Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.48 GREENISH YELLOW

Gansai Tambi No. 48 Greenish Yellow is a single colour pan from Kuretake's traditional Japanese watercolour series – handcrafted, water-pigment based and in a generous pan format (48 × 28 mm). The colour sits between a fresh yellow-green and a vibrant chartreuse: lively, yet not garish, because like all Gansai Tambi shades it's rooted in natural tones. As a single colour, it can be used strategically to supplement or replace colours in existing sets.

Features

• Water-based pigment, variable opacity: Depending on water content, Greenish Yellow behaves like transparent watercolour or dense, opaque gouache – the same pan, two fundamentally different results. Little water yields rich, almost opaque coverage; plenty of water opens up delicate, transparent glazes.
• Creamy-soft consistency, easily soluble: The compressed solid dissolves quickly and evenly with a damp brush, blends smoothly into mixed colours and applies smoothly to paper.
• Large pan format (48 × 28 mm): The wide pan accommodates flat watercolour brushes, broad wash brushes and water brushes comfortably – no tedious scraping at pan edges.
• Light fastness: As a pigment-based colour, Greenish Yellow is lightfast, provided it is not applied heavily diluted (light fastness decreases with strong dilution).
• Non-toxic and acid-free: ACMI-certified, suitable for all creative environments.
• Available individually: Perfect complement for the 12-colour pastel set (12-B), the 36- or 48-colour set, and as a refill for used pans.

Use & Tips

• Botanical illustration & plant studies: Greenish Yellow hits the tone of fresh shoots, citrus skin and fresh herbs perfectly – ideal for yellow-green transitions in leaves or fruits, mixed with Sap Green (No. 53) or Lime Green (No. 59).
• Colouring sumi-e and ink drawings: The series was originally developed for colouring ink drawings. Greenish Yellow works well for delicate background washes over black ink without overwhelming the linework – dilute generously for this.
• Gouache technique on dark paper: With little water and multiple layers, Greenish Yellow can be built up opaquely on medium brown or grey paper – the light, fresh colour really stands out on dark ground.
• Mixing and layering: Gansai Tambi re-dissolves dried layers when overworked. When layering, therefore work quickly or allow a fresh layer to dry completely before painting again.
• Water brush or classical brush: Both work well. A water brush allows finer control of colour quantity; a classical round brush picks up more pigment and allows broader coverage.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

Gansai Tambi is not classical Western watercolour, but its own category – a hybrid whose character stems from over 100 years of Kuretake sumi ink technology. The pigments sit more on the paper than sinking in, which produces different flow behaviour in wet-on-wet work than Western transparent watercolours: more controlled, less random. This is an advantage for detailed illustration, but requires conscious adjustment of water quantity when working wet-on-wet. Greenish Yellow carries a subtle sheen after drying – a characteristic feature of the series that particularly in illustration and urban sketching achieves a printed book-like quality.

Technical Specifications