Watercolor and gouache are both water-based painting styles that produce beautiful and vibrant shades, but they differ in a few key ways.
Watercolor is a painting technique that's been used for centuries, and it is known for its transparency and luminosity. It's made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble binder, which creates a paint that can be diluted with water and applied thinly to create a range of effects, from light washes to more concentrated areas of color.
One of the benefits of watercolor is its versatility. It can be used to create delicate landscapes and portraits or bold abstracts; it all depends on how it's applied. Watercolor also allows artists to layer colors on top of each other, creating a sense of depth and dimension in their work.
Watercolor is a transparent medium, meaning that the white of the paper shows through the paint, giving it a light, airy feel. Watercolor paints are usually applied in thin layers, with each layer adding depth and intensity to the colors. It's a delicate and ethereal style that's perfect for creating soft washes and subtle blends.
Gouache, on the other hand, is similar to watercolor, but it has one primary difference: it's opaque rather than translucent. While watercolor uses the white of the paper to create highlights and light areas, gouache is completely opaque, which means that the paint completely covers the surface it's applied to. This results in a more solid, flat look. Gouache paints are thicker and more opaque than watercolors, allowing the artist to create bolder, more dramatic pieces with matte finish and vivid colors.
Gouache can be used on a wide range of surfaces, including paper, canvas, and even wood. It's an excellent choice for creating posters, illustrations, and typography, as its bold colors and flat finishes give it a graphic punch.
Another difference between the two is the way they're reactivated with water. Watercolor can be reactivated by adding water to a surface it's already applied to, allowing the artist to blend and adjust their work as needed. Gouache, on the other hand, can be reactivated to some extent, but adding too much water can cause the paint to lose its opacity and become more like watercolor.
Overall, if you're looking to create light, airy pieces with a lot of transparency, watercolor is the way to go. But if you're interested in bold, opaque colors and flat, graphic shapes, gouache might be a better fit. Just remember to have fun and experiment – both styles offer endless creative possibilities!
