Painting With Gouache On Paper

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If you love dabbling in watercolor and also prefer the richness the acrylic but somehow are not satisfied with both, then you must opt for gouache. Also referred to as opaque watercolor, gouache paint offers you the best of the two paints.

Gouache has an acrylic matter effect and can be conveniently used on a wide range of supports. It is easy to manage and requires just a little water to display its richness.

You don't have to invest in tons of specialized supplies to use it despite its uniqueness. However, you do need to be careful while choosing the surface on which you would be using it.

So what's the best paper for gouache paint? The best paper for gouache paint needs a thickness of at least 200gsm (grams per square meter). Finer grained, non-oily paper that is somewhat soft in texture is also ideal. For a quick measure, any watercolor paper will work well for gouache paint.

So let's look at what how to choose the best paper for your gouache paint needs.

How To Choose The Best Paper For Gouache Paint

Gouache paint is quite versatile and can be used on a variety of surfaces including Bristol board, thick drawing paper, illustration board, and watercolor paper. But it doesn't give the best outcome when painted on a canvas.

Any paper that has been designed for watercolors is considered appropriate for gouache paint. You need to use a paper of a minimum of 200 grams per square meter (gsm) while using this paint.

You need to select a fine grain paper that is smooth enough to hold the paint well. Satin finish papers are ideal for designs that require meticulous work. You can use a coarse texture paper for rough grain effects.

Using hot press papers of 300gsm works well with this paint. You can choose to purchase the same weight paper pads if you are not looking to purchase individual sheets. You can also use different printmaking and drawing papers if you are not mixing too much water with your paint.

Gouache paint can quickly adapt to any non-oily surface such as plywood, wood, cardboard. It promises endless variation when used on hand-crafted papers.

Whatever you choose, you need to make sure to select professional quality paper. You can consider experimenting on small pieces to decide which paper would better suit your handling and style.

Best Papers For Gouache

If you need a little help in shortlisting a good quality paper for gouache painting, then you can go through the papers reviewed by us. We conducted thorough research in identifying the suitable papers available for working with gouache paint.

Rank	Brand	Key Features
1.	Canson XL Series Watercolor Pad	Takes multiple washes, acid-free, textured
2.	Arteza Watercolor Pad	Thick, fine detail or multiple washes
3.	Canson Artist Series Montvale Water Color Paper Pad	Good for wet media, durable, mold-made

1. Canson XL Series Watercolor Pad

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Canson XL watercolor pads feature a cold press, textured paper that can be used for creating a variety of beautiful techniques.

You can use it for a variety of projects, as it is ideal for use with watercolor, acrylic, markers, gouache, charcoal, and pastels. The pad consists of 30 sheets of 300 gsm – which is especially ideal for gouache painting.

The papers in the pad are acid-free and can withstand repeated washes. So, the paper won't buckle much under washes and its color-lifting ability is great. This paper pad is of premium quality and should give you plenty of bang for your buck.

The paper is heavy and can take a lot of paint media without any wrinkling. Canson pads are available in other sizes, too, so you can choose one to fit your preferences.

Key Features

Cold press textured paper
Ideal for use with pastel, charcoal, gouache, watercolor, acrylic, marker and ink
Paper is acid-free
Natural texture and white color

Pros

Also available in other dimensions
Ideal for creating a variety of techniques
Can withstand repeated washes
Surface is durable
Colors do not fade

Cons

Paper tends to disintegrate with extremely wet applications

2. Arteza Watercolor Pad

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This Arteza watercolor pad is like a dream come true for many artists. This set of three pads comprises of 30 sheets each of 300gsm. The paper is cold-pressed, acid-free, and suitable for use with wet, dry, and mixed media.

If you are an artist, you may have noticed that many watercolor sketchbooks offer just 12 sheets. However, this Arteza combo gives you a total of 90 sheets in all so that you can play with different effects and techniques to your heart's content.

You get premium, thicker, and heavier paper when you choose this sketchbook from Arteza. It can take multiple washes without bleeding or warping. It has just the right texture and is neither too rough nor too smooth.

Arteza painting paper features a cold-pressed surface and is slightly textured which makes it suitable for fine detailing and multiple washes. Are you concerned that your artwork may fade or deteriorate over time? With the Arteza drawing pad, you can shed your worries aside.

Each drawing pad is 100% acid-free which implies that the colors will stay vibrant and rich for a long time. Its 300gsm weight makes it suitable for gouache painting.

The best thing is that the product has been backed with a satisfaction guarantee by the makers. If you have any issues, you can request a free replacement. Isn't that a good deal?

Key Features

Set of three pads offering 90 sheets in total
Cold-pressed 300gsm sheets
Slight texturing makes it suitable for fine detailing and multiple washes
100% acid-free
Colors do not fade and remain vibrant and rich for a long time

Pros

Ideal for use with wet, dry and mixed media
Thicker and heavier paper
Can withstand multiple washes without warping or bleeding
Backed with a satisfaction guarantee by the makers
Easy-to-tear pages

Cons

Buckle slightly with light wash

3. Canson Artist Series Montvale Water Color Paper Pad

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This sleekly designed Montvale pads consist of heavyweight, cold press watercolor papers. The paper has been mold made and works beautifully with several wet media. The surface can withstand repeated washes, erasing, and scraping as well.

These pads consist of micro-perforated sheets. What is best about this product is that it features an innovative removable half-sheet with tips and techniques that can either be used as a bookmark or can be reinserted into the pad.

With each pad, you will receive 20 sheets of 300gsm paper. The sheets are acid-free so that your precious creations wouldn't fade over time.

The thickness of the sheets is ideal for gouache painting and has a slightly warm tone. The texture is great and absorbs the paint really well. The sheet isn't sensitive to adhesives and the tape comes off really well each time.

Key Features

Sleek, newly designed Montvale pads
Heavyweight, cold press paper
Each pad comprises of 20 sheets of 300gsm
Made in France
Mold made paper

Pros

Works well with wet media
Can withstand erasing, repeated washes and scraping
Contain micro-perforated true size sheets
Innovative removable half-sheet which features tips and techniques

Cons

Not suitable for use with watercolor as the surface of the paper is fairly smooth and water just sits on the surface

In Summary

Gouache painting is an incredible technique. It offers you the best of both watercolor and acrylic painting. If you have a thing for painting unique designs, textures, and experimenting with different paint media, then you will certainly love trying gouache paints.

The major challenge is choosing a suitable painting surface. We have reviewed the best paper for use with gouache paint. Pick the best one for your painting project after comparing the various options available.