Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.404 SAFFRON YELLOW

Saffron Yellow (No. 404) is a warm, earthy golden yellow from Kuretake's Gansai Tambi line – traditional Japanese watercolour in solid pan form, handcrafted in Japan. The colour bears the traditional Japanese name 向日葵色 (Himawari-iro, sunflower colour) and combines the rich vibrancy of saffron yellow with a subtle brown undertone that appears warm and organic when applied wet-on-wet. The pan dries with a delicate silken sheen that brings illustrations and botanical studies to life.

Features

• Pigment composition PY1 · PB15:3 · PY42: The combination of arylid yellow, phthalocyanin blue and iron oxide yellow creates a muted, deep golden yellow – richer than pure lemon yellow, warmer than ochre. The tones subtly shimmer as they overlap when wet.
• Adjustable opacity: With minimal water, the colour becomes opaque like gouache and works on dark paper. With more water, it creates transparent, luminous glazes.
• Creamy-soft consistency: The pan dissolves evenly with a damp brush – no scratching, no lumps. The colour flows smoothly and mixes beautifully with other Gansai Tambi shades.
• Subtle silken sheen when dry: Gansai Tambi dries with a fine shimmer rather than a flat matt finish – this sets the colour apart from classical European watercolours and gives illustrations characteristic depth.
• Large pan (approx. 48 × 28 mm): The generous format enables broad brushstrokes and large-scale work without frequent reloading.
• Made in Japan: Kuretake produces the Gansai Tambi colours in Japan using traditional craftsmanship.

Use & Tips

• Botanical illustration: Saffron Yellow is ideal for warm flower colours, stamens and autumnal foliage details – particularly effective as an initial glazing underlay over which darker tones are layered.
• Sumi-e and East Asian painting techniques: The colour harmonises with traditional sumi inks. It flows softly and organically on a wet background; it remains sharply defined on dry areas.
• Mixing: Combined with No. 405 Green Gold, it creates a muted moss yellow; with No. 403 Venetian Red, it produces a warm, terracotta-like orange. The pigment combination is sensitive when mixed with blue tones – small amounts of PB15:3 are sufficient for green shifts.
• Dark paper: Thanks to its high pigment density, Saffron Yellow covers reliably even on black or dark grey paper – using minimal water and allowing brief drying between layers.
• Refilling: The individual pan can be inserted into existing Gansai Tambi palettes to replace frequently used colours without replacing the entire set.

For Watercolour Enthusiasts

No. 404 Saffron Yellow contains three pigments: PY1 (arylid yellow), PB15:3 (phthalocyanin blue) and PY42 (synthetic iron oxide yellow). This combination is typical of muted earth yellow tones with high colour body stability. PY42 provides body and a subtle ochre tendency, PY1 ensures luminosity, and the minimal PB15:3 content softens the mixture to that characteristic saffron yellow. Since Gansai Tambi is produced in the Japanese gansai tradition without granulation, the pigments are evenly distributed – ideal for smooth colour fields and precise glazing techniques on satin or smooth paper.

Technical Specifications