This year, I celebrated a decade of my painting practice. (...I'm going to try not to think about how old that sentence makes me feel). Over the years, I've tried nearly every product under the sun, and even treated myself to a luxurious sketchbook here and there.
I've connected with many mediums over the years, but none of them have brought me the same level of joy that gouache has. I've compiled a list of all my favorite products across the board, and put them all in one place for you.
You can find all of the supplies that I talk about in this blog post here.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through that link, at no extra cost to you.
Sketchbooks
If you're looking for a sketchbook that's worth every penny, look no further than Etchr Lab. I prefer hot press sketchbooks for gouache, and their quality is top tier. Plus, the cover is primed to paint!
Gouache Paint
I've been on the hunt for the gouache brand with the "perfect texture" for two years. Different types of gouache serve different purposes depending on your style, so my favorite may not be yours, but hopefully it will give you a good foundation to start with.
If you want to learn more about the different types of gouache, I teach that in my course here.
Personally, I prefer to use a blend of different paint brands to shake it up a bit, so this list is the absolute hub for the brands that stand up to my vibrancy standards.
This is ~the~ jelly gouache set that I use, the one you see in all the satisfying unboxing videos. I only have to refresh it around once a month, and to make the process even easier, you can get a cute little electric paint stirrer to go along with it.
(It's also available in smaller sizes at half the price point.)
If you're more of a tube gouache fan, I have no shortage of recommendations, either. My recommendation will always be Arteza, because the quality is unmatched, but I have some other options too!
Brushes
My entire watercolor brush collection is spread out across every brand you could imagine, but I've put some of my favorite brands here. (If you're wondering which ones I gravitate towards the most, I use the Etchr Gouache Brush set quite literally every single day).
Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Series 333
Other Materials
I use watercolor pencils to do my gouache underpaintings, because the lines dissolve on contact. The rest of the supplies listed here are ones that I frequent often in my sketchbook practice.
Castle Art Supplies 72 Watercolor Pencils
Posca Pen 12-Count (Extra Fine Point)
Strathmore Mixed Media Sketchbook
Above all else, keep practicing. You'll discover some amazing mediums over the course of your artistic practice, but nothing will improve your skills the same way genuine practice will.
You can find all of the supplies that I talk about in this blog post here
Last Updated: January 2023
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- sending you love, Kate & Luna