As you know, if you’ve been following my Instagram (@kaiffeinated), I’m rebuilding my creative life slowly. I feel called to dream in color again, which means revisiting my once beloved gouache palette. 

I’ve neglected this poor little thing for years, dismissing it as a “someday” project. Today’s as good a day as any!

If you’re slowing coming back to life, too, and are eager to revive your gouache paints¹, here’s what you’ll need:

• Gum Arabic²: the binding medium in watercolors and gouache
• Water: I used tap (it’s not that serious)
• Palette knife: for mixing
• Paper towels: to clean off the palette knife
• Alcohol in a spray bottle: to clean the container and help prevent mold

It takes some time to soften these v dehydrated bricks of paint. Ideally, add a few 4-5 drops of gum arabic and about ½ tsp of water to each well, and leave it alone for 4-6 hours.

Then grab your palette knife and start mixing. If it’s still too thick and hard to work with, add a few more drops of the binding medium and water. 

You’ve worked with these paints before; you’ll find the right consistency when you start mixing. And even if it gets a little watery, gouache will thicken again with time.

For the larger clumps of pigment, press them between with the back of your palette knife and the wall of the well. Repeat til smooth. 

There ya have it. Your gouache is good as new! 

I'm proud of you for dreaming in color again, too.

NOTES:

1. This will not work with acrylic gouache unfortunately.
2. I realize while I was putting the thumbnail image together (on the left) that my smol bottle of gum arabic is much MUCH darker than it should be. I give you permission to get yourself a new bottle to mix your paints with. I read that mixing the expired medium will cause the paints to crack when they dry. I shall report back.