Watch the painting
YouTube Short · 0:58
Paint with me - My Neighbor Totoro - Studio Ghibli
Posted on my YouTube channel.
Watch on YouTubeMy photos
My photo · Holding my open mint-green 48-color HIMI twin-cup gouache case with well-used jelly cups and a used white mixing palette below
At a glance
- Colors
- 48 × 12 g
- Format
- Jelly gouache in twin cups
- Includes
- 3 brushes
Maker's figures from the Amazon listing, checked Oct 15, 2026.
Most of my paintings use HIMI gouache. While HIMI is not a premium brand, the paint quality in this 48-color Twin Cup Jelly Gouache set is very good, and it is a staple that is very widely used by most artists. What it asks from you in return is water control on the palette and consistent care in the box—regular use, airing the case so the cups do not mold, and misting the paint so it does not dry hard. Here is how I use the set in my photo and painting Short above, and how it fits into my beginner gouache guide.
Why most of my paintings use HIMI gouache (and my Totoro paint-along)
When I sit down to paint with gouache, this 48-color HIMI Twin Cup set is what I reach for on most of my pieces. It is not a high-end artist-grade brand, yet the paint quality is very solid and dependable for everyday illustration, which is why HIMI jelly gouache has become so widely used across the artist community. In my photo above, I am holding my open mint-green HIMI twin-cup case with all 48 jelly cups clearly well used—swirled, partly used paint in every color—and a used white mixing palette at the lower left.
In my painting Short above (Paint with me - My Neighbor Totoro - Studio Ghibli), I used this set for a paint-along of a fan-art scene from Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro. On the left side of my desk, the green twin-cup case sits open with rows of paired jelly cups—yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, purples, blues and greens—ready to dip into alongside a flower-shaped mixing palette and a two-well brush washer on the right. Working from a reference frame propped on my tablet, I mixed sunlit yellow-greens, mid leaf greens and deep forest tones to paint Totoro sleeping in a shaded forest clearing, surrounded by layered fern fronds and small yellow, white and purple wildflowers. This and my other Studio Ghibli fan-art Shorts are gathered on my Ghibli gouache painting page.
Water control: from watercolor washes to acrylic-like coverage
Gouache sits right between watercolor and acrylic, and how it behaves on paper depends on how much water you mix into it:
- Mixed with plenty of water, gouache flows and blooms across the page like watercolor.
- Mixed with very little water, it lays down opaque, flat color with coverage like acrylic paint.
Because of that two-sided nature, mastering gouache comes down to learning how to control the amount of water on your brush and palette. For more on working from thin washes to thicker opaque layers without lifting the paint underneath, see the five beginner tips in my gouache guide, my gouache vs watercolor comparison and my gouache vs acrylic comparison. The whole routine, from misting the cups to the last details, is in how to use jelly gouache.
Caring for the jelly cups: preventing mold and dried-out paint
Unlike tube gouache where unused paint stays sealed inside metal tubes (see jelly gouache vs tube gouache), a jelly-cup box exposes all 48 pans whenever you open the lid. That makes routine maintenance essential.
To keep the paint in good condition, the box needs to be used regularly and opened to air out so trapped moisture does not cause the cups to mold. At the same time, you need to mist the cups with clean water or a dedicated wetting solution so the jelly gouache stays moist and does not dry hard in the tray. Alongside this 48-color box, I use the HIMI Gouache Wetting Spray instead of water to keep the paint moist, prevent mold and keep the gouache’s texture intact.
Twin cups, brushes and case (maker specs)
According to HIMI’s Amazon listing, this 48-color set uses a twin-cup layout: instead of 48 separate large tubs, two colors share each removable twin cup (24 twin cups holding 48 × 12 g colors in total) so the 48-color range fits into a single portable green carrying case with a double-clasp lid. The listing also includes 3 paintbrushes and a built-in mixing palette inside the box.
In the maker’s words, the water-based gouache dries to a matte finish, rewets with water on the palette or page, and conforms to ASTM D-4236 and EN71 safety standards. Because gouache uses water for both washes and rewetting, pair the set with heavy watercolor or mixed-media paper (around 300 gsm) so the sheet stays flat; see the gouache guide’s paper and brushes section and my sketchbook and paper guide.
Who it suits and alternatives
Choose the 48-color HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache set if you want a widely used everyday gouache box with very good paint quality across 48 ready-to-dip colors, and you do not mind that it is not a premium brand or that jelly cups need regular use, airing against mold, and misting with clean water or a wetting spray so they do not dry hard.
If you want a smaller, lower-cost jelly-cup starter box from the same maker, see the researched HIMI 24-color jelly-cup set (24 larger 30 ml single cups with a palette and 3 brushes per its listing). If you would rather learn color mixing from a small set of sealed tubes—and skip jelly-cup airing and misting altogether—see the Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache 10-tube set in my beginner gouache guide, or compare how gouache and acrylic differ in my gouache vs acrylic guide.
What I liked
- The paint I reach for in most of my paintings: very good quality for a non-premium brand, and very widely used by most artists.
- Behaves like gouache should once you control your water: flows and blooms like watercolor with plenty of water, and covers like acrylic when mixed with little water.
- 48 colors open at once in the twin-cup tray for pulling shades straight onto a mixing palette.
What bugged me
- Not a premium gouache brand.
- Needs regular use and airing so the cups do not mold, plus misting with clean water or a dedicated wetting spray so the paint does not dry hard.
How it compares
| Photo | Set | Colors | Format | Price (Amazon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache 48This set | 48 × 12 g | Jelly gouache in twin cups | $29.69List Price: $32.99Save 10% as of Nov 3, 2026, 11:15 UTCDetails Price and availability show on Amazon. |
 | HIMI 24 jelly-cup gouacheResearch-based24 larger 30 ml single jelly cups with a palette and 3 brushes in the case, per its listing. | 24 | 30 ml (1 oz) jelly cups with sealing lids | Read why: HIMI 24 jelly-cup gouacheView on Amazon |
 | Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache 10Research-based10 × 12 ml tubes from Winsor & Newton's Designers Gouache line (paint only, no brushes or palette), built around process primaries for mixing. | 10 | 12 ml tubes | Read why: Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache 10View on Amazon |
Specs are each maker's own. Prices are Amazon's, shown only with their time. All 3 in the guide
If it fits, here it is
HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache, 48 Colors
$29.69List Price: $32.99Save 10%
as of Nov 3, 2026, 11:15 UTCDetails
Price and availability show on Amazon.
Paid link · I may earn from it
Questions
Is HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache a premium brand?
No. HIMI is not a premium brand, but in my use the paint quality is very good and it is very widely used by most artists—most of my own paintings are made with HIMI gouache.
How much water should you mix with HIMI gouache?
Controlling the amount of water on your brush is the key to mastering gouache. When mixed with plenty of water, gouache flows and blooms like watercolor; when mixed with very little water, it gives opaque coverage like acrylic paint.
How do you keep HIMI jelly gouache from molding or drying hard?
Use the set regularly, open the case to let it air out so the cups do not mold, and mist the paint with clean water or a dedicated gouache wetting spray so the jelly cups do not dry hard.
What comes in the 48-color HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache box?
According to the Amazon listing, the green carrying case holds 48 colors in 12 g twin jelly cups—two colors per removable twin cup—along with 3 paintbrushes and a built-in mixing palette.
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