Gouache is a water-based paint consisting of pure pigments suspended in water and certain with a water-soluble gum arabic binder. Much like watercolor and tempera, gouache is opaque and could be thinned with water. In contrast to watercolor, gouache dries to a matte end and could be re-wetted and reactivated. This makes it a flexible medium for quite a lot of portray strategies, from skinny washes to thick impasto purposes.
Gouache has a protracted historical past, courting again to the Center Ages. It was a preferred medium for manuscript illumination and was later utilized by artists comparable to Albrecht Drer and Hans Holbein the Youthful. Within the twentieth century, gouache was adopted by various trendy artists, together with Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Edward Hopper. At this time, gouache continues to be utilized by artists of every kind, from illustrators to effective artists. It’s a versatile and inexpensive medium that’s well-suited for quite a lot of portray strategies.