Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.46 BURNT SIENNA

Burnt Sienna No. 46 is one of the classic earth colours in Kuretake's Gansai Tambi range — a warm, reddish-brown sienna based on the single pigment PR101. The colour comes as a hand-crafted paint cake in a large format pan (approximately 48 × 28 mm) and dissolves directly when activated with a damp brush. Depending on the water content, Burnt Sienna displays the full, rich brown-red or opens up into a transparent, glazing tone.

Features

• Pigment PR101 (synthetic iron oxide red): One of the most lightfast watercolour pigments available — delivers an intense, warm brown-red with stable colour even after years.
• Dual character — opaque and transparent: Applied neat with little water, the colour behaves like gouache: opaque, rich, with a slightly silky-matte dry film. With more water it becomes transparent enough for glazes and glazing techniques.
• Creamy, consistently flowing consistency: The paint cake activates quickly and completely; the pigment density produces a deeply saturated colour even with minimal material, without the mass crumbling or clumping.
• Large pan format (approximately 48 × 28 mm): The flat, rectangular pan accommodates wide watercolour brushes and larger bristle surfaces without difficulty — no tedious circling with the brush tip in a small half-pan.
• Non-toxic and water-soluble: Water-based binder, no solvents.

Use & Tips

• Botanical illustration & sketch: Burnt Sienna is a standard colour for tree bark, dried foliage, sand and earth — straight from the pan, no mixing required.
• Underpainting (grisaille / imprimatura): A thin, watery layer of Burnt Sienna as a base tone gives portraits, architectural sketches and landscapes immediate warmth and depth.
• Sumi-e and Japanese brush drawing: The colour responds precisely to brush speed and pressure variation — with fast strokes the line remains sharp, with slow pulling the colour opens up and flows softly.
• Mixing with other Gansai Tambi colours: PR101 combines beautifully with blues (Indigo, Ultramarine) to create deep neutral tones or shifts to warm ochre values when mixed with yellow.
• Paper recommendation: On watercolour paper with slight texture (Cold Press / Not), the slightly granular character of the iron oxide pigment shows its best texture. On very smooth, heavily satinized paper the colour flows more evenly and appears more transparent.
• Refilling: The individual pan fits directly into compatible Gansai Tambi palettes as a replacement for an empty Burnt Sienna compartment.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

The name "Gansai" describes in Japanese a traditional paint form: solid pigment pressed into binder, originally developed for large-format ink painting with broad brush on rice paper. Kuretake draws on over 100 years of ink manufacturing experience. PR101 as a single pigment means: no metamerism, no unexpected colour shift under different light sources. Since Gansai Tambi is pigment-based (not dye-based), light fastness is maintained even with repeated activation — however, the rule is: the more water, the lower the pigment density per area and correspondingly more sensitive the dried result to light. For maximum permanence, a saturated application without extreme dilution is therefore recommended.

Technical Specifications