Home › Forums › Explore Media › Casein, Gouache, and Egg Tempera › How do I treat Acrylic Gouache?

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  • October 8, 2017 at 10:48 am #995318
    Misspris
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        I have fallen in love with Gouache, after having fallen in love with watercolor. I recently purchased Turner Acrylic Gouache. I have some regular gouache as well. And I am new to it all. My question is how do I treat Acrylic gouache? I have been trying to look up YouTube videos and techniques but it is hard to find much on gouache in general. Should I be looking up techniques for normal acrylics and apply that to my acrylic gouache? Should I use watercolor brushes for it, like I do my regular gouache or should I be using brushes for acrylic paint? Also what type of paper, watercolor paper or should I be using supports meant for acrylics? One more question, one this forum should I and would I get better support and information if I posted in the Acrylic section, or since it is labeled acrylic gouache I should post about it in the gouache section. So confused confused:

        October 8, 2017 at 11:50 am #1272738
        contumacious
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            It isn’t really gouache – it is opaque, matte finish acrylic paint.

            The things that make gouache what it is are opacity and water solubility even when dry. Once your strokes are dried with the Turner stuff, they are permanent. True gouache can be re-wetted and softened if needed. Basically opaque watercolors that sit on the surface of the paper more than transparent watercolors.

            As for supports, the Turner stuff is going to be significantly more adhesive and less prone to cracking than traditional gouache since it has acrylic binder in it. You can use supports intended for watercolors, gouache or acrylics.

            November 17, 2017 at 6:00 pm #1272737
            Trond
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                I have never tried acrylic gouache, but I would guess that it handles somewhat similarly to casein (layering like acrylics, but matte like gouache). James Gurney has some videos on youtube about casein.

                November 17, 2017 at 6:40 pm #1272736
                BeeCeeEss
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                    I agree that the Turner’s stuff isn’t really gouache. It’s acrylic that dries to a matte finish. Some might call it a hybrid of gouache and acrylic but I always found its handling qualities to be more like acrylics. It can be as difficult to handle as regular acrylics but you might find it a bit easier to thin it down and do fine details with it. It doesn’t have the opacity that regular gouache has. Since there is acrylic binder in it, I don’t advise using expensive natural hair watercolor brushes. It would be very hard on them. There are lots of brands of synthetic watercolor brushes that would work just fine with this paint.

                    There is a similar product called Jo Sonja’s gouache–also really acrylic that dries matte but it comes in much larger tubes. I wasn’t all that impressed with it, either.

                    Hope that helps.

                    Beverly

                    I love cooking with wines! Sometimes I even put it in the food! -- Julia Child

                    November 20, 2017 at 9:50 am #1272735
                    dbclemons

                        I would echo that the Turner Acryl is essentially a matte acrylic paint; however, it is different than regular acrylic that has a matte medium added to it. The weaker binder dries more slowly than regular acrylic, and after about an hour or so you can scrub it down with a damp rag, whereas a thin acrylic paint wouldn’t budge. You can add an acrylic retarder to slow the drying even more. Also, because it’s acrylic, you can work on stretched canvas, which is not recommended with traditional gouache. Another nice thing is it comes in large sizes, up to 500ml bottles.

                        One feature it has for use with traditional gouache is that you can use it for underpainting once it dries, even getting fairly opaque, without the gouache paint picking up the paint underneath. You can mix them together; although, the more acrylic it has, the more like acrylic it will behave.

                        The one negative I have about Turner, including their traditional gouache, is that their paints are sometimes very strange mixes. For example, their burnt umber is a mix of several pigments (red oxide, magnesium, and black) unlike most other companies that just use Pbr7. It looks similar, but will behave differently mixed with other pigments. They also like to use some non-descriptive names like “apricot.” Check their pigment labeling to be sure you’re getting what you expect.

                        David Blaine Clemons
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                        August 16, 2020 at 3:22 pm #1324924
                        Rick2009
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                            Can you avoid having to frame under glass with acrylic gouache ?
                            Can you use an acrylic varnish over a finished work done with acrylic gouache ?
                            I can’t get Turner brand here but I can get Holbein acrylgouache. Would that work ?

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