I've been using W&N gouache for a few years now and it's honestly eaten through my budget. The colors are nice but I'm wondering if there's a decent mid-range brand that doesn't cost as much. I mostly do illustrations for fun on weekends, nothing professional, so I don't need museum-quality paint.
I haven't personally used gouache much myself, so I can't speak from direct experience with the brands. But from what I've gathered, you're right that W&N is pricey - lots of people in your exact situation end up hunting for alternatives. The thing is, gouache quality can vary way more between brands than with acrylics, so it's worth being a bit careful.
For mid-range stuff, Holbein and Sennelier come up a lot as solid choices that don't wreck your wallet the way W&N does. There's also Schmincke, though that might still be on the pricier side depending on where you look. Some folks swear by Grumbacher or even store brands like Gamblin, which are supposedly decent for hobbyist work. Since you're doing illustrations for fun, you could honestly experiment - maybe grab a small set of a couple different brands and see what actually feels right to you rather than taking someone's word for it?
What's your main concern with switching - is it the pigment range you're used to, or more about the handling and flow of the paint itself? That might help narrow down which alternatives would feel closest to what you know.
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