Written By Lena Rivo
Now let's talk about the paper. If you have been following me on social media for some time, you probably know that my favorite paper for painting with gouache is Saunders Waterford 140lb cold-pressed paper. I can't say it is the best paper in the world (even though I am pretty sure it is) because I haven't tried many. I just can say that it has a beautiful texture and I really love how it feels. It exists in two colors: White and High White. The White is actually an ivory toned paper, while the High White is an absolutely white paper. I love them both.
The White paper in a spiral pad.
This is the High White paper in a glued pad. I hope you can see how beautiful and soft its texture is.
These two paintings are done on Saunders Waterford High White 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper which is perfect for gouache.
If you are looking for an album for gouache painting, many watercolor papers will do the job. However, the weight of the paper matters. Paper for painting with gouache should be at least 140 lb/300 gsm. You don't want your paper to buckle when you start laying down your gouache. High quality watercolor paper is often gelatine sized, which makes it resistant to layering and wiping.
Having said that, I sometimes use a Moleskine watercolor notebook in size Large with gouache. It's paper weight is 200 gsm, but it holds gouache very well and doesn't buckle.
I also make my own Illustration boards for gouache. I have used dfferent kinds of paper to make them namely: Fabriano colored paper, Canson Mi-Teintes Earth
Tones paper for pastels and Strathmore Toned Tan/Toned Gray paper for mixed media. They all take gouache very well. Papers intended for pastels and pencils are not as resistant as gelatine sized papers like Arches or Saunders Waterford.
They still hold gouache very well, but do not take much punishment.
To make these boards, I glue a paper onto thin cardboard using a soft gel medium for acrylics. It is acid free and doesn't cause the board to bend. I then put the boards under a pile of books to dry for a day.
Painting with gouache on a gray surface is a certain pleasure as the colors seem brighter on it. I often leave the gouache paintings that I have done on gray boards unfinished.
For these boards below, I used Canson Mi-Teintes Earth Tones paper. Its nice, velvet-like surface takes gouache very well, although some layering is required.
Another great paper for painting with gouache is Strathmore Toned paper for mixed media (140 lbs/300 gsm). It exists in warm and cool versions which are called Toned Tan and Toned Gray. Warm subjects look better on the cool surface of the Toned Gray paper, while cool subjects feel more vibrant on the Toned Tan paper. This paper is very strong and it feels almost like cardboard and never buckles.
I also enjoy painting with gouache on hot-pressed watercolor paper. Gouache spreads wonderfully on its smooth surface, and the texture of the paper doesn’t dominate the texture of the painting. If you are only starting with gouache, I would probably recommend that you try to paint on hot pressed watercolor paper first, because it doesn’t absorb the water from the paints as fast as cold pressed paper, and you only need to add a small amount of water, if any at all to your colors while painting. I use Arches 140 lbs hot-pressed watercolor paper.
These are the diffrent kinds of paper I am using with gouache. I love them all and it is always hard to decide which of them to use.
Now let's move onto the brushes I use with gouache. This section won't take much time. With gouache, I use short handle synthetic brushes for acrylics. Flats in larger sizes and rounds for small details.
These brushes in the photo are new. I put their photo here so that you can see the numbers and the shapes of the brushes well.
This is how the brushes I actually use look. Some of them are three years old.
Synthetic brushes wear out fast, but that's okay because you can continue using them to paint large shapes. However, you need sharp brushes to paint tiny details. This is why I replace my small brushes much more often than my large and medium-sized brushes.
Want to know more about gouache?
Download my free 30-page PDF, “Everything you Need To Know About Gouache”
In this 30-page PDF you will learn:
How to decide which colors you need when you start with gouache and how you can expand your palette to make it even more effective.
What kind of storage palettes to use with gouache to prevent your beautiful colors from fast drying.
Why you need to use two whites with gouache.
How to choose the right paper and what kinds of brushes work best with gouache.
About the setup that I like using for plein air painting with gouache.
You will also be provided with many useful tips that will make your painting experience smoother.
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