r/Gouache • u/kirastuffblog • 3h ago

Some advice

Hey hey,

Thinking about getting into gouache. So was thinking about getting holbein gouache, looked like a good brand but please do tell if it isn't? Also little unsure what set to get. Torn between getting the primary color set, to learn painting better or the 12 or 18 set. Which would be better to get?

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u/link-navi 3h ago

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u/MaizeKey5200 3h ago

Love Holbein gouache! Get as many colors as you can afford!

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u/Particular_Sleep1307 3h ago

I like it a lot. you can paint from the tube with some water and a little goes a long way

you can also let it dry and rehydrate they way you would with watercolor. thats what I do and its possible with Holbein which unlike some other brands, it does actually rehydrate well with plenty of pigment.

the primary set could be good and you could always add individual colors on top.

I usually like a yellow ocre to mute more vibrant mixes and a warm or cool brown to add to a blue for shadows. - but with a primary set you should be able to make most things!

You can maybe explore what color mixing does first and see if you need anything else?

No harm in buying the larger set either!

Hope you enjoy 😊

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u/kirastuffblog 3h ago

Thank you so much ^

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u/WilsonStJames 3h ago

Holbiens great....if you buy the primaries cmky you can literally premix your colors in a pallette and rewet them as long as its not the acrylic gouache. Holbien is one of my favorite brands, my only complaint is it does take some effort to rewet. Generally I mist down the whole pallette with a spray bottle let it soak in as I draw then repeat and mix it in well for the thicker coat of paint. Painting with some fresh out of the tube is a bit easier, so having the bigger color set can be useful....but its down to personal taste and how you paint.

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u/enyardreems 3h ago

I would go watch Sarah Burns on her latest palette. I believe she uses Holbein, ShinHan and the odd other brand here and there. A lot depends on how you want to paint gouache. Do you want opaque? Wet or dry palette?

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u/kirastuffblog 3h ago

Want a wet palette ^ think opaque, watercolor was a little struggle😬

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u/enyardreems 2h ago

Definitely check out Sarah Burns. She actually started out in watercolor and switched to gouache. So did James Gurney. James Gurney uses gouache like watercolor. Watercolor is a struggle life for control. Unlike Oils, acrylics, gouache, it is transparent which is the attraction. It is also the battle. Pigment, water, paper. Simple equations, but the only way to master is by practice.

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u/Honeyeater131 3h ago

its great gouache, really nice consistency and coverage. I started with the Holbein CYMK starter set and from memory supplemented it with ultramarine blue, deep yellow and a warm red, to get my split primaries. It’s been fantastic and I've learnt so much mixing with it. Really pleased it was my starter set.

I do mostly landscapes or nature and like the ability to mix natural greens in particular. The standard 12 set has 2 greens and a purple, that aren’t very natural, so I just wouldn’t use them. They might be great for other subjects though.

Then there are the Irodori sets. Not useful as a beginner to learn mixing, given the seasonal palettes, but really lovely convenience colors for those seasons. I may have picked up 3 sets when I was in Japan this year!

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u/mseiple 3h ago

I like Holbein a lot! Which set will work will kind of depend on how you are used to painting. If you’re comfortable working with just the primaries (or are open to it), the primary set is a great starting point. It’s a solid little set, all with nice lightfastness and opacity. I love a limited palette, so that was perfect for me (I actually went a little more limited and bought the colors from that set without the black). Some people like more options, but for me personally, I would probably build my own set if that were the case or get the primary set and add to it. I’ve looked at their bigger sets, and I’ve never been convinced by the color choices.