Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.139 COBALT VIOLET

Cobalt Violet No. 139 is one of the most characteristic colours in Kuretake's Gansai Tambi series – a cool, violet blue-purple that shifts between velvety, opaque magenta and delicate, transparent lilac depending on water dilution. The pan is handcrafted in Japan and based on a pigmented water-based formula (pigments PV23, BR12, PB1), reflecting Kuretake's over-century tradition in ink and watercolour production. The generous pan size of 48 × 28 mm handles wide brushes with ease and dissolves quickly and cleanly in water.

Features

• Variable opacity: Little water produces a rich, almost gouache-like Cobalt Violet; plenty of water opens the colour to watercolour-like transparent blue-violet tones – both from the same pan.
• Creamy, soft consistency: The colour dissolves effortlessly, stays even on the brush, and can be mixed directly with other Gansai Tambi shades on paper or palette.
• Oversized pan (48 × 28 mm): The format is noticeably larger than Western standard pans. Wide watercolour brushes, round brushes size 10 and up, or water brushes fit comfortably inside – even with bold, sweeping strokes.
• Pigment base PV23 / BR12 / PB1: Dioxazine Violet (PV23) as the primary pigment gives the colour its blue-violet depth; BR12 and PB1 contribute the cool, bluish undertone.
• Lightfast and non-toxic: Water-based pigment colour, ACMI-certified, with no animal-derived ingredients in the manufacturing process.
• Individually replaceable: Cobalt Violet No. 139 can be topped up if it becomes your favourite shade in a set – no need to repurchase the entire set.

Use & Tips

• Glazing and layering: Heavily diluted, No. 139 works as a cool shadow tone over blue and red areas – perfect for sky gradations or floral illustrations with violet shadows on petals.
• Concentrated application: With minimal water, achieve bold, almost opaque colour – ideal for sumi-e accents, lettering backgrounds, or coloured calligraphy on light paper.
• Wet-on-wet: On pre-wetted paper, Cobalt Violet spreads softly and widely, creating subtle blue-violet gradations. For crisp edges, wait until the base has begun to dry.
• Mixing with other shades: Combined with Ultramarine (No. 64) creates a deep indigo blue; with Rose Madder (No. 34) produces a warm berry violet. The creamy consistency allows direct mixing on a mixing palette or wet-on-wet on cotton paper.
• Paper recommendation: On cotton watercolour paper (300 g/m²), the colour achieves full brilliance and can be re-dissolved if needed; on smooth, calendered paper, colour application remains crisp and works well for lettering.
• Suitable for dark paper: Applied concentrated, Cobalt Violet holds well even on mid-tone paper – particularly when combined with Gansai Tambi white (No. 10) for mixed tones.

For Illustration and Calligraphy Enthusiasts

Cobalt Violet No. 139 contains Dioxazine Violet (PV23) as its primary pigment – one of the few organic violet pigments offering genuine transparency whilst maintaining high colour strength. Combined with BR12 (an organic brown-red pigment) and PB1 (Victoria Blue, a historic triphenylmethane pigment), it delivers the characteristic cool blue undertone that clearly distinguishes No. 139 from warmer red-violet shades like Imperial Violet (No. 38). Since PB1 is more light-sensitive than PV23, UV-protective glazing is recommended for framed archival work. Traditional Japanese Gansai manufacturing – hand-pressed pigment blocks rather than industrially cast pans – produces the dense, velvety consistency that releases from the brush differently than typical Western pan watercolours.

Technical Specifications