Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.62 TURQUOISE BLUE

Turquoise Blue (No. 62) is a clear, mid-tone turquoise from Kuretake's Gansai Tambi range – a shade known in the Japanese colour system as Asagi (浅葱): the cool blue-green of fresh spring leek leaves. The pan is handcrafted, bound with traditional Japanese binder, and delivers rich, opaque colour layers that dissolve into luminous transparent glazes depending on water content.

Features

• Pigment composition PY3 + PB15:3: The turquoise emerges from the interplay of Phthalo Blue (PB15:3) and Hansa Yellow (PY3) – a vibrant, pure blend that resolves clearly in water with no muddiness.
• Broad coverage spectrum: Applied with little water, Turquoise Blue yields a creamy opaque layer similar to gouache – with more water, it becomes a transparent, luminous glaze. The transition between the two is fluid and easily controlled.
• Creamy, even consistency without graininess: The colour dissolves quickly on a wet brush and flows evenly – minimal granulation, no coarse texture on paper.
• Lightfast and AP-certified: Kuretake specifies lightfastness for the entire Gansai Tambi range. The colour is AP-certified (non-toxic per ACMI standard).
• Large-format pan (approx. 48 × 28 mm): The pan is significantly larger than Western full pans – broad watercolour brushes and mop brushes have plenty of surface to work without "fishing" in the colour.
• Numbering on the underside: Colour number and name are printed on the pan base – makes sorting in palettes and reordering individual shades straightforward.
• Can be used individually or as a replacement: Fits all Gansai Tambi palette boxes and can be used to top up depleted colours.

Use & Tips

• Activation: Dampen the pan with a well-moistened brush before use and allow about a minute to work – this lets the colour dissolve more completely and evenly without the consistency becoming frayed.
• Illustration and sketch: The saturated turquoise is ideal for broad colour areas – skies, water, botanical motifs – without needing many layers to achieve depth.
• Calligraphy and brush lettering: The creamy consistency flows evenly from a good brush tip and suits brush lettering as well as Japanese brush calligraphy with broad brushes.
• On dark paper: Thanks to its opacity with minimal water, Turquoise Blue stands out on black or dark grey watercolour paper – the hue remains visible and vibrant.
• Wet paper (wet-on-wet): On cold-press watercolour paper (300 g/m² or heavier), the colour flows well; on wet paper it travels more controllably than many Western watercolours, allowing soft transitions without uncontrolled bleeding.
• Mixability: Turquoise Blue mixes readily on the palette with other Gansai Tambi shades – for example with Ultramarine (No. 64) for deeper blues or with Viridian (No. 55) for cooler greens.
• Glazes over dried layers: Dried layers can be reactivated with a damp brush and corrected or remixed – a hallmark of this binder formula.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

Gansai Tambi differs from Western gum arabic-based watercolours through a traditional Japanese binder that adheres colour more strongly to the paper surface whilst creating a subtly glossy to satin dry finish – more pronounced with opaque application using minimal water, flatter and more transparent with strong dilution. Turquoise Blue No. 62 carries the pigments PY3 and PB15:3 (Phthalo Blue, cyan type), known for their high colour strength and good lightfastness. The colour sits stylistically between traditional Edo-period Asagi blue-green and modern aqua turquoise – rich enough for broad work, light enough for highlights on mid-tone paper.

Technical Specifications