Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.47 RAW UMBER DEEP

Raw Umber Deep No. 47 is an earthy, cool brown within Kuretake's Gansai Tambi line – a traditional Japanese watercolor medium based on pigments. The color comprises pigments PY42 (Iron Oxide Yellow), PR101 (Iron Oxide Red), and PBk7 (Carbon Black), creating a deep, slightly gray-broken umber that is neither warm-reddish nor neutral, but possesses distinctly cool earthiness. The large-format pan (48 × 28 mm) dissolves quickly with a brush and can be used directly.

Special Features

• Water-based color with pigment density: The color consists of water-based pigment and behaves either opaque like gouache or transparent like watercolor depending on water content – with little water it creates a rich, almost matte brown, with plenty of water a transparent, broken-warm umber wash.
• Pigment combination PY42 · PR101 · PBk7: Iron oxide pigments with carbon black – minerally stable raw materials that give the color its cool, slightly earthy depth. No organic dyes that fade quickly.
• Light fastness: Since Gansai Tambi works on a pigment basis, the color is light fast – provided the mixing ratio remains concentrated. Light fastness decreases with strong dilution.
• Creamy-smooth consistency after rubbing: The hand-pressed pan produces a creamy, non-grainy texture when rubbed – on paper the color lies smoothly without granulating and dries with a slight sheen.
• Large pan for wide brushes: The 48 × 28 mm pan allows the use of wide and thick brushes as well as flat coloring without constant reloading.
• Available individually as a refill pan: Fits directly into any Gansai Tambi palette and can replace used pans.
• ACMI certified: The water-based pigments are tested according to ACMI (Art and Creative Materials Institute) standards and classified as non-toxic.

Application & Tips

• Earthy watercolor washes: Diluted with plenty of water, Raw Umber Deep produces an atmospheric, cool umber wash – ideal for shadows in architectural sketches, tree bark, rock and ground areas.
• Opaque accents in Sumi-e and illustration: Little water makes the color almost gouache-like opaque – allowing you to place bright highlights or structural details over already dried layers without completely dissolving the layer beneath.
• Mixing with other earth tones: Raw Umber Deep forms a harmonious earth palette with Burnt Sienna (No. 46) and Yellow Ochre (No. 44); with the addition of Prussian Blue (No. 66), very dark, almost black neutral tones are created.
• Paper recommendation: Watercolor paper with at least 200 g/m² and rough or cold-press surface absorbs the color evenly and prevents already dried layers from completely dissolving again when painted over.
• Use on dark paper: Thanks to its gouache-like opacity with low water content, Raw Umber Deep can also be used on toned or dark paper.
• Drying: After drying, the color shows a slight sheen – if the surface should remain matte, you can work with a very thin, heavily diluted final layer.

For Watercolor Enthusiasts

Gansai Tambi differs in its manufacture from Western watercolor paints: Kuretake draws on over 100 years of experience in Sumi ink production and transfers this technology to the pigment pressing of pans – this enables particularly even color distribution in the pan and controlled bleeding on paper. Raw Umber Deep No. 47 (PY42 · PR101 · PBk7) contains no organic azo pigments in the brown base, but exclusively synthetic iron oxides and carbon black – pigment classes that have been used in painting for centuries and are among the most light-fast of all. Since the color tends to sit on the paper rather than sink in, it reacts sensitively to layering: a second layer slightly dissolves the first, which is why quick working or complete drying between layers is recommended.

Technical Data