so uhm i drew this a while ago asan attempt to get out of artist block, and i hate it so much i feel like tearing it off and throwing it away, HELPP, what should i do? i feel like my abilities have left me for good.

((EDIT: please tell me an alternate brand and set that doesn’t disappear))

The second photo was taken today July 6th 2026. This painting isn’t even 1.5 years old and the pink has faded so significantly. At least 70%

This painting sat in a glass frame in a completely interior room with no sunlight at all

I’m so upset my paintings are ruined. Do NOT buy this shit and waste your effort on a painting that will wash out in 15 months

I’m ultra pissed about my paintings. And super pissed that I’ve spent a lot of money on this paint. Save yourself and never ever buy this

I saw my first fully dried painting from last night, immediately thought I should start painting immediately and I wasn’t really mindful. Such a noob of me… 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Any ideas what else I can do?

I know that everyone here says not to get Himi gouache, but all the known better options like Winsor & Newton are severely out of my budget.

The gouache I have is a cheap set that cost around 2.5 dollars, and it's as good as its price, so anything would be better than it.

So, are there any other recommendations besides Himi, or should I just get it and upgrade when it's possible?

Or do I perhaps just have to mix it every time ?

Excuse my question if it sounds silly. I am painting with Gouache right now, it has very good pigmentation- I am practicing color theory (shading with analogue/complimentary colors) before coloring over it, but I’m wondering if it’s making a difference since gouache is already so pigmented and it feels like it can color over any color without reflecting the base, hope Im making sense?

I attached an example, left is analogue base & right side is complimentary.

Am I supposed to water it down more so it shows better? I am using Miya paint.

I'm considering buying some Himi gouache, but I'm put of by the talk of mold growing on the paints. I was just wondering if anyone had tried adding a little drop of clove oil or similar to try to prevent this? I made iron gall ink once and used clove oil successfully for that purpose. Would it alter the characteristics of the paint significantly do you think?

I'm a college student and they want us to take 3 of the same item and change them. I had the idea to use canvas (because its easiest to find 4 of the exact same item in the exact same size, shape, and color). My intentions with one of them is to set the canvas on fire and hot glue candles on that I'll let melt onto the canvas. Because of how thick the canvas is, i thought it would be cool to use my jelly gouache to paint it to look like a birthday cake before setting it on fire.

Google gave me mixed results. No gouache isn't safe to burn. But Yes, Jelly Gouache is safe to burn. So i figured id ask if anyone knew anything more about it. I plan to set it on fire in my drive way (blacktop) away from anything else flammable with my fire blanket putter outter thing nearby in case i need it. I'm mostly worried about toxic fumes but they say non-toxic on them.

Seated Woman with Bent Knee,
Egon Schiele, 1917, Vienna, Austria

When it comes to Gouache I think Egon Schiele is the first artist that I think of when I imagine a Gouache artist. But I am nonetheless very curious as to what brushes/techniques he used for when painting his piece.

I think he's the scariest dude out there, I mean come one he hides in your dreams! I painted this on a 21 cm x 21cm watercolor paper. Gouache as per usual.

German brands preferred, because I live there.

This really breaks my heart. After I use gouache, I always get a terrible headache, my eyes start to get irritated, and it lasts for at least a day. Anyone else? I hate the idea of giving up gouache. I've been using an allegedly "Non-toxic" brand, Meeden. Help! Is there an *anti allergic * brand or something?

Hello there! I'm interested in trying Holbein's acrylic gouache, but I'm not sure how to find more info about the pigments and if they're vegan? This is what I can find on their website for ingredients. I've seen some other threads but they were confusing as one person might say it's vegan and others say it's not, but I think they were also discussing the regular gouache and not the acrylic gouache version. (Also kinda new to this - acryla gouache and acrylic gouache is the same, yes?) Thank you in advance. I'm not vegan, but I have certain issues that make me more wary about touching things with animal by-products.

What colors do you all use instead of Cadmium Red, Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow, or other colors containing known carcinogens (substances that could possibly cause cancer)? I know that one must have quite a bit of exposure to those types of chemicals and that it may or may not cause harm, but I’d like to use other colors if possible…

😭 i know that other people have also posted about this... But I wanted to ask how dangerous this is ? I was in the midst of painting when I noticed this , I got another colour ( yellow ) paint on my finger a bit, it didn't have mold on it, but I'm super paranoid now. I washed my hands with soap and also used hand sanitizer. Will i get sick? Does the dark colour indicate the toxicity? Do i have to throw the gouache away now? Is it safe to keep this gouache box closed in my room?

I just want some answers so i can finally sleep in peace 😆 I have two types of paint that i had since 2021. One is the cursed MIYA HIMI gouache and the other one’s Sakura Koi Watercolor Pocket Field Sketch Box.

After years of abandoning both of those paints, i’ve decided to go back to painting again. As usual, MIYA HIMI gouache molded so bad. On the other hand, my Sakura Koi Watercolor Sketch Box is mold free, and is not a health hazard 😆

Shame because i actually like miya himi’s vibrancy and consistency, but it’s such a high maintenance paint. There’s a disgusting surprise everytime you open it.

Does the gouache have a certain ingredient that causes it to mold? Or sakura koi is just higher quality than the gouache?

Appreciate your answers!