I wanted to set up a palette of gouache - as I do with watercolour - and the only brands that I've heard will actually rewet and reactivate are Schmincke and M.Graham. I have some Schmincke (see previous post here) but wanted to test the M.Graham as well. I have ended up setting up a palette of 16 colours using a mix of the two. Here I have included a mid and warm yellow, a warm and rose red, a warm and cool blue, a green, three earths and a black and a white. All M. Graham. I found that I still needed to add just a touch of glycerine to some of these colours so they didn't crack up, though if poured into the pans little by little and allowed to dry gradually they fill pretty well.
Jane, I've heard complaints that Graham paints don't dry well. I use their watercolors and do notice occasionally they do tend to be sticky, but can you comment on how the gouaches behave and how they compare to Schminke gouaches?
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree about the M.Graham watercolours not drying in the pan. I tried some and the half-pan that sat in my art room seemed to suck the moisture from the air an get more gooey over time. The honey acts as a humectant but what does it do on the paper? Maybe Sydney is just too humid for them. Watercolour sticks go gooey too.
DeleteThe M.G. gouache did actually dry completely and even crack up. I added a tiny bit of glycerine in the second layer to reduce the cracking. Touch a brush to them and they do reactivate well. The Schmincke pans, to which I also added some glycerine, have remained tacky - maybe I added too much. They rewet beautifully. So I have made up a palette with a mixture of some MG and some Schmincke based just on the look of the colour and the pigment used. I would add a little more glycerine to the MG when I refill them. The Schminckes are pretty hard to beat!
Jane, what are the blue and green that don't have name labels?
ReplyDeleteYes whoops sorry about that. I had mis-labelled them. Cerulean Blue and Phthalocyanine Green BS.
DeleteHoney based paint usually prohibbits complete drying; I have sennelier in half pans and though I have them for lets say six months now, some pans are still sticky and that is the pan baught version. I can vividly imagne tube paints being worse. If you travel with any form of M Graham paints I suggest you find a spot in your travelbag that can hold your m grahams laying flat and find something to make sure the paint box doesnt move or flip. I would love to try M Graham, but more for at home use, I certainly wouldnt use it for traveling: but schmincke is awesome. I have their designers gouache,wich don't smell and I have shinhan Pass Hybryd gouache wich dont smell either. ( if you are sensitive to smells,please stay away from any of the talens paints, however awesome they are, they absolutely stink ) @Jane if you want a blogpost on the shinhan pass I can absolutly do a swatch and my two cents on it if you like.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your site, Jane, for W/C and now starting Gouache. I started with Winsor Newton but became attracted to M.Graham for the rewetting. You are right, they do not completely dry unless thinned flat with palette knife.
ReplyDeleteI currently have M.Graham gouache in Dioxazine Purple, Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, Permanent Aliz Crimson, and Azo Orange.
As I approach Santa, what could I ask for to complete the Palette?
If you have time... I know Santa is on the way!
I think you'd find a Yellow helpful, along with Cerulean, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna and a white.
Delete