Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.250 GRAPHITE GREEN

Graphite Green No. 250 is a single pan from Kuretake's Gansai Tambi series – handcrafted Japanese watercolour with a character that sits between classical watercolour and gouache. The colour is based on a graphite pigment blend (PBk10 combined with PG7), which gives the tone its cool, dusty-green character: muted, with considerable depth. Made in Japan.

Features

• Matte finish through graphite pigment: Unlike many other Gansai Tambi colours, Graphite Green dries distinctly matte – even when applied thickly and opaquely. If you rub or polish the surface after drying, you can coax out a subtle metallic sheen.
• Creamy, highly mixable consistency: The pan activates quickly with a damp brush and releases colour evenly. Thanks to its creamy, soft consistency, Graphite Green mixes effortlessly with other Gansai Tambi shades.
• Variable opacity: Applied with little water, the colour appears opaque and substantial – comparable to gouache. When heavily diluted, it creates a transparent, glazing wash with a grey-green tone.
• Large pan (approx. 48 × 28 mm): The generous format accommodates wide brushes and broad painting techniques without constant reloading.
• Available individually: The pan can be added as a single colour to an existing Gansai Tambi collection or used to refill an empty slot in a set.
• Water-based, non-toxic (ACMI-certified): The colour is water-soluble and not poisonous.

Use & Tips

• Night scenes and atmospheric backgrounds: Graphite Green is particularly suited to muted, atmospheric subjects – forest scenes at dusk, industrial structures, minimalist sketches with limited colour.
• Polishing effect: Concentrated layers applied dry can be polished with a smooth object or fingertip to a matte metallic lustre – interesting for texture and mixed-media work.
• Paper recommendation: The colour works best on watercolour paper from 300 g/m² upwards, washi and rice paper. On smooth, calendered writing paper, the wash dries faster and spreads less.
• Layering technique: Since dried layers can be reactivated, you can create colour transitions that correspond to neither pure watercolour nor gouache – the lower layer blends softly with the new layer.
• Activation: Work a thoroughly wet brush into the pan for about a minute before painting larger areas. Mix watery mixtures better on a palette than directly in the pan to avoid crazing as it dries.
• On dark paper: Thanks to increased opacity, Graphite Green also shows well on dark or black watercolour paper.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

The pigment PBk10 (graphite) is known for its physical opacity – it does not cover through scattering like titanium dioxide, but through the platelet-like layer structure of graphite crystals, which absorb and reflect light. Combined with PG7 (phthalo blue-green), it creates a cool, desaturated green tone with distinct character. Important for archival work: Gansai Tambi does not publish standardised lightfastness values; for work exposed to sustained UV light, a test strip under real conditions is recommended. Heavily diluted glazes are more light-sensitive than opaque layers.

Technical Specifications