Gouache differs from watercolor primarily because it is:

• A. Transparent and reworkable the same as watercolor.
• B. Used only with oil paints.
• C. An opaque medium with filler to increase opacity; can be rewet.
• D. Made without any binder.

Answer: (C)

Gouache is an opaque, water-based paint. Its key difference from watercolor is that it includes a white pigment filler (like chalk) that increases opacity, so it can cover underlying colors in a single stroke rather than letting them show through. It remains water-soluble, so you can rework areas with water when it’s still damp, which gives you flexibility similar to watercolor but with the ability to block out underlying layers more completely.

Contrast that with watercolor, which relies on transparent pigments and the white of the paper to build color, producing luminous, see-through washes. Gouache also isn’t tied to oils—it’s not used only with oil paints—and it isn’t made without any binder; it uses a binder (like gum arabic) like other water-based paints, with the distinctive opacity coming from the opaque filler.