Word of the day · 28 April 2026
gouache
/ɡwɑːʃ/
noun
An opaque watercolor paint made with pigment, water and a binder, often with chalk or white added for body; also a work painted with it.
In a sentence
- She blocked in the sky with gouache before adding fine ink lines.
- The museum showed fashion studies painted in gouache.
- Beginners like gouache because mistakes can often be covered.
In an image
Origin
From French gouache, from Italian guazzo (puddle, mixing of water and paint).
History
Illustrators favored gouache for posters and design comps because it dries matte and covers well. Unlike transparent watercolor, it can sit in solid layers and be reworked more easily in some techniques. Craft searches rise when art tutorials name it without showing the tube. Say it like “gwash.”
Nearby words
watercolor · tempera · opaque
Watercolor’s denser cousin, built for flat, solid color.