painting technique in which a gum or an opaque white pigment is added to watercolours to produce opacity. In watercolour the tiny particles of pigment become enmeshed in the fibre of the paper; in gouache the colour lies on the surface of the paper, forming a continuous layer, or coating. A gouache is characterized by a directly reflecting brilliance. When applied with bristle brushes it is possible to achieve a slight but effective impasto (thick-coated) quality; with sable brushes, a smooth, flawless colour field is obtained.

A painting technique of great antiquity, gouache was used by the Egyptians. It was a popular medium with Rococo artists such as François Boucher (Boucher, François) (1703–70). Contemporary painters use gouache alone or in combination with watercolour and other mediums.