Gouache Supplies | Some Cave Favourites

[@mjpete27]

Hullo Gem, I have found that the modern synthetic brushes are simply the best options for gouache! I have a couple of different brands but any golden taklon brush will work with gouache! I am just a bit of a throwback when painting with gouache and I like to work on illustration boards! I have also enjoyed working on a paper that you might easily find it is from St. Cuthberts mill their Bockingford soft press sheets is a lovely paper to work on, no matter what mediums you use! They have good prices on blocks too. Now I got a bunch from an Artists wife when she was cleaning out her husband’s watercolor supplies after he had passed away. I have found that every brand goes on sale and shipping is my highest cost! I have not been able to decide on a gouache brand to “love” but most every professional grade paints are very similar and I just cannot pick one! You have quite a few good choices! I have a collection of porcelain dishes and I believe they were originally used for mixing inks for calligraphy! I am also a fan of just about any type of palette except plastic! Thank you for sharing your options with us.

[@Skulls1973]

Talons gouache is my go to white on any media I’m using

[@JessicaSzempruch]

Great info. Thanks Gem! I was waffling about whether or not to try Arteza, but I think I will now. I’m an absolute beginner with gouache, so this video was helpful.

[@TheColourCave]

As a starting point, I think it's a good shout - they behave well enough not to be a hindrance when starting out, and the colour range means you can work with straight colours without worrying about having to mix until you get a feel for it. As I said in the video, I regularly use them alongside the artist-grade brands with no problems. Some of my go-to colours are sage green (surprise!), seaweed, stone blue , taupe and toffee for when I don't want to mix. I hope you get on well with them!

[@Petra0612]

Thank you for all the information! I'm still looking for gouache that's "right" for me.

[@TheColourCave]

You are welcome. I definitely don't have an outright favourite, but it's nice to have a reliable selection to jump between.

[@blackrose538]

I own 2 pads of the Langton Prestige watercolour paper, really love it for watercolours. 100% cotton, too. Would love to go back to painting, but I have to be careful with my right wrist atm 😢

[@Thia-saurus]

This might be a stupid question, but...! 😂Do you notice a difference with gouache depending on weather? Because I've been trying a bit of gouache painting and the paint just won't behave in any way. It's streaky, it won't get onto the paper (keeps clinging to the brush), and whatever else it's been doing to make me feel frustrated lol. It's still super hot here (above 30C) and the humidity is being a pain as well at the moment. Should I maybe wait and give gouache another try later on in the year? Thanks for the video btw! Very enlightening 🙂

[@TheColourCave]

The heat may well play a part - humidity here in Scotland on average is in the 80%s all year round, but we don't have the ridiculous temps to go with it. It's not necessarily that actual temperature, but rather the swing from more 'normal' temps upwards that could be problematic. If your paint it clinging and streaking, it sounds like it is drying quickly - I would try adding more water and working in a couple of thinner layers and see if that helps. If not, you could try waiting until it cools down and see if it makes a difference. This is all only theories, so I'd be intrigued to hear how you get on!

[@KevieG]

Do you ship to the US?

[@TheColourCave]

I do indeed :) If you'd like shipping estimates (I try to keep costs low) just drop me an email - [e-mail] and I can give you a ballpark. Shipping is automatically calculated at checkout too, so you can see before you buy.