The best gouache paint sets
Bright, opaque colour that dries flat and matte: the gouache sets worth giving, from a ready-to-go jelly-cup kit to the artist-quality tubes illustrators favour.
Gouache is watercolour's bolder cousin. It's opaque rather than see-through and dries flat and matte, so light colours can go over dark ones and mistakes can simply be painted out. That makes it forgiving for beginners and a favourite for illustration, lettering and posters.
Most sets are just the paint, so check what's in the box: some need brushes and a palette adding. At the top end is Winsor & Newton, the London art-materials firm founded in 1832; the cheaper sets here are a good way to find out whether gouache is for them.
What matters
- Opaque, matte colour that can go light over dark.
- Tubes or pots: tubes keep paint fresh, jelly-cup pots are quick to dip into.
- Colours: 24 is plenty to start; ten good ones will mix almost anything.
- Brushes and a palette: only some sets include them.
#1 of 5
Best overall
HIMI Jelly Cup Gouache Set (24 colours, with brushes and palette)
£20–£30 Price range
Everything comes in one carry case: 24 colours in 30g jelly-cup pots, three brushes and a palette, so it's ready to paint straight out of the box. The chunky pots are quick to dip into for sketchbooks, cards and bright, poster-style pictures.
What owners say: Owners love how vivid the colours look on paper, find the paints easy to work with, and like getting the brushes and palette in the box; many call it an ideal first gouache set.
Heads up: Give each pot a quick stir before painting and press the lids shut afterwards, so the paint stays creamy.
A closer look: The sealing lids keep the paint soft between sessions, and a pot that does dry out comes back with a few drops of water. It's a lovely first set for teenagers and sketchbook painters; anyone who wants very opaque mixes for layering light over dark may prefer artist-grade tubes.
- 24 colours in 30g jelly cups
- 3 brushes and a palette
- Portable carry case
- Rewets with water once dry
- Non-toxic (EN71, ASTM D-4236)
Best for: A complete first kit
- Colours
- 24
- Paint per colour
- 30g jelly cup
- In the box
- 3 brushes, palette, carry case
#2 of 5
Best premium
Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache Introductory Set (10 × 14ml)
£60.65 RRP
Artist-quality gouache in ten well-chosen colours: two yellows, two reds, two blues, a green, yellow ochre, black and white, enough to mix almost anything. Winsor & Newton has made Designers Gouache since 1935, and it's still popular with illustrators and designers.
What owners say: Owners rate the quality as superb, with rich, creamy colour that covers well from a small squeeze, and call it an ideal set to start with.
Heads up: There's no brush in the box, so add a small soft round and a flat brush to the present.
A closer look: A little goes a long way: squeeze out a pea-sized blob and mix from there. Paint left to dry on the palette softens again with water next time, and every colour is sold singly, so favourites can be topped up one tube at a time.
- 10 × 14ml tubes
- Artists' quality gouache
- Two each of yellow, red and blue
- Dries flat and matte
- Pairs with watercolours
Best for: Serious illustration
- Colours
- 10
- Paint per colour
- 14ml tube
- In the box
- Tubes only
#3 of 5
Best for learning
Castle Arts Gouache Paint Set (24 × 12ml)
£29.99 RRP
Twenty-four opaque, matte colours from a Newcastle-based art supplies firm, boxed with a fold-out tutorial and a tester sheet, so a beginner has a first project to follow. The new formula is vegan-friendly and made not to crack when it's laid on thickly.
What owners say: Owners find the quality high and the colour range broad enough for most subjects, and think it's good value, especially for beginners.
A closer look: Paint a swatch of every colour on the tester sheet first; it makes choosing much quicker mid-painting. It comes in a presentation box, so it's ready to give.
- 24 × 12ml tubes
- Fold-out tutorial and tester sheet
- Lightfast-rated pigments
- Flexible, no-crack formula
- Vegan-friendly
Best for: Beginners who want a guide
- Colours
- 24
- Paint per colour
- 12ml tube
- In the box
- Tutorial, tester sheet
#4 of 5
Best budget
Royal & Langnickel Essentials Gouache (24 × 12ml)
£10–£20 Price range
A full spread of 24 tubes, from titanium white to burnt umber, for very little money. It's water-based and non-toxic, which makes it a good one for school projects and children learning to paint.
What owners say: Owners find the colours bright and well pigmented, easy for beginners and quick to dry to a matte finish, and have used them happily for journaling, mixed media and art classes.
A closer look: There are two whites in the box, which helps, as white goes into so many mixes. A good next step for a young painter moving on from ready-mixed poster paint.
- 24 × 12ml tubes
- Water-based and non-toxic
- Matte finish
- Washes out of brushes easily
- Ages 5+
Best for: Children and school projects
- Colours
- 24
- Paint per colour
- 12ml tube
- In the box
- Tubes only
#5 of 5
Most colours
MEEDEN Gouache Paint Set (48 × 12ml)
£28.95 RRP
The biggest choice here, with 48 tubes, so there's a ready-made shade for most things and far less mixing. That suits flat, graphic illustration, where the same colour needs to match from one painting to the next.
What owners say: Owners find the colours rich and well pigmented, say it mixes and cleans up as easily as watercolour, and think it's excellent value and a good way to get used to gouache.
A closer look: Paint a chart of all 48 colours on one sheet and keep it with the set; with this many tubes it saves a lot of hunting. Use it straight from the tube for flat blocks of colour, or thinned with a little water for layers and fine details.
- 48 × 12ml tubes
- Opaque, matte finish
- Non-toxic (ASTM D-4236)
- Thins with water for layering
- For paper, canvas and wood
Best for: The widest choice of colours
- Colours
- 48
- Paint per colour
- 12ml tube
- In the box
- Tubes only
How they compare
| Feature | #1HIMI 24 | #2W&N Designers | #3Castle Arts 24 | #4Royal & Langnickel 24 | #5MEEDEN 48 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best for learning | Best budget | Most colours | |
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Price | £20–£30 Price range | £60.65 RRP | £29.99 RRP | £10–£20 Price range | £28.95 RRP |
| Colours | 24 | 10 | 24 | 24 | 48 |
| Paint per colour | 30g jelly cup | 14ml tube | 12ml tube | 12ml tube | 12ml tube |
| In the box | 3 brushes, palette, carry case | Tubes only | Tutorial, tester sheet | Tubes only | Tubes only |
| Best for | A complete first kit | Serious illustration | Beginners who want a guide | Children and school projects | The widest choice of colours |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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