Miya Himi Gouache Paint Set, 18 Colors on Saint Armand Canal Pad 6×6″ Jute color
Gouache is pronounced gwash.
So my question is, does everyone who paints with gouache eventually paint a squash, just because it rhymes?
I’ve been wanting to play around with my gouache paint and my new Saint Armand Canal Pad paper and my new Jack Richeson brushes that I bought just to use with the gouache. I even bought a squash – gourd – whatever it is – just to set up as a model.
Now it isn’t the best of ideas to try several new products all at once – but heck – I decided to go for it, while I had a few minutes.

The Saint Armand is an interesting paper. It’s rag cotton, made with fibers left from clothing industry offcuts, white tee-shirts, blue denim and flax straw from farmers. The rags natural colors are mixed together without bleaching or cooking – very eco-friendly! – but it does mean colors vary from batch to batch.

Although, it’s cotton, it’s a bit soft, doesn’t feel like watercolor paper. I thought gouache would be a good media for it, because it uses less water and doesn’t get as easily absorbed.
The brushes are ones that James Gurney recommends for gouache so they’ll be my gouache-only set.
I’ve only used the gouache a couple times before on black and a student grade watercolor paper. I think it handled as well on this paper as it did on the student grade. It did much better on the Black coldpress, but everything looks vibrant on that paper!
Between Inktober and some family projects, I probably won’t get to do much more with these products, but I hope I can sneak in one or two more paintings.
Oh, my gouache! I’m wanting to re-try gouache, so, your post is so timely, Sandra. I love your gouache squash. Hopefully, my attempts won’t be a wash. 😉 It’s that season, again! Lots of warm colors and pumpkin pie.
The season for punny things, lol? If I continue, I’ll probably upgrade to professional gouache colors but I like the Miya set.
I have gouache but I promise you I won’t be painting a squash. hahaha! although we have a lot of those being harvested up here right now – I could get a really fresh one to use. hmmm. I’ll have to think about that! great post 🙂
Thank you, Alice. Didn’t you win the Arteza gouache set?
It looks great!
Thank you, Priscilla!
You are too funny! My kind of gal to jump in with all your feet! Your squash is beautiful. I love all the colors you used.
Thank you, Lori! Yeah, my feet have been squashed before because I jump right in!
….and a colorful turban it is!!!! Very successful gouache squash! I love saying that!
Thank you, Judy! I thought I’d bring it to our painting get-together tomorrow.
Great job with these funny looking squash. But then I think you find “funny looking” in the dictionary as part of the definition of squash.
Thank you. Yeah, squash are weird looking things. Fun to paint though.