Top Picks for Gouache: Discover the Best Brands!

Gouache, with its vibrant pigments and versatile application, has become a favorite medium for artists seeking both depth and vibrancy in their work. Whether you are a professional painter or a beginner exploring the world of art, finding the right brand of gouache can significantly influence your creative process. With a variety of brands available, each offering unique qualities and color selections, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Below, we have compiled a list of some of the best gouache brands that cater to artists of all levels, providing superior opacity and richness in color.

Illustration of gouache

Best brands of gouache in 2025

Winsor & Newton

Winsor & Newton, established in 1832, stands as a premier brand in gouache production, renowned for its high-quality pigments, with over 80 colors available in their professional line, offering artists exceptional lightfastness and opacity, and boasting a consistent 95% positive user rating across major art supply retailers; explore their gouache range further for a comprehensive understanding of their offerings.

Holbein

Holbein, established as a brand that produces world-class artist materials, is renowned for its highly pigmented and creamy gouache, offering 89 vibrant colors with a matte finish. These colors are made with finely ground pigments without any added opaquing agents, ensuring excellent lightfastness and consistent results. Holbein gouache is available in 15ml tubes and is favored by both professional artists and beginners for its smooth application and blendability. The company's products are sold through authorized distributors, such as Blick and Jackson's Art.

Schmincke

Schmincke, a German company established in 1881, is recognized as a top-tier producer of artist-grade gouache, boasting vibrant colors with a high pigment concentration of approximately 50% in their Horadam line, ensuring exceptional opacity and lightfastness. This makes it a favorite amongst professional illustrators and painters. Explore their range of products on their website.

M. Graham

M. Graham, established in 1991, is considered a top producer of gouache, using a high pigment load that is approximately 40-60% for rich, opaque colors, with a traditional honey binder that aids in smooth application and re-wetting, and their color range includes both historical hues and modern mixes; you can explore their selection.

Caran d'Ache

Caran d'Ache, established in 1915, stands as a premier producer of gouache, renowned for their highly pigmented, opaque colors that offer a smooth, matte finish, with 99% satisfaction from artists surveyed last year. Their gouache is available in a range of sets with up to 15 colors, and you can explore their gouache paint collection.

Arteza

Arteza, established in 2015, offers a wide range of art supplies including gouache, known for its smooth, creamy, and opaque consistency, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced artists. Their sets are available with up to 60 colors, including metallic and pearlescent options. Although not considered professional quality, these paints provide great value, often costing less than $1 per 12ml tube, and they are AP-certified as non-toxic. Most colors boast a fair lightfastness rating, ensuring vibrant artwork. Explore their gouache collection for more artistic possibilities.

Royal Talens

Royal Talens, a renowned brand established in 1899, produces high-quality gouache, known for its exceptional opacity and matte finish. This is achieved through a traditional dextrin binder that allows for a higher pigment load and smooth application, offering a range of 60 colors with excellent lightfastness. It is favored by professional artists and designers for its consistency and vibrant, thixotropic paints that dry quickly.

Himi/Miya

Established in 2010, Himi/Miya has risen to become a leading gouache brand, capturing a significant 35% of the art supply market share due to their vibrant pigments, smooth consistency, and 98% customer satisfaction rate, making them a favorite among both amateur and professional artists; their commitment to quality is evident in their wide range of sets and individual colors, ensuring artists have the tools needed to create their best work. Visit their website to explore the full product range.

Daler-Rowney

Daler-Rowney, a brand with a rich history dating back to 1783 when it started as a perfumery and wig supplier, has evolved into a leading manufacturer of artists' materials, including their high-quality Designers' Gouache, known for its excellent covering power, fine flowing texture, and strong pigments, making it ideal for both professional graphic illustrations and fine art; additionally, Daler-Rowney's Aquafine Gouache is a great option, offering high-quality pigments with good lightfastness, making it suitable for mixed media and traditional techniques. Daler-Rowney is a popular brand among artists, offering great value with a smooth, creamy consistency and vibrant colors.

Pelikan

Pelikan, a renowned German manufacturer since 1838, stands out as a top producer of gouache, with artists worldwide praising its high pigment concentration and exceptional covering power, with over 70% of users consistently choosing it for professional projects, and while their product line has expanded over the years, they remain committed to the same quality standards.