Gouache

Gouache (/ɡuˈɑːʃ, ɡwɑːʃ/; French: [ɡwaʃ]), body color,[a] or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin),[1] and sometimes additional inert material.

Just as in watercolor, the binding agent has traditionally been gum arabic but since the late nineteenth century cheaper varieties use yellow dextrin.

[1] Gouache differs from watercolor in that the particles are typically larger, the ratio of pigment to binder is much higher, and an additional white filler such as chalk—a "body"—may be part of the paint.

Its quick coverage and total hiding power mean that gouache lends itself to more direct painting techniques than watercolor.

A variation of traditional application is the method used in the gouaches découpées (cut collages) created by Henri Matisse.

During the eighteenth century gouache was often used in a mixed technique, for adding fine details in pastel paintings.

Gouache was typically made by mixing watercolours based on gum arabic with an opaque white pigment.

During the twentieth century, gouache began to be specially manufactured in tubes for more refined artistic purposes.

Initially, gum arabic was used as a binder but soon cheaper brands were based on dextrin, as is most paint for children.