What is the difference between gouache paint and watercolor paint?

Gouache paint

Gouache paint is composed of powdery materials, fixed with glue, and has strong coverage. So when painting gouache, I often start with the darkest color. You can cover it layer by layer, and if you have good skills, you can achieve the same effect as an oil painting. However, the paint is darker when wet and becomes lighter as it dries. There are also purple-tinged colors such as rose red and violet, which are easy to turn out, so you don’t need to use them as a base.

Watercolor paint

Watercolor pigments have very fine particles. When dissolved in water, the color is beautiful, but it cannot cover the background color. Watercolor pigments such as ultramarine, ocher, and earthy red are mineral pigments. They are prone to precipitation when used alone or mixed with other colors. Most watercolor pigments are relatively transparent. Watercolor can enhance the transparency of objects, especially when used on the texture of transparent objects such as glass, metal, and reflective surfaces. Transparent and reflective surfaces are very suitable for expression with watercolor. When coloring with watercolor, proceed from shallow to deep, avoid overlapping strokes as much as possible, and it is best to paint in one go. The materials are different. Watercolor focuses on dry and wet painting. There is more water, very light colors should be used, and the coverage is small. Gouache painting is heavier. When it comes to painting, gouache has coverage, is relatively dry, and has a more layered feel.

Which is easier, gouache or watercolor

Gouache is easier to master than watercolor because it has strong covering power and can correct painting mistakes. The technique is relatively monotonous. These allow beginners to focus on the study of form and color.

Whether it is watercolor or gouache, painters are required to master certain knowledge of color theory. Only by mastering the skills of color mixing and the corresponding color rules can a color be completed. work.

The difference between watercolor paint and gouache paint

1. Watercolor paint

1. Watercolor paint is soluble in water. When painting, it is mainly diluted with water as a medium. After it dries, you can add water and continue using it.

2. Watercolor pigments are divided into solid watercolor pigments and paste watercolor pigments.

3. Watercolor paint is very light and thin, but its coverage is very weak. Watercolor paintings generally cannot be modified by repeatedly adding colors, and usually start with light colors. , slowly transitioning to darker colors.

4. Watercolor pigments have relatively high requirements on paper when painting. Generally, watercolor special paper with good water absorption and slightly thicker thickness is selected.

5. The color materials of watercolor paints are very finely ground and the price is high.

6. Watercolor paint is not suitable for blending more than three colors. Mixing three colors will cause the picture to be dark and dirty.

2. Gouache paint

1. Gouache pigments are made of colorants, fillers, cements, wetting agents, preservatives and other raw materials. There are many brands of gouache paints on the market.

2. It can be diluted with water and can be washed off after being attached to clothes for a short time. However, it is not easy to clean after a long time.

3. The dry and wet changes of gouache paint are very large. When wet, the saturation is relatively high. After drying, the purity, saturation and brightness will decrease, and the color will change. Light; after the gouache works are stored for a long time, the colored parts are prone to cracking.

4. Some colors of gouache paint are not easy to cover, such as deep red, rose red, green lotus, etc.

5. It has a certain degree of toxicity, but will not cause harm to the human body. It should not be eaten.

6. Gouache paint can be blended with many colors, including many intermediate colors and advanced grays.

3. Differences

1. Different pigment particles

Watercolor pigments have fine particles and weak coverage.

The gouache particles are thick, so the coverage is strong.

2. Different painting methods

Watercolor requires a lot of water as a medium, and it needs to be colored layer by layer, from light to dark, from wet to dry. Generally, it needs to be repeated 2-5 times.

Gouache is much less used than watercolor. It is mainly covering color, from dark to light and finally to highlight, from wet to dry.

3. The effects are different.

The watercolor effect is clear, with superior layering and expressiveness.

The gouache effect is real, thick, steady, and easier to master.

4. Different painting tools

The tip of the watercolor pen is soft and highly absorbent.

The water chalk tip is hard and not very absorbent.