What should I do if the gouache is withered? How to give a second life to paint?

Gouache is a paint that professionals and amateurs like to use for drawing. Also, it is perfectly suited for creative work with children, and all because the paint has no smell, dries quickly and looks beautiful. But what if the gouache withered? Of course, you can throw it away and buy a new one. However, there is a way to save money. With a little effort, colors can give a new life.

Gouache colors

Gouache is a dense and opaque paint. After drying, it will be matte and velvety. It is perfect for paper, canvas, cardboard or a smooth wooden surface.

In contrast to watercolors, there are fewer binder in gouache paints, but much more pigments. Due to this, it is possible to overlap badly obtained places, it will be possible to paint even dark spots with lighter paint. The previous layers will not be transparent, the drawings will come out beautiful, bright and, most importantly, neat.

Store gouache in tightly closed containers at room temperature. It must be protected from cooling below zero. If it happened that for some reason the paints (gouache) dried out, what to do with them, will be told later in the article.

How to mix gouache

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

Starting your work, the first thing you do is paint the paint well in a jar, and then transfer a small amount of it to the palette, and then mix it with water or another paint, getting the necessary shade.

Gouache is bred to the consistency of liquid sour cream, but you need to know the measure - the paint should not become translucent, you need it to remain dense enough. Liquid put gouache on drying will leave dark sides. If the paint is applied too thickly, even in several layers, it will not adhere well and will crumble like plaster.

What to do if the gouache withered

Sometimes, when the jar of paint remains not tightly closed, the gouache can wither. You can bring it into working state in this way:

• Pour a little water (it should cover the paint a little);
• The lid tightly closed and leave the jar 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 withered, you decided to use this dilution method, remember: the excess water will make the paint layer thin and translucent. After drying, the paint layer will become dirty and crack.

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

What to do with dried gouache (use of a water bath)

There is also a second method of diluting gouache - it's a water bath. It is necessary to prepare a steamer from metal (it can be replaced by two containers of different diameters), toothpicks and boiling water. The step-by-step instruction for softening the gouache looks like this:

• In a jar with dried gouache you just need to pour freshly boiled water, which will completely cover the paint;
• The jars of paint are placed in a saucepan with a smaller diameter. Next, a saucepan of a larger diameter is filled with water to half, inside it is necessary to place a second pan with paints;
• The lids can also be put in water so that the paint lags behind them;
• The water in the tank is brought to a boil and the fire is lowered so that the liquid bubbles slightly;
• The container is covered with a lid;
• The liquid will boil away, so hot water should be added as needed;
• Toothpicks are needed in order to check how much the paint has softened.

For not too dry paint it will take no more than 20 minutes. If you do not know what to do, if the gouache withered to the state of a knock, then just squeeze the jars for at least an hour, everything will turn out. It is necessary to wait until the gouache will not mix up to a homogeneous state.

Knowing what to do when the paint (gouache) withered, you can save on buying new materials for creativity. In the process of dilution, the paint acquires a liquid consistency and becomes again suitable for work. It is only necessary to remember the protection of hands and clothes, since gouache is badly laundered.