Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.230 GRAPHITE RED

Graphite Red No. 230 is a single pan from Kuretake's Gansai Tambi Graphite series – a colour range that combines graphite pigments (PBk10) with a carefully balanced colour pigment. The result is a dark, muted red tone with a matt, graphite-like surface that can be polished to reveal a subtle metallic sheen after drying, if desired. The consistency sits between classical watercolour and gouache: rich, opaque and with pronounced body on the paper.

Features

• Graphite pigment blend: Graphite Red contains graphite (PBk10) in a carefully balanced ratio to a red colour pigment. The graphite dominates the tone with a cool, heavy undertone – the red remains present but appears muted and deep.
• Matt surface, polishable sheen: When applied, the colour dries to an exceptionally matt finish, even in thick layers. If desired, you can rub the dried surface with a smooth object to reveal a subtle metallic shimmer, much like polishing a soft pencil.
• High opacity: In undiluted form, Graphite Red produces a deep, opaque colour in a single layer. This makes it ideal for flat areas, silhouettes and high-contrast accents.
• Large pan format (approx. 48 × 28 mm): The pan is considerably larger than standard half-pans, allowing even broad brushes to load colour comfortably – without bending the bristles.
• Quickly reactivatable: The colour dissolves quickly and evenly with a damp brush. Diluted on the palette, it creates transparent, smoky glazes; used directly from the pan, it appears opaque and heavy.
• Compatible with other Gansai Tambi pans: The single pan can be inserted into any Gansai Tambi palette or box, allowing you to expand existing sets or replace exhausted colours.
• AP-certified (non-toxic): The colour is rated as non-toxic according to ACMI standards.

Use & Tips

• Night scenes and atmospheric backgrounds: The muted, graphite-infused red tone is particularly suited to dark compositions – sunsets in backlighting, urban night scenes or abstract areas where saturated colour without luminosity is required.
• Glazing on the palette: For transparent glazes, dilute the colour with water on a separate mixing area rather than softening it directly in the pan – standing water in the pan can cause cracking as it dries.
• Deploy the polish effect intentionally: After complete drying, rub your fingertip or a smooth tool across the colour area to reveal the graphitic metallic sheen. Particularly effective on areas without texture.
• Layering: Due to its high opacity, Graphite Red works well in strong dilution for transparent underpainting and in concentrated form for opaque finishing layers. Multiple glazes work best with heavily diluted colour.
• Paper recommendation: Works on watercolour paper (cold- and hot-pressed) as well as on rice paper. On smooth, calendered paper, the polishing effect produces particularly clear results.
• Calligraphy and brush lettering: Thanks to its smooth, creamy consistency, Graphite Red serves well as a colour source for broad calligraphy brushes and brush pens – the matt texture gives lettering an earthy, graphic character.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

Graphite Red No. 230 belongs to the Graphite Colors line introduced in 2022, in which graphite pigment PBk10 is combined with one colour pigment each. Neither Kuretake nor other manufacturers of comparable graphite watercolours disclose the secondary colour pigment codes – if you need pigment codes for lightfastness assessments, you should keep this in mind. In practice, Graphite Red granulates slightly in wet washes and shows minimal colour separation on wet paper, creating organic textures in flat backgrounds. Unlike regular Gansai Tambi colours, which can become glossy when applied thickly due to binder buildup, Graphite Red remains distinctly matt even in masstone – shine is only activated through mechanical polishing. This makes this colour an interesting alternative to classical ink for muted, earthy areas with tactile surface quality.

Technical Specifications