Is Expensive Gouache really worth it? Reeves Vs Winsor and Newton Comparison

If you are someone who wants to give Gouache art a go but needs help deciding on the right paint to invest in, then you are at the right place! 

In this video, I am comparing three popularly available gouache paint sets in India - Reeves Gouache, Winsor and Newton Students Gouache, and Winsor and Newton Designers Gouache. I swatch, mix, and work with them using a Princeton Heritage No.4 Round Brush, so you get a good idea of how these colours look, feel, mix, and perform. 

Reeves Gouache

Reeves retails in India for INR 495 for a set of 12 Gouache paint tubes, i.e., INR 45.21 per tube. When I work with these paints, you’ll notice that the paints have a lot of the binder that separates, some colours are a bit streaky, and they dry leaving a slight powdery residue. 

What stood out for me was that the Reeves set doesn’t come with Primary Red, Yellow, and Blue but instead, they come with Lemon Yellow, Brilliant Red, and Blue Lake. When mixing these colours to get the secondaries, I noticed that the results were a little muddy and not as brilliant as I would’ve wanted. 

When I painted with these, I found the colours to be a little hard to mix and work with because the pain was a little clumpy and stuck to the brush. I also noticed that I had to go back to the palette to pick up paint quite often and go over the lines or painted areas a few times to achieve the results I wanted. 

Winsor and Newton Students Gouache

Next up is the Winsor and Newton Students Gouache that retails for INR 2390 for a set of 10 paint tubes, i.e., INR 239 per tube. To be honest, these paints mixed and performed quite similarly to the Reeves Gouache. You can see this in action in the video. 

However, these do come with the pure primaries, that is, primary Red, Yellow, and Blue. But between the two, considering the price point, I would suggest you get started with the Reeves Gouache. 

Winsor and Newton Designers Gouache

Finally, the Winsor and Newton Designers Gouache. These are priced at INR 3805, i.e., INR 634 per tube. These are significantly pricier but are some of the best paints I’ve worked with. 

As you’ll see in the video, they swatch beautifully with minimal streaking,  they mix to create brilliant colours and are smooth and easy to work with. I barely had to go back to the palette to pick up colours nor did I have to go over the same section multiple times to achieve my desired effect. This also means that a little paint goes a really long way. 

For you

However, I do not recommend that you invest in these if you are just about to start with Gouache. Start with less expensive paints. Brustro and Arteza could be good options to consider too. 

Once you know that you are progressing and you are definitely interested in exploring the medium further, you can splurge on expensive primaries along with white and black. Trust me when I say you can mix just about any colour with these 5, and if you want to learn how, I’ve got a Skillshare course that deals exclusively with colour theory and mixing that will blow your mind!