What to do if the gouache is dry? How to give paint a second life?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Gouache is a paint that professionals and amateurs love to use for drawing. It is also great for creative activities with children, and all because the paint is odorless, dries quickly and looks beautiful. But what if the gouache dried up? Of course, you can throw it away and buy a new one. However, there is a way to save money. With a little effort, paint can be given new life.

Gouache paints

Gouache is a dense and opaque paint. After drying, it will be matte and velvety. It works great on paper, canvas, cardboard or smooth wood surfaces.

Unlike watercolors, gouache paints have less binder, but much more pigments. Due to this, it is possible to block unsuccessfully obtained places, it will be possible to paint over even dark spots with lighter paint. The previous layers will not show through, the drawings will come out beautiful, bright and, most importantly, neat.

Store gouache tightlyclosed containers at room temperature. It must be protected from freezing below zero. If it so happened that for some reason paints (gouache) dried up, what to do with them will be described below in the article.

How to mix gouache

It is best to mix or dilute gouache on a special palette. If not, then an ordinary plate can be an alternative. The paint is very easy to clean.

Starting your work, first of all, the paint is well mixed in a jar, and only then a small amount is transferred to the palette, and there it is already mixed with water or other paint, getting the desired shade.

Gouache is diluted to the consistency of liquid sour cream, but you need to know the measure - the paint should not become translucent, it needs to remain dense enough. Liquid-laid gouache will leave dark edges when dry. If the paint is applied too thickly, even in several layers, then it will not fix well and will crumble like plaster.

What to do if the gouache is dry

Sometimes, when the jar of paint is not tightly closed, gouache can dry out. You can bring it into working condition in this way:

• pour some water (it should cover the paint a little);
• the lid is tightly closed and the jar is left in this state for a day;
• if the next day the paint remains thick, you can add a little more water and leave the jar on the second day.

If, thinking about what to do if the gouache has dried up, you decideuse this dilution method, remember: excess water will make the paint layer thin and translucent. After drying, the paint layer will become dirty and crack.

Thus, even the hardest paint can be restored more than once. It must be understood that for professional artists working on works of art, restored paint is not suitable. This option is best used for children's creativity.

What to do with dried gouache (using a water bath)

There is a second way to dilute gouache - a water bath. It is necessary to prepare a double boiler made of metal (it can be replaced with two containers of different diameters), toothpicks and boiling water. A step-by-step instruction for softening gouache looks like this:

• in a jar of dried gouache, you need to pour freshly boiled water, which will completely cover the paint;
• jars of paint are placed in a pot with a smaller diameter. Next, a pot of larger diameter is filled with water to half, inside you need to place a second pot with paints;
• caps can also be put in water so that the paint lags behind them;
• the water in the container is brought to a boil and the fire is reduced so that the liquid bubbles a little;
• the container is covered with a lid;
• liquid will boil away, so hot water needs to be topped up as needed;
• toothpicks are needed in order to check how much the paint has softened.

It will take no more than 20 minutes for not too dry paint. If you don’t know what to do, if the gouache has dried up to a knocking state, then just simmer the jars for at least an hour, everything will work out. You need to wait until the gouache is stirred until smooth.

Knowing what to do when the paint (gouache) is dry, you can save on buying new materials for creativity. In the process of dilution, the paint acquires a liquid consistency and becomes usable again. You just need to remember to protect your hands and clothes, because gouache is poorly washed.