Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.50 MALACHITE

Malachite No. 50 is a blue-green shade from Kuretake's Gansai Tambi series – named after the deep, cool green tone of the mineral malachite. Available as an individual pan, it follows the Japanese Gansai tradition: pigment-rich solid colour in a large-format pan that dissolves quickly with water and releases a creamy-soft paint. Kuretake was founded in Nara in 1902 and combines classical Japanese colour-making techniques with a modern water-based pigment approach in this series.

Features

• Blue-green malachite tone: A clear, cool blue-green – in the colour family between turquoise and forest green. Works directly as water, foliage and stone colour without any mixing required.
• High pigment content: Gansai colours use pigment and binder in a higher ratio than Western watercolours. The colour remains intense when dry – the tone loses little of its vibrancy.
• Variable opacity: Applied directly from the pan creates an opaque, saturated application; with more water and mixing on the palette, transparent, glazing-like layers are possible.
• Large-format pan (48 × 28 mm): The oversized pan loads easily with broader and calligraphy brushes without bending the bristles.
• Quick dissolution: The solid colour dissolves rapidly with minimal water – ideal for spontaneous sketching or quick colour washes on the go.
• Not archival: The colour is water-based and not lightfast; dried layers can be reactivated and lifted with a damp brush – practical for corrections, but not suitable for works intended for permanent lightfast display.
• Non-toxic (ACMI certified): The colour is AP-certified and meets standard safety requirements for non-toxic artist materials.

Use & Tips

• Illustration & sketchbook: Malachite is ideal for nature illustrations – water, foliage, stones and minerals can be rendered with strong colour instantly, without mixing.
• Sumi-e and East Asian painting techniques: The large pan is designed for classical Japanese brushes (round brushes with soft, long tips). Broad, fluid brushstrokes with plenty of water create flat washes; dry brush on rough paper produces textured effects.
• Opaque application on dark paper: Because the colour can be applied opaquely, it works on dark grey or black watercolour paper – Malachite shines there as a cool accent.
• Transparent layers: Dilute colour first on the palette with sufficient water (don't paint directly from the pan) to achieve light, transparent glazes. A little colour goes a long way.
• Mixing: Gansai pigments are concentrated – use sparingly when mixing with other colours to avoid muddiness. Malachite blends well with blue tones (ultramarine, Prussian blue) and yellow tones to create further green variations.
• Individual replenishment: The pan fits into standard Gansai Tambi palettes and can be reordered as an individual colour when used up.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

Gansai colours traditionally use gum arabic as the primary binder, supplemented with ingredients such as sugar and glycerine as humectants – the result is a creamier, slightly heavier body consistency than Western watercolours. With thick application, the glossy surface may be visible after drying (due to the binder); a matte finish develops with greater dilution. As Kuretake does not publish pigment numbers, the lightfastness rating of Malachite No. 50 cannot be independently verified – for works intended for permanent display, we recommend conducting your own lightfastness test or using it as a sketch colour or for preparatory work.

Technical Specifications