mcahogarth

Experiment: Acrylic Gouache

Added 2022-03-03 14:00:01 +0000 UTC

I heard about acrylic gouache from an internet artist and thought: 'what on earth'... so I read an article about it (https://www.rileystreet.com/blogs/art/acrylic-gouache) and decided 'well, I love gouache and hate acrylics, so 50/50 chance I'll love this stuff? Good enough!'

Armed with a mysteriously appearing gift certificate, I bought a set and did a really quick experiment this weekend: a mind horse. I did the first layer (the pink and red and blueish one at top there) on Saturday. Saturday evening I wasn't happy with the lines so I added some with red ink. Then I came back on Sunday and added more paint to it, resulting in the paint doodle on the bottom. One of my definite trials was whether the paint was opaque enough to paint over the dark eye with lighter paint (yellow ochre) and have the original eye not be visible... which... didn't work perfectly. Better than I expected, though.

My verdict is... I don't know yet! It lays down more like acrylics (thick and not easily spread), but it dilutes with water--more like water-based oils than like gouache, but that's not bad. Once it's dry it appears to be a little more plasticy in finish (like acrylics) than velvety (like gouache). It doesn't appear to lift again with water once it's dry, as promised.

I didn't do a proper test, though. I want to try again with proper paper, rather than thin sketchbook paper, and using a palette instead of brushing straight from the tube.

Bonus amusement: after I finished the mind horse, I realized I had accidentally reproduced the coloring of one of my favorite expressionist paintings, Franz Marc's Little Yellow Horses, which I have framed in my kitchen. But hey, I love that painting so I'm good with subconscious homage!