How to mix gouache colors

Why gouache mixes differently

Gouache has more pigment and often a white filler, so it covers what is underneath. It can be rewetted after it dries, which is useful for corrections but means heavy layers can lift.

Gouache shifts as it dries. Light colors usually dry a little darker and dark colors a little lighter. Always test a swatch and let it dry.

Ratios that work

Mix to the consistency of cream. Too much water and you lose opacity, too little and it cracks. Mix a generous amount, because matching a gouache color later is difficult once the first batch has dried.

How Palette Master handles gouache

Pick gouache and recipes are built for opaque, matte paint, with the 15 minute dry time on the Mix screen. If you take a photo before the paint is dry, the app keeps your result and reminds you that the color may still shift.