Don’t Begin Gouache Paint with Himi Jelly Gouache!

I share my honest opinion on why you shouldn't begin your gouache journey with Himi gouache. While Himi gouache may be a popular and affordable option for beginners, I've found that it has some significant drawbacks that can hinder your progress as an artist. I'll be discussing the quality of the paint, its consistency and pigmentation, and how it compares to other brands of gouache while painting the same thing with Himi and Holbein.

This video will give you some insights into the world of gouache and help you make the best choice for your creative journey. So if you're thinking of starting your gouache journey with Himi, think again, and join me in this video to find out why.

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[lilliefluff]

I'm personally glad I started with Himi because, in my opinion, when learning a new art medium, it's very important to feel like you can 'waste' supplies

I find Himi to be decent quality still, and you get a *ton* for the price, starting with expensive supplies I feel like it's way too easy to get into a mindset where you're afraid of practicing since you don't have much of it, and most people can't afford to get frequent refills, I think it's common for beginner artists to be discouraged by early bad results and stress from wasting materials, starting with a cheap but decent paint you get a ton of was definitely the way to go for me

Having to mix every colour, while educational, can also I think feel overwhelming and unfun for a beginner and just contribute more to the 'wasted supply' issue, also preventing them from actually practicing


Having tried artist quality gouache now, it's absolutely lovely, but starting out with it as a beginner would have been a stressful nightmare, and I think I would not love gouache as much as I do if I did

Additionally, Himi being harder to control made me learn to adapt to it and control it well, which I think has served my gouache skills in general really well, to the point that I had an incredibly easy time painting with professional gouache

Not everyone's like me, if you think you wouldn't be worried about wasting paint, or if you can afford a ton of expensive paint regardless, that's fine, but I think for a lot of people, beginning with Himi gouache is the way to go

[luhuai]

Jelly gouache is the primary paint（lower than studio paint） used in the Chinese art college entrance examination due to its convenience, affordability, wide range of colors, and well-blended pre-made colors. It's evident that these advantages are unrelated to the quality of the paint itself; they were created primarily to meet the demand for practicing exam-oriented gouache painting, where paint quality is not a major concern. The disadvantages, on the other hand, are apparent: low pigment content, inaccurate color rendering, lack of single pigments, muddy results when mixing multiple colors, decreased saturation when the paint dries, and low lightfastness. It is still recommended for beginners to purchase artist-grade paints to start their interest in painting. This ensures longer-lasting quality, helps develop a systematic understanding of colors, and demonstrates responsibility for one's own artwork.

[pennybunty]

Aww, no, I really love my Himis! I do use a pallet so I don’t contaminate the cups and I added a plastic seal to my lid which stops them from drying out. So far I’ve had great results with them but I haven’t tried any other brand of gouache so have no comparison. I’m mainly a watercolour painter.

[cazkiwinz]

I’ve had my Himi for 2 years now… I keep the mid palette lid over top then store in a ziplock bag then click the top lid on… mine are still wet, not mouldy and I’ve never sprayed them with water or used glycerine 🤗

[janetc]

A bit unfair to be comparing student grade Himi to artist grade paints, don't you think?

[Itz_Tahshin_]

I will say.


DO begin gouache painting with himi

As someone who's had the set for months now. These are the pros and cons.

Pro's:
1.If you get your paints dirty as shown in the thumbnail. Give them a mix and add some water. It will become almost identical to when you first opened it.
2. It's cheap
3. Colour selection is amazing, vibrant and opaque.
4. If they dry out, just give all of the paints some water and mix them. It will become good as new.
5. They last a long time

Cons:
1. They dry out easily. (Put them in the fridge they won't dry out then)
...I don't have anything else to complain about.

[shenahicks]

I agree! Much better to spend the same amount on a set of professional primaries than Himi. I bought a set of himi because I thought I would like it for sketchbooking and not feeling like I’m “wasting paint” practicing with my expensive paints. But they are so different I don’t like using them. Better to practice with the materials I want to paint my finished work in anyway, so I can be ready!

[gadabout]

😊 I enjoy my Himi. It’s lovely for my thin-paged journals and coloring books. It’s a crafting media for me, so for those uses, it’s perfect. :)

[rebeccaspan]

I wish I saw more reviews like this before I bought HIMI :( I haven't painted in years, I bought the set like many people are saying to do some shitty practice pieces, but I find them so much harder to control than when I'm painting with holbien. Even though my skills are not what they once were, I feel like I can tell the difference.

[bellammmp]

I just got my HIMI set last weekend... the 52 color set. I am in LOVE with it but I can definitely see how the things you pointed out can be issues for some. And I also absolutely plan on getting the tube gouache as well (probably Holbein) because I love experimenting with all different types/brands. Happy painting and thank you for your tips!

[jeankueo]

Thank you for ur review:) key point is it is cheap, and performance is good for the price. It aims art students. They practicing a lot daily, a spray is good enough to keep the pallet wet before 30ml paint is used up and periodically cleaning of paint surface can remove dirty colors. For art lover who does not practice a large amount, of course it is not a good choice :)

[marlbboro]

You are right about Himi. I am a beginner and the Himi sessions always turn out making me think I am a worse artist/painter than I am. Omg my mini Holbein primary set is divine. I use it and think ‘ok I am not that bad’. The experience is something else. Buy small tubes of artist gouache. I am glad you made this video.

[desertwolff_]

Wonderful and honest review. It doesn't tell you what to do and simply gives a fair comparison of two brands. A friend of mine uses Himi and I painted with her for a little bit. For some reason it didn't feel smooth and after your review I better understand why. Thank you so much!

[mirascraftycorner]

Thanks for your video! I just bought my first HIMI box because I’ve been seeing so many fantastic paintings on YouTube using HIMI gouache. And opening the little containers was satisfying ❤ But I’m having the same concerns about drying out, contamination, pigments and lightfastness.
I’ve mostly painted with acrylics, so I’ve been exploring watercolors and gouache. My children love to paint, too, but acrylics is always a big mess and I feel like they miss the opacity and creaminess in watercolors. So I wanted a set of gouache that I could share with them without draining my wallet (and can be washed out of clothes) 🤣 Once I have a feeling for paint-water-ratio, layering, etc. I will open my Winsor and Newton professional set and surrender HIMI to the kids. But the first little painting/coloring I did did not disappoint at all and I’m excited to paint more with them

[grime]

I see great artworks online using Himi jelly gouache, so my hopes were very high. Luckily I saw this video so I can make sure I stay in reality, lol. Still getting Himi jelly gouache because the downsides don't seem terrible considering where I am right now, but I hadn't seen a video talking about the downsides yet, so it was good to finally get a new perspective.
Great and honest review 👍 Thank you for providing the other brand in the description as I have saved the link if I decide I want to work with higher quality supplies.

[Visionsofjade]

I started recently with himi gouache and i absolutely LOVE it 0 regrets xx

[YouHaveALotOfLoveHandles]

I just watched this after I told my dad I wanted gouache, and honestly Im glad he doesnt trust online stores, so now I’ll be able to go to the store and I’ll make sure to get the tube gouache

[emillytrend]

Very, very useful channel! Thank you for sharing Cecile. I have Himi and i can say that all what you said it's true. I' m beginner Gouache artist and i have those problems with the paint....I love my Himi, i don't fear to paint with a lot of paint on my paintings...and to "lose" a paint..for me the paint is good for very beginners....but when i finish my Himi, i will go definitely to paint in Tubes.

[katefarmerpallotta]

I appreciate honest reviews. I am playing with himi now but like understanding the short comings. I look forward to upgrading and the joy seeing my improvement. Plus the fun of “window shopping” and hunting for the best price

[confidential]

While these are all true points... I just can't do it. I bought a small set of Holbein and they are AH-MAZE-INGGG. But I'm trying to figure out color tiling and consistency and all this other stuff that seems to take a lot of practice to develop a sense for. And I just can't bring myself to use expensive paint on the regular for that. When I try to, I just don't paint. I've started dishing out the Himi paint in limited palettes in a stay-wet setup and it's going so much better - using it nearly daily for practice and taking out the pro gouache every week or two to remind myself what good paint feels like 🥰