Best Gouache Artists Paints by Tube Size and Count

The best gouache artists paints in this group are the Holbein Artists Gouache Set of 12, because 12 assorted 5ml tubes give you a full working palette in a box measuring just 0.79 x 6.89 x 3.35 in. If you'd rather buy colours one at a time, the Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache 14ml Permanent White is the tube to start with, at 0.47 Fl Oz for a single colour. This isn't a category for anyone who wants paint that dries permanently and stays put. Gouache rewets. If that sounds like a flaw rather than a feature, acrylics are the aisle you want.

Best gouache artists paints at a glance

Why three picks were cut before the shortlist

I lined up the published specifications for every gouache tube and set in this part of the paints category, then cut on three grounds before ranking anything.

1. No stated tube volume. If a listing gives a colour count but never says how much paint is in each tube, you cannot compare it to anything. Two of the cuts failed here.
2. Craft paint sold as gouache. Some water-based poster paints sit in the same search results. The listings that never name pigments or a permanence rating went out.
3. Single tubes in colours nobody runs out of. A lone tube of a mid-range green is a replacement, not a starting point. White earns its place on the list because white is what empties first. A single unusual hue does not.

Seven products survived. Two of them are single tubes, five are sets, and the spread runs from one colour to 48. That spread is the whole story of this category: you are choosing between depth in a few tubes and breadth across many.

The set that came out on top is not the one with the most colours, and it is not the one with the biggest tubes. It is the one with the best-documented paint.

What decides a gouache set: tube volume, not colour count

Colour count is the number on the front of every box, and it's the wrong one to lead with. Gouache is opaque. That means you mix on the palette far more than you would with transparent watercolour, and mixing eats volume.

Here's the trick with these seven. Total volume tells you how long a set lasts, and the numbers diverge sharply:

• Holbein's set of 12 holds 5ml per tube, the smallest tube here.
• Winsor & Newton's 10-colour set and MEEDEN's 48-colour box both use 12ml tubes.
• MyArtscape's 12 colours are also 12ml each.
• U.S. Art Supply's 36 tubes are 18ml, the largest in this group.

So the 48-colour box carries more than four times the paint of the top pick, and the 36-colour set carries tubes over three times the size of Holbein's. Volume is not what puts Holbein first. Pigment strength and a documented 90-day warranty do, and that warranty is the only one published across all seven listings.

The second thing that decides it is white. You will use more white than any other colour, because every tint starts there. A set that gives you the same 5ml of white as it gives you of black is a set that runs out of white while eleven tubes are still half full. That's precisely why two single white tubes made this list.

Grade-school advice says buy the biggest set you can. For the best gouache artists paints, the better move is a small set of strong paint plus a large tube of white.

1. Holbein Artists Gouache Set of 12 — Best overall

Twelve assorted 5ml tubes of well-documented artists' gouache, and the only pick in this group backed by a published warranty.

Best for: illustrators who want strong pigment in a compact 12-colour palette Skip it if: you burn through white faster than any other colour

What sets this apart within the seven is documentation. Holbein publishes a 90-day warranty on this set, model 003702, and no other listing here states one at all. The whole box weighs 5.44 oz and measures 0.79 x 6.89 x 3.35 in, which is small enough to travel in a backpack sleeve rather than a dedicated case.

The tubes are 5ml, listed as 0.17 Fl Oz in a pack of 12. That is the smallest tube volume of any set here, and Holbein leans on pigment concentration rather than quantity. The listing describes the twelve as assorted colours without naming them, so you are buying a curated palette rather than a specified one.

Only two sellers list it, and it carries the most expensive price position of the seven. That's the trade: you pay the most and get the least paint by volume. Against MEEDEN's 48 colours or U.S. Art Supply's 18ml tubes, this looks thin on paper. In practice a small set of strong paint mixes further than a large set of weak paint, and the warranty is not nothing when only one other pick in this group publishes a permanence rating.

Pros:

• Only pick here with a published 90-day warranty
• Compact 0.79 x 6.89 x 3.35 in box travels easily
• Twelve colours covers a full working palette
• Lightest set in the group at 5.44 oz

Cons:

• 5ml tubes are the smallest of any set here
• Most expensive pick of the seven
• Individual colours are not named in the listing
• Only two sellers stock it

2. Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache — Most versatile

A single 14ml tube of Permanent White with a published ASTM I lightfastness rating, which makes it the most transparently specified paint in the group.

Best for: anyone building a palette one tube at a time Skip it if: you want a ready-made colour range in one box

This is the only product in the seven with a stated lightfastness figure. Winsor & Newton lists it as ASTM I, with a permanence rating of A and an opacity described as opaque. Series 1, colour code 512, model 0605512. That level of published detail is rare across this set and it is the reason this tube ranks second overall despite holding one colour.

The tube is 0.47 Fl Oz at 14ml, weighs 1.16 oz and measures 2.91 x 0.79 x 1.18 in. Three sellers list it, more than any other pick here, and it sells faster than everything else in this group. It sits in the entry price positions, second-cheapest of the seven.

The manufacturer says the colours are made from the finest pigments and give a flat, matte finish. Treat that as their claim, not a measurement. What you can verify is the rating and the volume.

The obvious limitation is arithmetic. One tube, one colour. You need at least four or five more before you can paint anything, so the total outlay to reach a working palette is higher than a boxed set. What you get in return is control over exactly which colours you own.

Pros:

• Only pick with a published ASTM I lightfastness rating
• 14ml of white, nearly three times a Holbein set tube
• Three sellers list it, the widest availability here
• Second-cheapest position of the seven

Cons:

• One colour only, so a full palette costs more overall
• No warranty stated on the listing
• Matte finish claim comes from the manufacturer, not a measurement

3. Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache Paint Set — Best for heavy use

Ten named 12ml colours in a slim 9.13 x 0.71 x 4.8 in box, and the only set here that tells you exactly which pigments you're getting.

Best for: students painting several pieces a week Skip it if: you need more than ten colours out of the box

The named colour list is the differentiator. Winsor & Newton specifies Titanium White, Process Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Deep Hue, Cadmium Red Hue, Process Magenta, Ultramarine, Process Cyan, Permanent Green Middle, Yellow Ochre and Mars Black. Two other sets here name their colours; the top pick does not. Knowing you have both process primaries and cadmium hues matters when you plan a mixing chart.

Total volume is 4 Fl Oz across ten 12ml tubes, and the box weighs 4 oz at 9.13 x 0.71 x 4.8 in. That 0.71 in depth is the slimmest of any set here, so it slots into a drawer flat. The model is 0890001.

The listing claims a matte flat finish that reduces light reflection for photographic reproduction, and a viscous, sticky consistency for controlled application. Those are the manufacturer's words. The finish claim is the one that matters for anyone scanning finished work.

Ten colours is fewer than every other set in this group. Only one seller lists it, which narrows your options, and it sits at a mid price position without offering the volume of the 36-tube or 48-tube boxes. You're paying for a documented palette rather than a large one.

Pros:

• All ten colours named on the listing
• Slimmest set box here at 0.71 in deep
• 12ml tubes, more than double the top pick's volume
• Includes both process primaries and Yellow Ochre

Cons:

• Fewest colours of any set in this group
• Only one seller lists it
• No published warranty or lightfastness figure
• Mid price position with no volume advantage

4. MEEDEN Gouache Paint Tube Set: 48 x 12ml — Best for families

Forty-eight 12ml tubes totalling 19.2 Fl Oz, the largest amount of paint in this comparison by a wide margin.

Best for: households or classrooms sharing paint across several people Skip it if: you only ever use a handful of colours

Volume is the case here and it is a strong one. 19.2 Fl Oz across 48 colours is over four times the total paint in the Winsor & Newton ten-tube set, and the box measures 8.43 x 1.61 x 10 in to hold it. When three people are painting at once, having 48 tubes means nobody waits for the ultramarine.

MEEDEN states certification to AP, CE and ASTM D-4236 standards, and describes the paints as solvent and acid-free. That certification claim is the most specific safety documentation in this group, which is what pushes it toward shared and family use. The brand also claims high saturation and opacity that aids layering. Again, their words.

This is the set buyers here reach for more often than most, second only to the Winsor & Newton white tube.

Two things hold it back. The listing publishes no weight and no warranty, and 48 colours means 48 tubes you have to store, cap and keep track of. Most painters settle into eight or ten favourites and let the rest dry out in the box. It also carries a premium price position, so you're paying for colours you may never open. Individual colour names are not listed either.

Pros:

• 19.2 Fl Oz total, the most paint of any pick here
• 48 colours means no queuing in a shared studio
• AP, CE and ASTM D-4236 certification stated
• 12ml tubes, larger than the top pick's

Cons:

• No published weight or warranty
• Most painters will never use 48 colours
• Individual colours are not named
• Premium price position for a large box

5. U.S. Art Supply Professional 36-Color Gouache Paint Set — Best minimal setup

Thirty-six 18ml tubes, the largest single tubes in this comparison, plus a double-sided colour mixing wheel.

Best for: beginners who want the largest tubes and a mixing reference Skip it if: you want published weight and dimensions before buying

At 18ml, these tubes are 3.6 times the volume of the Holbein set's 5ml and half again the 12ml tubes in three other picks. The listing gives 0.6 Fl Oz per tube in a pack of 36, model PT-GOU-36. If you paint large or use white heavily, tube size is the specification that stops you reordering every month.

The included colour mixing wheel is genuinely useful for a first set. It's double-sided and covers colour terminology, which means a beginner can work out a secondary without a separate book. That's why this one earns the minimal-setup label: paint plus reference in one box, nothing else to buy.

U.S. Art Supply states the paint is water-based, acid-free and conforms to ASTM D4236 and EN71. They describe it as suitable for students through to professional illustrators.

The gaps are real. This listing publishes no weight and no dimensions, so you cannot tell how much shelf it needs, and no individual colours are named across the 36. It sits in a premium price position and it's the slowest seller of the seven. Buying it means accepting less published information than any other pick here, which is exactly the trade the top pick refuses to make.

Pros:

• 18ml tubes, the largest of any pick here
• Double-sided mixing wheel included
• 36 colours covers most illustration needs
• ASTM D4236 and EN71 conformance stated

Cons:

• No weight or dimensions published
• Slowest seller of the seven
• None of the 36 colours are named
• Premium price position with no warranty stated

6. MyArtscape Gouache Paint Set — Best upgrade

Twelve fully named 12ml colours in an entry price position, with rewettability called out explicitly on the listing.

Best for: someone stepping up from a pan set to tubes Skip it if: you need a specific single colour replaced

This is the value proposition of the group: 12 colours at 12ml each, 4.8 Fl Oz total, at the third-cheapest price position of the seven. Compare that to the top pick, which gives you 12 colours at 5ml for the highest price here, and the arithmetic is stark.

Every colour is named: Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion, Crimson, Sap Green, Deep Green, Cerulean Blue, Prussian Blue, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber and Black. That's two greens, two earth browns and two blues, which is a sensible mixing spine for landscape or illustration work.

MyArtscape's listing makes a point of rewettability, saying the paint stays workable after drying, unlike acrylics. That's the property that defines gouache, and calling it out suggests the set is aimed at people arriving from acrylics. The brand also states ASTM D4236 and EN71-3 conformance. Set weighs 0.55 lb at 0.95 x 9.45 x 4.3 in, model MAS-206-GOUACHE-12x12ml.

Only one seller lists it, and there's no warranty or lightfastness figure published. It also sells more slowly than four of the other picks. On documented permanence, the Winsor & Newton white tube still beats it outright.

Pros:

• All 12 colours named, including two greens and two browns
• 12ml tubes at an entry price position
• Rewettability stated explicitly on the listing
• ASTM D4236 and EN71-3 conformance

Cons:

• Only one seller lists it
• No warranty or lightfastness rating published
• Sells more slowly than most picks here
• No single-tube replacements referenced

7. Holbein Artists' Gouache 15 ml Tube — Best budget pick

A single 15ml tube of Permanent White at the cheapest price position here, sized to outlast the white in any set you own.

Best for: topping up white without buying a whole set Skip it if: you have no colours yet

This tube exists to solve one problem: the white running out. At 15ml, or 0.5 Fl Oz, it holds three times the paint of a single tube in the Holbein set of 12 and slightly more than the 14ml Winsor & Newton white. Model G630, weight 18.1 g, dimensions 0.75 x 3.07 x 1.18 in.

It is the cheapest of the seven, which is what makes it the sensible companion purchase to any boxed set. Buy the 12-colour box for the range, buy this for the colour you'll actually deplete. That pairing is my default recommendation for anyone starting out with the best gouache artists paints.

The listing is short. Holbein states Permanent White in a 15ml tube and little else, so there's no lightfastness rating and no opacity figure to compare against the Winsor & Newton equivalent. Two sellers list it.

Ranking it last is not a judgment on the paint. It's a judgment on scope. One tube of white cannot be your only purchase, and unlike the Winsor & Newton white it carries no published permanence data to lean on. As a top-up, though, nothing here does the job more cheaply.

Pros:

• Cheapest pick of the seven
• 15ml, the largest single white tube here
• Smallest footprint at 0.75 x 3.07 x 1.18 in
• Same brand as the top pick for palette consistency

Cons:

• White only, useless as a standalone purchase
• No lightfastness or permanence rating published
• Minimal specification detail on the listing
• Only two sellers stock it

How much white do you actually need?

Most shoppers miss this and then wonder why a set feels exhausted after a month. Opaque paint means every light passage is a tint, and every tint is white plus a touch of something else. White is the workhorse.

Run the numbers on the picks here:

• Holbein set of 12: white is one 5ml tube out of 12.
• Winsor & Newton 10-colour set: Titanium White is one 12ml tube out of ten.
• MyArtscape: Titanium White is one 12ml tube out of 12.
• MEEDEN and U.S. Art Supply: white is one tube among 48 and 36 respectively, at 12ml and 18ml.

A single 15ml Holbein white or a 14ml Winsor & Newton white therefore doubles or triples what your set gives you, for the smallest price positions in this comparison. That is the single highest-leverage add-on in the category.

Black is the opposite case. You'll use less than you expect, because mixing a dark from a blue and a brown gives a livelier result than reaching for Mars Black. Nine of the tubes across these sets are earth or dark pigments that do that job.

Set or single tubes: which should you buy first?

Two of the seven picks are single tubes, and that isn't padding. It reflects how the best gouache artists paints are actually bought once you're past the first box.

Buy a set first if:

• You have no gouache at all and want to start painting this week.
• You don't yet know which colours you gravitate toward.
• You want named pigments you can plan a mixing chart around, which points to the Winsor & Newton 10-colour set or MyArtscape.

Buy single tubes first if:

• You already own pans or a starter set and one colour is empty.
• You care about published permanence data, which only the Winsor & Newton white tube supplies here.
• You'd rather own six excellent tubes than 36 unknown ones.

The cutoff I'd use is eight colours. Below eight, a set is cheaper per colour than assembling one tube at a time. Above eight, you're buying colours you may never squeeze, and the 48-tube box is the clearest example of that risk.

What the gouache listings do not tell you

Reading these seven listings side by side, the gaps are as informative as the specifications.

Lightfastness is almost never published. One product of the seven states a rating: ASTM I on the Winsor & Newton white. Nothing else here gives you a figure. If your work will hang in daylight, that absence matters more than colour count.

Pigment names are frequently withheld. Three sets name every colour. Two premium-positioned boxes, holding 48 and 36 tubes between them, name none. You cannot tell whether a "crimson" is a single pigment or a convenience mix.

Weight and dimensions are inconsistent. The 36-colour set publishes neither. The 48-colour set publishes dimensions but no weight. If you're shipping supplies or packing for a class, that's a real blank.

Nothing says how the tubes are capped or how they store. A screw cap that seizes shut is the most common failure in tube paint and no listing addresses it.

"Non-toxic" is a standards claim, not a promise. ASTM D4236 and EN71 mean the labelling has been reviewed for hazards. Three picks state one or both. Read it as compliance, not as an invitation to let a toddler paint unsupervised.

The verdict

Split this by what you're willing to spend and the answer gets simple.

At the entry positions, the Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache 14ml Permanent White is the smartest tube in the whole comparison, because it's the only one publishing an ASTM I lightfastness rating and a permanence rating of A. Pair it with the Holbein 15ml white if you paint large, since that one is the cheapest pick here and holds 15ml. MyArtscape sits in the same entry range and gives you 12 named colours at 12ml each, which is the best colour-per-outlay position on this list.

In the middle, the Winsor & Newton 10-colour set is the pick for anyone who wants documented pigments in a 0.71 in slim box, and it's the one I'd hand a student painting several pieces a week.

At the premium end, the Holbein Artists Gouache Set of 12 wins overall, and it wins on documentation rather than quantity. A published 90-day warranty, a compact 5.44 oz box and 12 assorted colours from a brand that also sells single 15ml replacements. MEEDEN's 48 tubes and U.S. Art Supply's 18ml tubes both give you more paint for a similar outlay, and if raw volume is your constraint, take one of those instead. If consistency and published detail are what you want, Holbein is the default.

FAQ

Are the best gouache artists paints worth more than student paint?

The best gouache artists paints justify the difference in one place: pigment load. Artists' grade sets like Holbein and Winsor & Newton publish permanence and pigment information, which student ranges usually omit. You mix further per squeeze, so a 5ml artists' tube can outlast a larger student tube. If you paint occasionally, the difference is harder to notice.

Which gives better value, a 48-tube set or a 12-tube set?

Value depends on how many colours you actually reach for. MEEDEN's 48 x 12ml box holds 19.2 Fl Oz total, over four times the Winsor & Newton ten-tube set. But most painters settle into eight or ten colours within a month. A 12-tube set at 12ml, like MyArtscape's, matches real use more closely and takes up less desk space.

Is gouache worth buying if I already own watercolour?

Gouache is worth it if you want opacity. Watercolour builds transparent layers and you work light to dark. Gouache lets you paint a pale highlight straight over a dark passage, which changes how you plan a picture entirely. Several listings here, including MyArtscape's, note the paint stays rewettable after drying, so you can lift and correct in ways acrylic won't allow.

How does Holbein's set of 12 compare to MyArtscape's set of 12?

Holbein's set of 12 gives 5ml tubes, a published 90-day warranty and a lighter 5.44 oz box, but doesn't name its colours. MyArtscape gives 12ml tubes, 4.8 Fl Oz total, and names every pigment from Vermilion to Burnt Umber, at an entry price position. Choose Holbein for documentation and portability, MyArtscape for volume and a known palette.

What tube size should I look for in gouache?

Tube sizes across these seven run from 5ml to 18ml. For colours you use constantly, especially white, look for 14ml or larger: the Holbein single white is 15ml and the U.S. Art Supply tubes are 18ml. For accent colours you touch once a painting, 5ml is plenty and keeps the box compact enough to travel.

If you're buying today, start with the Holbein Artists Gouache Set of 12 and add a 15ml white alongside it. That pairing costs you two clicks and covers the one imbalance every boxed gouache set shares, which is that white empties long before anything else. Twelve documented colours plus a deep reserve of white will carry you through months of work before you need to think about replacements, and by then you'll know exactly which single tubes to reorder rather than guessing at a 48-colour box.

Last updated: September 7, 2026. Product availability re-checked.

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