How To Revive Dried Up Himi Gouche Paint

Himi (Miya) gouache is a very affordable student-grade, budget-friendly paint best suited for beginners, sketchbook journaling, and casual practice rather than professional or archival artwork, as it uses petroleum-refined chemical binders and lacks official lightfastness ratings or artist-quality pigment guarantees. So, for someone like me who is looking for inexpensive art supplies to use in a sketchbook, purchasing Himi gouache was truly a no-brainer, and especially since it is quite irresistable! One thing to consider is that the individual cups don’t re-seal, so if not used regularly the cups will dry out, which is what happened to me, but not to worry we can fix that!

How To Reconstitute Himi Gouache:

Follow these simple steps: Pour or spray your tap water over the dried paint, let it soak for 4 to 6 hours (or overnight), and then mash it into a smooth, creamy texture with a palette knife or toothpick.

Tap water will work perfectly fine to revive your Himi gouache, especially if you want to use the paint right away.

Many artists do recommend distilled water to prevent mold growth over long periods. Since tap water contains small amounts of bacteria and minerals, you just need to take a couple of quick precautions if using it.

How to Safely Use Tap Water

• Boil it first (Optional but Recommended): Boil a small amount of tap water and let it cool completely before adding it to your paints. This kills off any mold spores or bacteria that might be lurking in the water.
• Add a drop of rubbing alcohol: After mixing the tap water into your dried paint cups, add one tiny drop of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to each cup. This acts as a safe preservative to prevent mold from growing in the wet paint later on.

Now that you know how to solve your dry gouache problem, just a few pros and cons to consider with himi gouache:

• Pros: Highly affordable, incredibly convenient due to the jelly-cup packaging, easily re-wettable with water, and fun for large color sets and blending on the palette.
• Cons: Prone to surface mold, chemical odors, and binder separation. The jelly cups can dry out or spill if not meticulously maintained with regular water misting and tight sealing.

All of that said, in order to make art we also need for it to be affordable, so get some Himi and start creating without worrying about wasting supplies!