Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.14 CHERRY BLOSSOM PINK

Cherry blossom pink – not pure white, not bold pink, but exactly the delicate, milky tone you see on Japanese cherry trees in spring. The Kuretake Gansai Tambi No. 14 Cherry Blossom Pink is an individually available watercolour from the traditional Japanese Gansai range: handcrafted, creamy-soft in consistency and with characteristically higher opacity that positions it between classic watercolour and gouache. The colour is based on water-based pigments (PR48:3, PW6) and is non-toxic and lightfast.

Features

• Creamy, highly mixable consistency: The soft paste dissolves evenly with a brush or water brush – even with minimal water added, application remains smooth and never grainy.
• Semi-opaque to opaque: When heavily diluted, Cherry Blossom Pink creates a delicate, transparent lavender-pink wash; applied undiluted, the colour works like gouache – with a silky-matte finish on paper.
• Lightfast and non-toxic: The water-based pigmentation is permanently lightfast and contains no animal products.
• Individual pan in plastic palette: The pan can be removed from a Gansai Tambi palette and used separately or inserted as a refill when this colour runs out in your own palette.
• Japanese colour term 桜色 (Sakura-iro): The colour name refers directly to Japanese sakura pink – a tone with long cultural significance in East Asian painting and calligraphy.

Use & Tips

• Botanical illustration: Cherry Blossom Pink is excellent for cherry blossoms, peonies and rose watercolours – as a glazing wash for petals or undiluted for rich, shadowy areas.
• Brush lettering and calligraphy: With a fine watercolour brush or water brush, the colour can be used for coloured lettering. On smooth, ink-resistant paper it flows in a controlled manner and dries with a clean edge.
• Sumi-e and Japanese painting techniques: As a complement to ink painting, the sakura pink adds delicate colour accents without dominating the peaceful composition.
• Layering and mixing: Mixed with No. 13 Lilac creates a cool mauve; combined with No. 12 Rose Beige produces a warmer, lighter nude pink. Because the colour contains white pigment, all shades mix softly and pastelly.
• Sketchbook and journaling: The pan fits into standard watercolour palette compartments, making Cherry Blossom Pink a practical travel companion for urban sketching or travel journals.
• Paper recommendation: On cold- or hot-pressed watercolour paper with at least 200 g/m² the colour shows its full luminosity; on calendered, smooth paper it dries with a fine, silky surface.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

The pigment combination PR48:3 (barium red, a semi-transparent organic red pigment) and PW6 (titanium white) explains this colour's distinctive character: the titanium white provides semi-opaque luminosity and prevents the red pigment from sinking into the paper fibres – behaviour familiar from transparent Western watercolours. If you want to use Cherry Blossom Pink with maximum transparency, you can reduce the white content through very heavy dilution, but this comes at the cost of the typically creamy texture of the Gansai range. The pan bears the Japanese product code MC21/14 and is compatible with all standard Gansai Tambi palette formats.

Technical Specifications