How Many Gouache Colors Do You Really Need? 9 vs 24 vs 42 Colors
A practical guide for choosing the right gouache set size based on your skill level, painting style, and how often you actually paint.
Quick answer: Most beginners need 9 colors to learn and mix freely. A 24-color set is a strong mid-range for illustrators who want pre-mixed convenience. A 42-color set makes sense once you paint regularly and know which colors you reach for most. Buying more colors than your skill level needs does not improve your paintings — it mostly adds decision fatigue.
Compare set sizes by how you paint — not just by how many colors look exciting in the box.
The Honest Answer Nobody Tells Beginners
Color count is one of the least important things to optimize when you are starting with gouache. What you paint, how often you paint, and whether you have learned basic color mixing matters far more than whether you own 9 or 42 colors.
In fact, starting with too many colors has a real downside: when any color you might ever want is already in a cup, you skip learning how to mix — and mixing is the skill that actually makes your work look intentional rather than accidental. Every professional artist learns to mix before expanding their palette, not the other way around.
That said, each set size genuinely suits different stages and painting styles. Here is how to think about it.
9 colors
Best for beginners, mixing practice, kids, travel, and occasional painting.
24 colors
Best for illustrators who want more convenience without a huge palette.
42 colors
Best for regular painters, classrooms, workshops, and specialty color work.
9 Colors: Who It Is Actually For
A 9-color set is not a “starter” set that you will outgrow quickly — it is a complete mixing palette. With three primaries, black, white, and a few key supporting colors, you can theoretically mix almost any hue you need.
9 colors is the right choice if:
- You are new to gouache and still learning how the paint behaves.
- You want to build real color-mixing skills rather than rely on pre-mixed colors.
- You paint occasionally, once a week or less, and do not need a full studio palette.
- You want a compact, travel-friendly kit.
- You are painting with children or in a classroom where simplicity matters.
9 colors will not work well if:
- You paint landscapes or portraits where specific earth tones, such as burnt sienna, yellow ochre, or raw umber, save significant time
- You want metallic or pastel shades without mixing
- You work quickly and do not want to stop to mix secondary colors mid-session
Art Whale’s 9-Color Basic Gouache Set is built around this logic — primaries plus essentials in 50ml cups, so there is plenty of each color to practice mixing without running out. If your focus is soft illustrations or journaling, the 9-Color Pastel Set covers that palette specifically without needing to mix pastels from scratch.
A smaller palette helps beginners practice real mixing instead of choosing from too many similar shades.
24 Colors: The Middle Ground
A 24-color set is where pre-mixed convenience starts to matter. At this range, you get the core primaries and secondaries already mixed, common earth tones, and neutrals — so you spend less time mixing and more time painting. This is the “working illustrator’s starter palette” size.
24 colors is the right choice if:
- You have tried gouache and know you like it — this is a confident upgrade from 9
- You paint portraits or landscapes regularly and want earth tones ready to use
- You do illustration or graphic work where consistent, pre-mixed colors speed up your workflow
- You want variety without the full commitment of a large set
Where 24 colors falls short:
- Metallic or shimmer effects require a separate metallic set or individual refills
- Specific specialty shades, such as Prussian blue, Naples yellow, or pastel lilac, may still be missing
If a dedicated 24-color set is not available in a style that fits, the Art Whale 42-Color Basic & Pastel Set includes the full 24-color range and adds earth tones, pastels, and specialty shades — making it a practical “jump to the full palette” option rather than a separate purchase later.
42 Colors: When More Actually Helps
A 42-color set is a working palette — not a beginner kit and not a luxury upgrade. It makes sense at a specific point: when you paint regularly enough that mixing every color from scratch slows you down, and when you have developed enough experience to use specialty shades intentionally rather than randomly.
42 colors is the right choice if:
- You paint frequently, multiple times per week, and value session speed over mixing practice
- You work on detailed illustrations, fan art, or character design where color variety matters
- You are setting up a shared studio, art class, or workshop where different people need different palettes
- You want specialty shades, such as metallic, pastel, or complex earth tones, without buying multiple separate sets
- You know you will use the refillable system — buying individual color refills as you run out, rather than replacing the whole set
42 colors will not add value if:
- You are still learning to mix — a large palette can mask gaps in color theory rather than fix them
- You paint rarely — many colors will sit unused and may dry in the cup before you reach them
A large palette is most useful when you already know which shades support your painting style.
Quick Comparison Table
| 9 Colors | 24 Colors | 42 Colors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Beginners, learners, travel | Intermediate painters, illustrators | Frequent painters, studios, classrooms |
| Mixing required | Most secondaries & earth tones | Some specialty shades | Minimal — most shades ready to use |
| Session speed | Slower, more mixing | Medium | Faster, colors ready to go |
| Learning value | High — forces real mixing practice | Medium | Lower — easy to skip mixing skills |
| Ideal use case | Learning, occasional painting, kids | Portraits, landscapes, illustration | Illustration, studio work, teaching |
| Art Whale option | 9-Color Basic Set | 42-Color Set, use half | 42-Color Basic & Pastel Set |
The Smarter Question: Is the Set Refillable?
Color count matters less than most people think — what matters more long-term is whether you can refill individual colors as you use them up, rather than replacing the whole set. A painter who goes through Titanium White and Prussian Blue twice as fast as any other color should not have to buy 42 new cups just to restock those two.
All Art Whale gouache sets connect to a 78-color refillable system — so whether you start with 9 or 42 colors, you can top up only what runs out. This changes the math on “how many colors to buy now” significantly: start smaller, learn to mix, and expand only the specific colors you actually need rather than upgrading the whole set.
For a deeper look at how cup size, 30ml vs 50ml, factors into how long each color lasts before you need a refill, see our guide: 30ml vs 50ml Gouache Cups: Does Size Actually Matter?
A refillable system lets you replace only the colors you use most — not the entire palette.
What About Metallic Colors — Do They Count?
Some 42-color sets include a significant number of metallic shades — the Art Whale 42-Color Metallic Set, for example, includes 24 metallic and 18 basic shades. Whether this is useful depends entirely on what you paint:
- Yes, metallics add real value if you do fantasy illustration, holiday cards, decorative lettering, or mixed-media work where shimmer is part of the aesthetic.
- No, they are mostly unused if you paint landscapes, portraits, or realistic work where metallic shades do not appear.
If you want metallics as an accent rather than a core palette, the 9-Color Metallic Set gives you shimmer shades without replacing your standard color range.
Decision Guide: Which Set Size Is Right for You?
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gouache colors do I need as a beginner?
Nine is enough to learn everything important about gouache — how it mixes, how it layers, and how opacity works. More colors will not speed up learning; they can actually slow it down by letting you skip mixing practice.
Is a 42-color gouache set worth it?
Yes — but only once you paint regularly and have a feel for which colors you actually use. For a first set, 42 colors is usually more than needed, and many shades will go untouched for months.
Can you mix all colors from just 9 gouache colors?
Almost — three true primaries plus black and white can theoretically produce most hues, though mixing accurate earth tones, such as burnt sienna or raw umber, from scratch takes practice. Most 9-color sets include at least one or two pre-mixed earth tones to bridge this gap.
What is the difference between 42 basic and 42 metallic gouache sets?
A basic/pastel 42-color set focuses on standard, matte gouache colors — primaries, earth tones, pastels, and neutrals. A metallic 42-color set replaces most of those with shimmer versions: great for decorative or mixed-media work, less useful for realistic painting.
Do I need to buy a new set when I run out of colors?
Not if the set is refillable. Art Whale sets connect to a 78-color individual refill system — you buy only the specific cups you have used up, not a whole new palette.
Keep Learning
- 30ml vs 50ml Gouache Cups: Does Size Actually Matter?
- Gouache Color Mixing Chart: How to Avoid Muddy Colors
Bottom Line
Start with 9 colors if you are learning — it is a complete palette, not a compromise. Move to 42 when you know what you paint and which colors slow you down by having to mix them.
Whichever size you start with, make sure the system is refillable so you are restocking individual colors — not replacing the whole palette — as your practice grows.
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