Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.36 ROSE MADDER DEEP

Rose Madder Deep No. 36 is a deep, cool red-violet from Kuretake's Gansai Tambi series – a line of hand-crafted Japanese watercolours in compressed cake form. The shade bears the traditional Japanese colour name 臙脂 (Enji), a historic dark red with a subtle violet undertone. Its creamy-soft consistency dissolves evenly with minimal water and can be applied directly from the generous-sized pan.

Features

• Variable coverage: Applied neat, Rose Madder Deep renders almost opaque like gouache – diluted with more water, it reveals a transparent, glazing spectrum. Both extremes are achievable from the same pan.
• Pigment composition PR48:3 + PR63:1: This combination of two red pigments yields a saturated, cool red-violet with excellent colour depth. PR63:1 (Pigment Red Maroon) contributes the dark, slightly bluish undertone.
• Lightfast: As a pigment-based colour, Rose Madder Deep is lightfast – the more concentrated the application, the more stable the lightfastness. At high dilution, light stability diminishes.
• Oversized pan (48 × 28 mm): This generous format accommodates wider brushes and allows rapid coverage of larger areas without exhausting the pan quickly.
• Hand-crafted in Japan: Kuretake draws on over 100 years' experience in ink and pigment processing. The paint mass is hand-pressed into plastic wells.
• Non-toxic and water-based: Contains no solvent components. Brushes and palettes clean easily with water.
• Available individually: The pan fits all Gansai Tambi palettes and can be purchased as a replacement or palette extension.

Use & Tips

• Illustration and sketchbook: Rose Madder Deep suits detailed illustration where a cool, dark red is needed – for instance, blooms with violet undertones, textiles or shadows in skin tones.
• Calligraphy and lettering: Applied with a fine round brush, the shade produces rich, even lines. On smooth, calendered paper, the colour flows precisely without feathering.
• Sumi-e and Etegami: The traditional heritage of Gansai colours makes this shade particularly suited to East Asian painting techniques. Wet-paper flow can be controlled deliberately through Kuretake's sumi technology.
• Mixing: Rose Madder Deep blends well with other Gansai Tambi shades. Combined with blues, it produces cool plum and mauve notes; mixed with white, it yields a muted dusty rose.
• Opaque as gouache alternative: Applied undiluted straight from the pan, the colour covers dark grounds – useful for highlights or opaque colour areas in mixed-media projects.
• Paper recommendation: Watercolour paper of at least 200 g/m² takes the colour most stably. On ink-proof, smooth paper, colour brilliance remains particularly clear.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

Rose Madder Deep No. 36 is pigmented with PR48:3 (Barium Lithol Red, a mid-tone red pigment) and PR63:1 (Maroon, a dark-red azo pigment with pronounced violet bias). This combination positions the shade chromatically between a cool carmine and a dark bordeaux – closer to violet than the lighter Rose Madder No. 34, which additionally contains PY3 and BR12. For watercolourists seeking a dark-cool red with a defined plum undertone without veering into true violet, No. 36 is a precise choice within the series. The pigment density of the Gansai format is higher than many Western travel watercolours in a comparable price range, which is particularly evident in glazing layers through consistent colour release.

Technical Specifications