Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.60 COBALT BLUE

The Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolour No. 60 Cobalt Blue is a single, large-format pan from the distinguished Japanese Gansai Tambi line. "Gansai" refers to a solid colour pressed from pigments, "Tambi" stands for the pursuit of beauty – and this Cobalt Blue embodies both: a rich, cool blue with subtly violet undertones that shifts between opaque, gouache-like coverage and luminous transparent washes depending on water content. The colour is formulated with a traditional Japanese binder rather than the gum arabic commonly used in the West, giving it a distinctive flow and creamy, even consistency.

Features

• Large pan format (approx. 48 × 28 mm): The oversized pan easily accommodates wide bristle brushes or size 12+ watercolour brushes – no hair bending when loading.
• Variable coverage: With minimal water and a near-dry brush, you achieve opaque, gouache-like blue; heavily diluted creates clear, transparent washes – both from the same colour, depending on technique.
• Creamy consistency without grain: Pigment applies smoothly and evenly, without the granulation common in many Western ultramarine blues. The colour field dries with a subtle sheen in full strength, flat and matte in thin glazes.
• Cobalt Blue as Hue – certified non-toxic: The colour is formulated as "Cobalt Blue Hue" and carries the AP certificate from the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) – no toxic heavy metals, safe for intensive everyday use.
• High re-wettability: Once-dried layers can be reactivated with a damp brush; corrections and lifts are straightforward – a major advantage for illustration and lettering where precise reworking is needed.
• Available as individual refills: The pan fits directly into compatible Kuretake Gansai Tambi palettes and can be restocked separately without purchasing a new set.

Use & Tips

• Activate before first use: Work a wet brush in circular motions across the pan's surface for about one minute until a creamy paste releases – this ensures even, complete colour pickup.
• Mix washes on the palette: For large-scale, highly diluted glazes, dissolve the colour on a palette or separate mixing area, not directly in the pan – standing water in the pan causes the pressed colour to crack as it dries.
• Paper: Cobalt Blue shows its full luminosity on watercolour paper (cotton or acid-free, minimum 200 g/m²) and rice paper. On heavily satin-finished papers, the binder may not adhere adequately.
• Calligraphy and brush lettering: The creamy flow makes this pan ideal for brushwork on light and dark papers – at higher pigment density (minimal water) the colour covers even on coloured grounds.
• Sumi-e and illustration: The cool blue is perfect for skies, water and atmospheric backgrounds as well as bold contour work in Asian-inspired visual languages.
• Colour lifting for corrections: Dried layers can be easily rewetted with a damp, soft brush or water brush and partially removed or softened.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

The Cobalt Blue No. 60 is formulated as a Hue from PB29 (Ultramarine) and PB15:3 (Phthalo Blue) – which explains the characteristic tone: warmer and more violet-leaning than pure Phthalo, yet less granulating than many Ultramarine colours. The traditional Japanese binder differs from gum arabic in film formation: full-strength creates a subtle sheen that vanishes in thin glazes. When mixing this colour with Western tube watercolours, account for the different drying behaviour – Gansai Tambi remains re-wettable, while many European watercolours become more firmly bound after drying.

Technical Specifications