For the first time in a long time, I did a painting video:

Things I’ve Noticed

-I like the way these smell. That’s the most enduring thing about them. It may not seem like a very important detail, but I honestly have found myself going to them for more experimenting because of it. When I want to do something quick that requires a waterproof paint, I tend to choose them and I’ve recently realised that this is why, because they are not my favourite acrylic gouache. They tapped into something psychological.

-Another reason I go for them so much is because of the design of the bottles. The little spout lets me squeeze whatever minuscule amount I need and just go. I don’t really get how it’s so much different from the tube form, but it really is. I like to do a lot of small paintings in sketchbooks and such, and it’s great that I can just get a tiny bit of red when I only need it for a tiny bit of the painting.

-Of all the matte acrylic/vinyl paints that I’ve tried (the others are Holbein, Turner, Golden, Lefranc & Bourgeois, Maimeri, and Lascaux) these are the least matte of them all. Diluted, they can dry pretty matte (but so do many regular acrylics), but otherwise they end up with a slightly more satin finish. I have done a few tests of this stuff with Liquitex’s Ultra Matte Gel and that will kill the shine and extend the paint in a way water extends regular gouache, but you can use regular soft body paint to the same results if you’re going to use the gel. With it being acrylic gouache, I expected it to cut that step out.

-They are so much more acrylic than gouache. I know there are people who get awfully upset about the terminology “acrylic gouache,” but I’m not one of those. When I think of an acrylic gouache, I hope to find something that is permanent when dry (check), able to use on something other than paper (check), but also super matte (nah) and dilutes well with water (not really) rather than medium.

-The acrylic properties are really great, though. Transparent washes are pretty simple if not adding white into the mix. Even when using white, you can get a wash effect. But a very light one. Even a little bit of water gets you mega transparency. Because of this, getting light on top of dark takes a few layers. This is another thing that separates it further from the “gouache” part of the name.

-When I hear of a paint that is advertised to be “ready straight from the tube,” which is something Liquitex says about this paint, I never believe it. Either I don’t know what I’m doing (possible) or that’s never been true. I try every time to use it without any water at all, and it will not flow nicely over the surface. It needs a bit of something.

-Oh! It does have a very interesting thing in common with actual gouache: it dries lighter. That can be fun or awful, just like in gum arabic gouache. I find it causes me the most trouble with their Red Iron Oxide. It’s one of my most used, but it looks much more red when wet than when dry and so my deep reds always need adjusting. In my drawing below, the shadow beneath the nose is a good example of something I wanted more red in, which seemed right when wet.

-The fluorescents, though, are a totally different sort of fun. I got a set of those as a gift and they turned me onto the whole idea of blacklight painting. They are very fun to use in this specific format (though I do use Lefranc & Bourgeois Flashe more due to the texture and better use with water.)

Example

As always, my default example uses the pigments I’m sure to be able to find in most any media: Ultramarine, Burnt Umber, Red Iron Oxide, Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, and Titanium White. I also used a bit of “primary red” here to differentiate the lips and scar, but could have chosen better.

Blending these is just like blending acrylic: something I need lots of practice with before I’m going to get right. No wet-in-wet, and not reactivating. That part of the acrylic gouache thing, they got right on. I have seen many beautiful styles that other people use to paint with flat brushes and acrylic gouache, but I haven’t evolved there yet.

Were these worth it for me? They’re a nice price where I live, since you get a whole 59ml, and very easy to find second-hand. Also, they smell nice and have a perfectly designed bottle. I use them, I’ll keep using them for experiments and tests. But when I want matte, I’ll go for something else. Like vinyl paints, and when I want blending? Turner, all the way.