Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.58 SAP DEEP GREEN

Sap Deep Green (No. 58) is a rich, earthy deep green within the Gansai Tambi line by Kuretake – Japanese watercolours in pan form, whose pigment density and creamy-soft consistency position them between classical watercolour and gouache. The colour is based on pigments PG7, PY1, PR101 and PBk11, producing a vibrant green tone grounded by brown and black undertones that – depending on water dilution – ranges from glazing olive green to a deep, almost mossy saturated tone. After drying, Gansai Tambi leaves a characteristically subtle sheen on the surface.

Features

• Pigment blend PG7 + PY1 + PR101 + PBk11: The interplay of phthalo green, aryl yellow, red iron oxide and black iron oxide creates a complex, muted-deep green – not a strident bright colour, but a tone with inner depth and natural earthiness.
• Water-controlled opacity: Little water yields opaque, covering surfaces similar to gouache; lots of water opens the colour to transparent, glazing layers – both work from the same pan.
• Large pan format (approx. 48 × 28 mm): Wide watercolour brushes, flat wash brushes or thick calligraphy brushes can be fully immersed without the surface depleting too quickly.
• Creamy consistency, quick activation: The pigment dissolves in water with just a few brush strokes – no lengthy soaking required, ideal for spontaneous sketches and direct working.
• Lightly glossy finish when dry: Unlike matte watercolour or gouache, Gansai Tambi dries with a silken shimmer that lends illustrations and ink colourings a special vibrancy.
• Handmade in Japan: Water-based pigment colour, ACMI-certified (non-toxic).

Use & Tips

• Colouring ink drawings: Traditionally, Gansai Tambi are used for colouring ink drawings. Sap Deep Green is suited to foliage, shadows in natural illustrations and dense vegetation areas – the muted base tone prevents the green from overwhelming the ink linework.
• Layering with control: Since the colour becomes reactivatable after drying, working quickly is recommended for multi-layered application or allowing complete drying between layers. Quickly applied, dry layers can be softened into one another by briefly going over them with a slightly damp brush.
• On black paper: Thanks to higher opacity, Sap Deep Green shows distinct impact on dark substrates – black watercolour paper or toned sketchbooks – without disappearing entirely.
• As a gouache substitute: Undiluted or mixed minimally with water, the colour behaves like gouache: opaque, quick-drying, with saturated colour – suitable for flat illustrations and lettering backgrounds.
• Calligraphy and brush lettering: Picked up with a soft round brush or watercolour brush pen, Sap Deep Green can be used for coloured lettering, botanical calligraphy work or address design.
• Colour harmony: The tone harmonises with warm earth colours (Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber Deep) from the same series as well as with neutral grey tones for atmospheric depth.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

The pigment combination PG7 (phthalo green), PY1 (aryl yellow), PR101 (red iron oxide) and PBk11 (black iron oxide) places Sap Deep Green in a range that many Western watercolour series achieve only through mixing: a green with warm, iron-pigment-softened depth that tips neither towards blue-green nor yellow-green. The iron oxide component (PR101, PBk11) lends the colour its typical weight and makes it mix well with other earthy tones. Unlike pure phthalo green colours based on PG7, this tone granulates hardly at all and remains even in flat washes – a stable, reliable deep green for botanical art, Sumi-e-inspired natural subjects and illustrative work.

Technical Specifications