The HIMI Jelly Gouache Paint Set (24 Colors) took the online art community by storm, transforming from a viral sensation into a staple on the desks of illustrators, hobbyists, and beginners alike. But viral trends don’t always equal long-term quality. You might be wondering if this unique take on traditional gouache is actually a reliable medium for your artwork, or if it’s just another pretty prop for social media aesthetics.
If you’ve spent more than five minutes scrolling through the art side of Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube in recent years, you’ve almost certainly spotted them. Those aesthetically pleasing, brightly colored, peel-off cups of paint nestled perfectly inside a chunky pastel carrying case.
Whether you are looking to transition from watercolors, dive into opaque painting for the first time, or simply want to know what the “jelly” fuss is all about, this deep dive will cover everything you need to know about the HIMI 24-color gouache set.
What Exactly is “Jelly” Gouache?
Before we get into the specifics of the HIMI set, it helps to understand what gouache (pronounced gwash) actually is.
Often described as “opaque watercolor,” traditional gouache is made of color pigment bound with gum arabic, much like watercolor. However, gouache is formulated to be highly opaque and dries to a beautiful, velvety matte finish. It allows you to layer light colors over dark ones—something that is nearly impossible with standard transparent watercolors.
So, where does the “jelly” part come in?
Traditionally, artists buy gouache in metal tubes. You squeeze a tiny bit onto a palette, mix it, and paint. The HIMI set flipped this standard upside down by packaging the paint in individual, 30ml plastic pods that look exactly like the little cups of jelly or creamer you might find at a diner. You peel back the foil lid, and the paint is ready to use, sitting right there in its own little reservoir. It’s undeniably fun, but it also completely changes the workflow of setting up your palette.
Deep Dive: Key Features of the HIMI 24-Color Set
The 24-color iteration of the HIMI set is arguably the most popular, hitting the sweet spot between having enough variety to avoid constant mixing, while not being so overwhelmingly large that it becomes impossible to carry. Here is a closer look at what makes this set tick.
Vibrant Color Selection and Opacity
The 24-color palette offers a fantastic spectrum. You get your essential warm and cool primaries, a generous selection of earth tones (like burnt sienna and ochre), and some beautiful pastel convenience colors that are incredibly fun to use right out of the cup.
One of the most crucial tests for any gouache is its opacity. How well does it cover the layer beneath it? The HIMI paints perform surprisingly well here. While some of the lighter yellows and pastel pinks might require a second coat or less water to achieve full opacity, the darker blues, greens, and reds are incredibly pigmented. They lay down smoothly and dry down to that signature flat, non-reflective finish that illustrators love for scanning and digitizing.
The Palette and Packaging Design
When you open the box, you are greeted with a sturdy, hard plastic carrying case (often available in pastel pink, green, blue, or yellow). Inside, the jelly cups sit tightly in a grid. The set also includes a hard plastic mixing tray that rests directly on top of the cups, acting as a secondary seal beneath the main lid.
The mixing tray is spacious enough for most daily painting sessions and is delightfully easy to wipe clean. However, the sheer size of the 24-cup layout means this palette has a significant footprint on your desk.
Portability and the Weight Factor
If you are an urban sketcher or a plein-air painter who likes to hike with your supplies, you need to know this upfront: the HIMI 24-color set is heavy.
Because the paint is kept wet in 30ml cups, the entire palette weighs considerably more than a standard watercolor tin or a few tubes of acrylic. Furthermore, once you peel the foil off the cups, the palette must be kept flat. If you toss it sideways into a backpack, the wet paint will slide around, leak, and cross-contaminate. This set is best suited for studio or home use, rather than travel.
Performance on Paper: How Does It Actually Paint?
Aesthetics aside, how does the paint behave when brush meets paper?
- Texture and Consistency: Straight out of the cup, the paint has a creamy, buttery consistency that feels deeply satisfying to scoop up. It glides onto cold-pressed and hot-pressed watercolor paper beautifully.
- Rewettability: Like traditional gouache, HIMI paints are water-soluble even after they have dried. If the paint dries out in the cup (which it eventually will), you can easily revive it by spraying it with a bit of water and stirring it with a palette knife.
- Layering and Blending: Because the paint reactivates with water, layering requires a light touch. If you scrub too hard with a wet brush on your second layer, you will pull up the color underneath and create a muddy mess. However, with a bit of practice and by using less water on your top layers, you can achieve crisp, clean details and beautiful dry-brush textures.
- Color Shift: One characteristic of all gouache—and HIMI is no exception—is a noticeable color shift. Dark colors tend to dry slightly lighter, and light colors dry slightly darker. You’ll need to do a few swatches to get the hang of predicting the final, dried color.
Pros and Cons of the HIMI 24-Color Set
To help you weigh your options, here is a quick breakdown of where this paint set shines and where it falls short.
The Pros
- Incredible Value: You get a massive amount of paint for a fraction of the cost of professional-grade gouache tubes. It is one of the most budget-friendly ways to get started.
- No-Fuss Setup: Because the paint is already laid out in open cups, the barrier to entry is practically zero. Just open the lid, grab a wet brush, and start creating.
- Excellent for Beginners: The generous amount of paint encourages you to use it boldly without the fear of “wasting” expensive pigments.
- Aesthetically Inspiring: It is a genuinely beautiful product to look at, which can serve as a great motivator to sit down and paint.
The Cons
- Prone to Drying Out: Once the foil lids are off, you are fighting a constant battle against evaporation.
- Plastic Waste: The individual plastic cups create a noticeable amount of plastic waste once they are empty. While HIMI does sell refill pouches, the initial setup isn’t the most environmentally friendly option compared to metal tubes.
- Not Travel-Friendly: It’s heavy and prone to leaking if tilted.
- Mold Risk: Because it is kept moist in an enclosed, dark box, the paint can develop mold if left unattended for long periods without proper care.
How to Keep Your Jelly Gouache from Drying Out
The biggest learning curve with the HIMI gouache set isn’t painting—it’s maintenance. Here are a few essential tips to keep your jelly cups creamy and workable for months:
- Don’t Peel the Foil All the Way: Instead of ripping the lid off completely, cut a small slit or only peel back half of the foil. This limits the paint’s exposure to the air.
- Use Distilled Water: Keep a small spray bottle of distilled water on your desk. Give the palette a light misting before you close it up for the day. Distilled water lacks the minerals and bacteria found in tap water, drastically reducing the risk of mold growth.
- Seal it Tight: Always ensure the lid is snapped securely on all four sides. Some artists even place a damp paper towel over the cups before closing the lid to maintain high humidity inside the box.
- Embrace the Dry: If your paints do dry out into solid bricks, don’t panic. They are not ruined. You can treat them exactly like a standard watercolor pan. Just hit them with a wet brush, and they will lift beautifully.
Who Should Buy the HIMI 24-Color Set?
This set is an absolute dream for students, beginners, and hobbyists who want to explore opaque painting without a massive financial investment. The sheer volume of paint removes the anxiety of wasting expensive materials, allowing you to experiment, mix boldly, and make mistakes.
It is also fantastic for illustrators and designers who work in sketchbooks or scan their artwork digitally. The matte, flat colors photograph incredibly well.
However, if you are a professional gallery artist producing archival-quality fine art for sale, you may want to stick to traditional, artist-grade tubes. While HIMI gouache is highly pigmented, the brand does not provide comprehensive lightfastness ratings (how well the colors resist fading over time when exposed to sunlight), which is a critical factor for high-end gallery work.
Where to Buy
You can check the current pricing from amazon store and grab your box through the link: Buy the HIMI Jelly Gouache Paint Set (24 Colors) on Amazon.
Disclaimer: The purchase links above are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you decide to make a purchase. Thank you!
Final Thoughts: A Welcome Splash of Color
The HIMI Jelly Gouache Paint Set (24 Colors) isn’t just a fleeting internet trend; it is a genuinely innovative, accessible approach to a classic medium. By lowering the price point and presenting the paint in a format that practically begs to be used, it has introduced thousands of new artists to the joy of gouache.
While the maintenance requires a bit of a routine and the palette demands a permanent spot on your desk, the buttery texture, bold colors, and sheer fun factor make it a worthwhile addition to almost any art supply collection.
Ready to start your gouache journey? Have you already tried the HIMI jelly set, or are you still a loyalist to traditional tubes? Let us know your thoughts, favorite color mixes, and palette-care tips in the comments below!