Tutorial : Introduction to ACRYLIC GOUACHE (Liquitex)

Liquitex Staff Led Demonstration Video of Acrylic Gouache.
The Best of both worlds : Acrylic & Gouache

[@cherryberry2423]

Great info. I got these because they were on sale and now I feel more confident using them.

[@maggiemae6867]

I love love love this product. I have questions though, can or SHOULD I mix water with this or can you recommend something? Are you making bigger bottles? I'm going through this extremely fast. The smell is to strong. Can you ask them to correct that? I need this product in my life but the headaches are horrible

[@kevinishki]

So the defining characteristic of gouache is opaque, and matte? I thought it was being reactivated by water.

[@zein9227]

That's acrylic paint that dries to a velvety and opaque finish which imitates gouache. It's not gouache, though, because the binder is not the same. In gouache the binder is gum arabic, methyl cellulose, etc. Those are reactivated by water. The acrylic medium in acrylic colours such as this is not reactivated because it become water resistant after it dries.

[@hurricanekitty6736]

Ok so why acrylic gouache & not just stick with using acrylic?

[@Jimmytimmy1111]

From what i can tell ..gouache dries matte/dries with no shine, is more opaque and dries faster than regular acrylic paint. But if you added matte medium to the acrylics and did a second coat wouldnt you get the same effect? I dont know ..but im not sold on gouche .

[@jennybohner3144]

@@Jimmytimmy1111 I think the gouache content would still make the paint much more opaque than plain acrylic. I've just bought some of the acrylic gouaches to give them a go.

[@zein9227]

That's acrylic paint that has additives such as silica and chalk. Those ingredients are opacifier and matting agents. The paint dries to a velvety, opaque and matte finish which imitates gouache. Plain acrylic medium is plastic and therefore has a very shiny surface. Those additives reduce the surface sheen. The main reason for an acrylic paint with a finish similar to gouache is the water reactivation. Gouache is highly water reactive. Acrylics are water resistant once dried completely.

[@zein9227]

@@Jimmytimmy1111 Adding medium reduces the opacity of the colour because there is literally less colour in the mix since the addition of medium adds to the volume. At the same time, different pigments need different amounts of (matte) medium and your own mixes wouldn't reach the same amount of uniform matteness across your used colours. So, you would find yourself making your own recipes and using a lot of medium and paint to create a similar end result. It is possible. However, for convenience and uniformity, the company has created the colours o be used immediately.

[@sjsartanddesign]

because, at least for me, it is much easier to create a nice flat streak-free surface with acrylic gouache than it is with regular acrylics.