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Thread: Calligraphy with Gouache, any experts?

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    Default Calligraphy with Gouache, any experts?

    Hi guys. Any of you doing calligraphy with Gouache here? Can you tell me the differences between regular gouache and calligraphy one? Can I use regular Gouache for calligraphing? Any answer would be thankful.

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    Default Re: Calligraphy with Gouache, any experts?

    Hi and welcome to the forum.

    In the past I have used both normal gouache from Winsor & Newton and Calligraphy gouache from Schmincke and they both worked with Copperplate nibs which are very fine flexible pointed nibs.

    One just needs to dilute the gouache with water until it gets to around a full cream milk consistency so that it adheres to the nib a bit more easily. Also one should play with this diluting until it gets correct to the nibs used but it is not very difficult.

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    Default Re: Calligraphy with Gouache, any experts?

    Oh I see. Thank you Rui.

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    Default Re: Calligraphy with Gouache, any experts?

    Gouache is a very opaque paint made mainly from gum arabic and colored pigment. The ingredient list is pretty much the same as transparent watercolors, but the pigments are more coarsely ground. (In paints, the transparency tend to go up as the pigment particles get smaller.) A good gouache paint achieves its unique opacity by controlling the pigment grind, rather than adding opacifiers. Cheaper brands rely on opacifiers and can have a chalky, bland appearance.

    Schminke is considered one the best brands of gouache available. It is densely pigmented and does not use opacifiers. The other premium brand is from an American company named M. Graham, and is significantly cheaper than Schminke. I have found no difference in performance between them. Because these are considered fine artists materials, they are made with concerns for archival lightfastness, and you can see the lightfastness rating (and the specific pigment information) on each tube if that is a concern for you.

    Winsor Newton, Holbein, and every other brand of gouache I've seen are manufactured for graphic design use, rather than fine art. In this context, lightfastness isn't a concern because the artwork generally gets photographed and used for reproduction. The paints tend to be less opaque and rely on additives for opacity. Again, this generally isn't a problem for designers because they're usually just working on white paper to developing colorways, fill in simple shapes, etc. The paint doesn't need to be sophisticated.

    I know calligraphers often use gouache to do white lettering on black paper, and for that I'd definitely recommend investing in the Schminke or M.Graham. Their opacity makes the job so much easier. For colored calligraphy, the choice will probably come down to budget, lightfastness concerns, and the paper you're working on.

    I hope this helps.

  6. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to elaineb For This Useful Post:

    bleair (February 25th, 2015), Carole (February 7th, 2015)

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