Gouache (from the Italian guazzo, "water paint, splash") is a type of watercolor paint, made heavier and more opaque by the addition of a white pigment (chalk, Chinese white, etc.) in a gum Arabic mixture. This results in a stronger colour than ordinary watercolour.
The term was originally coined in the eighteenth century in France, although the technique is considerably older, having been in use as early as the sixteenth century in Europe.
The pigment dries slightly lighter than it appears when wet, which can make it difficult to match colours.
