Finding Lightfast Acrylic Gouache

Recently, I began experimenting with acrylic gouache, which is basically just acrylic paint that dries matte.

When I look at ASTM ratings of the lightfastness of paints, they’re often better in acrylic than in watercolor. I suppose it’s because watercolor is so often used in tints, and gum arabic is not a very protective base. That said, lightfastness is still a concern and fugitive pigments will fade in acrylics, too. As with traditional gouache, I have found that it can be challenging to find lightfast pigments in acrylic gouache.

I compared the catalogs of Holbein Acrylic Gouache (the brand I have access to) and Turner Acryl Gouache (another brand that is well regarded). I only included single pigment colors in this list, but there are also lightfast blends that use multiple of these pigments.