Your guide to Gansai Tambi

Gansai Tambi - Japanese color poetry in watercolor

If you love painting with watercolors, you're sure to fall in love with Gansai Tambi watercolors. These beautiful, handmade Japanese colors combine tradition and intensity, and have a unique creamy texture that makes them truly special in the watercolor world.

What are Gansai Tambi watercolors?

Gansai Tambi is a range of professional Japanese watercolors developed by Kuretake, a traditional brand that has been manufacturing art materials since 1902. Kuretake began with sumi inks for calligraphy, but today has refined the Japanese color craft tradition in the Gansai Tambi series.

The name Gansai Tambi has a poetic meaning that translates to something like "living colors for the tale of beauty", and that describes them very well - each color is filled with intense pigmentation, silky smooth texture and a vibrant glow.

Special composition - why Gansai Tambi is special

Unlike many Western watercolors, which are often very transparent, Gansai Tambi has a more opaque, almost gouache-like quality when applied in more concentrated layers. However, the colors will still have the recognizable transparent watercolor look if a little extra water is added.

The colors consist of:

• Highly concentrated pigments for maximum color strength

• A glutin-based binder (instead of traditional gum arabic) for a creamy consistency

• A smooth, almost velvety finish that makes them ideal for illustration, journaling, calligraphy and mixed media

The result is deep, vibrant colors that can be used thin like classic watercolors - or more saturated and opaque for powerful effects.

How to use Gansai Tambi watercolors

Want to get the best out of your Gansai Tambi colors? Then follow these simple tips:

1. Activate the colors with a little water
   Drip a few drops of water on the colors and let them stand for a minute before painting. This gives a buttery smooth consistency and even application.

2. Use good quality watercolor paper
   The strong pigments deserve a paper that can handle water and layers. A 200-300 g/m² paper is ideal. Find watercolor paper here.
   

3. Experiment with layers
   You can paint both transparent and opaque - try varying the amount of water to create contrast in your designs.

4. Mix your own shades
   The many Gansai Tambi colors can be mixed freely. The Japanese earth tones and pastels are particularly popular for their harmonious expression.

Why artists love Gansai Tambi

Artists around the world choose Gansai Tambi watercolor paints because they combine Japanese quality and tradition and because they enable a unique watercolor expression.

The colors:

• Dries beautifully with a slight sheen

• Allows for precision and both opaque and transparent expression

• Perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike

A piece of Japanese craftsmanship

When you paint with Gansai Tambi, you hold over 100 years of Japanese color tradition in your hand. Kuretake has refined the art of creating pigments that convey a very special mood and soul over generations.

Whether you paint flowers, portraits or abstract art, Gansai Tambi watercolors will give your work a unique, vibrant expression.

See the full range of Gansai Tambi watercolors here.