right, watercolorists would use "body colour", mixing zinc white with watercolours, to create a gouache technique. Modern gouache absolutely uses the same binder as watercolour, but the proportions might be different. Also the pigment is ground more coarsely, which helps with opacity.

[@homedecor7516]

Do colored pencils work well on golden soflat? E.g can light colored pencils show well on a dark Golden Soflat colour? Thank you?

[@studio.spirit]

Yes they do, but might take a couple of layers depends on brands pigments etc.

[@riverAmazonNZ]

Extremely informative! Thank you so much.

[@studio.spirit]

Thanks! Glad you found it helpful

[@amimari-keeponwalking]

Acrylic "gouaches" are not gouaches, they are matt acrylics. The binders in gouache and acrylic are different. Acrylic has a plastic (polymer) binder derived from petroleum (perhaps this is why the term "oil separation" has been used for a plastic binder (like nylon and other plastics). Gouache has a gum arabic binder, derived from the Senegal or Kordofan tree. One is reworkable forever (gum) the other is not (polymer). I am uncertain as to the reason for this marketing ploy, in which this mis-identification has become popular with paint manufacturers, but that is what it is. I prefer Golden, due to their honesty in naming the high quality paints they make. "So Flat Acrylic" is honest, Acrylic "Gouache" is not.

[@studio.spirit]

I agree to point that acrylic gouaches are just Matt acrylics, however the binders are different in the Liquitex and the golden even the Holbein acrylic gouache has a different binder. But never a gum Arabic like traditional gouache. At the end of the day it is personal preference, I just share my own thoughts and opinions that might help someone decide one way or the other.

[@miniscribbler7638]

do they reactivate like guoache? or are they fixed once dry like regular acrylic?

[@studio.spirit]

They are fixed once dry, anything with the word Acrylic means 'fixed' when dry.