Gouache
Gouache (from the Italian guazzo, "water paint,
splash") is a type of watercolor paint, made heavier and more
opaque by the addition of a white pigment (chalk, Chinese white,
etc.) in a gum arabic mixture. This results in a stronger color
than ordinary watercolor. Many forms of 'poster paint' are actually
gouache, as are some products lablled as tempera
The term was originally coined in the eighteenth
century in France, although the technique is considerably older,
having been in use as early as the sixteenth century in Europe.
The pigment dries slightly lighter than it appears
when wet, which can make it difficult to match colors. The medium
can also be susceptible to cracking if applied too thickly; this
problem can be alleviated to some degree by the use of thickening
media such as aquapasto. It can be very effective when applied to
colored paper, for example in works by J.M.W. Turner.
Today the term gouache can be used interchangeably
with body color, although the latter is made in a slightly different
way. It can also be used as a term for any painting produced entirely
with gouache.
Gouache was the original, and is still the primary,
paint used in the production of decalcomanias.
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