Gouache is similar to watercolor, but it includes the addition of a white pigment (or
"body;" it is often called bodycolor) that makes it opaque. It has a matte finish, as we see
in the strokes of gouache on this masterpiece by Picasso.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish,
1881-1973)
Detail from Head of a
Boy, 1905-6
Opaque matte paint,
possibly tempera, on
board, laid down on
wood and cradled, 24.6
x 18.6 centimeters