Gouache vs Acrylic: Differences, Pros and Cons, and Tips

You’re wondering about the differences between gouache vs acrylic paint and want to know which is more affordable and beginner-friendly?

This article will give you in-depth information about the two painting mediums, their key differences and similarities, what you can do with them, where to buy them, etc.

I’m basing this article on using acrylic and gouache on paper, not other surfaces.

Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something through that link, I get a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

This difference in binders is the basis for distinguishing their other characteristics.

• Binder: Gum arabic
• Pigments: Natural or synthetic

Gouache paint generally uses gum arabic as the binder which, combined with the pigments, creates a smooth, matte finish when you work with gouache.

Its pigments can be natural or synthetic and are less concentrated than in acrylic paint, which has a velvety matte finish.

FUN FACT: “It’s regarded that gouache came about in the 16th century after artists applied oil paint over tempera to achieve a matt finish. It was also used in the 18th century for adding details to pastel paintings. In the 19th Century it was produced industrially and Chinese white tubes were added to watercolour boxes.” Source

• Binder: Acrylic polymer emulsion, a type of plastic (that’s why when it’s dry, you can’t rework it with water anymore)
• Pigments: Synthetic

When it comes to acrylic paint, the binder is an acrylic polymer emulsion that gives acrylic paint fast-drying, glossy, and water-resistant finish. Also, these synthetic pigments produce vibrant and long-lasting colors.

Due to its high pigment concentration and gum arabic binder, gouache paint is highly opaque, with a flat and soft look when dry. 

On the other hand, acrylic paint can range from transparent to opaque depending on how thickly you apply it, while still maintaining a glossy, water-resistant finish.

Furthermore, acrylics can display different levels of translucency and texture when dried.

This is also dependent on the brand you’re using. Some acrylic paints I have dry to be completely opaque and some are more transparent and the brush strokes are more visible.

In contrast, the texture of acrylic paint varies depending on the type you choose. Heavy-body acrylic, for example, is thick like oil paint.

However, student-grade acrylics often produce a semi-transparent look so the brush strokes are visible and this adds more texture.

As I already mentioned above, the finishes of gouache and acrylic paints are quite different. 

Gouache has a flat and soft, matte finish, which can give your artwork an interesting, unusual look. This flat-like appearance is what helps you recognize gouache paintings easily.

On the other hand, acrylic paint dries to a glossy appearance, and you can create a vibrant look easily. However, there are some brands whose paint has a matte finish, too.

There are so many options for you out there, and my best advice is to try some basic colors and see what you like and don’t like about these paints.

A significant difference between these two paints is their permanence. Once you apply acrylic paint and it’s dry, it’s permanent. This means that you can’t activate it with water. 

On the contrary, gouache remains water-soluble when dry. This means that you can reactivate gouache with water to continue working. This can give you more flexibility while you paint. 

Also, this factor may require additional protective measures for gouache paintings, such as adding a fixative or sealant.

In summary, while both gouache and acrylic paints have unique characteristics, choose them according to what works for you: maybe you want paint that’s vibrant and dries quickly – then choose acrylic paint.

If you want your artwork to be fixable (reactive to water) and have a matte finish, then why not explore gouache? 

All these tips and info here are actually based on painting on paper.

Acrylic paint + canvas: prime your canvas with gesso to make colors more vibrant and create a more receptive surface. 

Acrylic paint + paper: you can use gesso for priming if you want more vibrant colors and don’t want the paint to bleed on the back. Gesso will prevent that. Also, use thicker paper, 100gsm, and thicker.

Gouache + paper: when painting with gouache, watercolor paper is a great choice because gouache behaves similarly to watercolors. 

When it comes to techniques, keep in mind that gouache and acrylic are mediums that can be used in many different styles. 

Gouache, often called opaque watercolor, allows you to create a dense, matte finish with a watercolor feel to it. So, try out some watercolor techniques with it.

Acrylic paint, on the other hand, has more flexibility and can achieve both watercolor-like and oil-like results, depending on how it’s applied, how thick the paint is, how much paint you use, and if you add water or not.

Yes, you can also use water with acrylics, although I don’t like that – it just waters it down and I lose the density, and brush strokes become washed out and more visible.

You can mix both, acrylics and gouache, with water or other painting mediums to achieve different effects. However, be careful not to over-dilute gouache, because you can have streaky results (visible brush strokes that you might not want).

When blending colors, remember that with acrylic paint, blend the colors while the paint is wet. In contrast, gouache allows for blending both while wet and after it has dried, because it can be reactivated with water.

You can’t activate dry acrylic paint with water. So, blend them while they’re still wet. Drying time for acrylic paint is generally fast, so if you want to work on them longer, you’ll need to use painting mediums.

Acrylic paint dries quickly, which makes it easy to layer and create opaque results. However, keep in mind that once acrylic paint has dried, it becomes water-resistant and cannot be reactivated with water.

In contrast, gouache stays water-soluble even after drying, so you can re-work it by adding water to adjust the color or opacity. Because of this, you can be more flexible and can experiment more.

Also, remember to be patient when layering, allow each layer to dry before adding the next one to avoid lifting the previous layer or creating muddy results. 

Traditional gouache uses gum arabic as its binder and is often referred to as an opaque watercolor because it uses water in the same way as watercolor but when dry, it’s opaque, unlike translucent watercolor.

On the other hand, acrylic gouache has an emulsion-based binder and is more similar to acrylic paints, when it comes to permanence and drying time. 

Both gouache and acrylic gouache are water-based paints and are typically used on paper or other suitable surfaces.

Gouache, a creamy and opaque paint, works amazingly for illustrations because of its matte finish and opaqueness.

Acrylics are versatile and suitable for a variety of techniques like blending and detailing. They can produce both glossy and matte finishes, which is amazing, but also brand dependent. 

CHARACTERISTICS	ACRYLIC	GOUACHE
FINISH	glossy, matte, vibrant	matte, soft, flat
EASE OF USE	easy	a bit of a learning curve
PRICE	mostly budget-friendly	affordable & expensive
DRYING TIME	fast	slower
PERMANENCE	permanent when dry	can be reactivated with water
OPACITY	opaque or semi-translucent	opaque
BLENDING	easy but must be quick	allows more time for blending
TEXTURE	can easily create texture	thick layers can crack, flat
DURABILITY	durable	less durable
FIXING	not easy to fix mistakes	easy because it reacts to water

If you’re a beginner, start with student-grade paint and explore which ones you love and can work with. Later, you can upgrade to more quality paints, once you’ve nailed some basic things and techniques.

Also, not to mention that acrylic paint is cheaper than gouache and more versatile for beginners to explore.

However, both of these paints can be used by beginners, especially student-grade paints.

Keeping your paint and tools clean is important, especially when it comes to acrylic and gouache. Here are a few tips on how to care for your paints and tools:

• Always clean your brushes thoroughly after use. For gouache, you can easily rinse them in water, while acrylic paints might require brush soap.
  You don’t have to wash them the moment you finish one part of the painting. Instead, put them in a water jar, especially if you’ll still use them for the same project. But don’t leave them in the water for too long. As soon as you’re finished with your painting, wash them.
  
• Be mindful when using a palette; for gouache, a porcelain or enamel palette is a good choice as it won’t stain or absorb moisture. With acrylics, you can use glass, plastic, ceramics, and even paper.
  
• Prevent paint drying on your palette by spritzing it with a mist of water, especially when using acrylics, as they can dry quickly.
  
• Limit the amount of dust on your painting surface by covering your project when you aren’t working on it. This is particularly important for acrylics, which are more durable than gouache but can still attract dust, or sandwich crumbles, as often happens to me.

Their mixing and blending also depend on the brand and the consistency, opaqueness, etc. 

But the best thing here is to experiment and see what you can get from both of them.

Just bear in mind that acrylic paint dries faster so mixing it with gouache can result in different drying times.