Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.830 GEM RED

Gansai Tambi No.830 Gem Red is a single watercolor paint from Kuretake's Gem color series – a metallically shimmering red tone with a mica shimmer effect that glows saturated and opaque on both light and dark papers. The pan block made from hand-crafted water-based pigment dissolves quickly, can be worked creamily, and dries with an even, glossy finish. The pigment base is mica, which gives the color its characteristic depth effect – the red appears warm and velvety one moment and metallically brilliant the next, depending on the light.

Special Features

• Mica pigment with strong coverage: Thanks to the high pigment density with mica powder, Gem Red covers completely even on black or colored paper – no transparency of the background, clear color effect.
• Creamy-soft consistency: The pan dissolves quickly with little water and produces an even, smooth paste that can be cleanly applied with a brush or water brush pen.
• Adjustable transparency: When diluted with more water, a light, semi-opaque wash effect is created; with little water, the color remains opaque and intense.
• Lightfast pigment color: As a pigment-based color, it is lightfast – the coverage of the mica pigments is retained with normal dilution; with stronger dilution, lightfastness decreases.
• Large pan block (approximately 48 × 28 mm): The generous format allows working with wide flat brushes and round brushes of any size without constant reloading.
• Made cruelty-free: No animal-derived ingredients in the manufacturing process.

Application & Tips

• Calligraphy and brush lettering: Gem Red is particularly suitable for lettering on black cardboard or toned paper – the mica coverage ensures that the color fully stands out even on very dark backgrounds without multiple applications.
• Illustration and manga: For accents, fabrics, or metallically appearing elements in illustrations – the shimmer effect gives areas a three-dimensional depth that is difficult to achieve with regular watercolors.
• Mixing with other Gansai tones: Gem Red can be mixed with other colors from the Gansai Tambi series on the palette. If you want to retain the shimmer effect, it's best to mix with other mica tones from the series.
• Use with water brush pens: Guide a water brush pen directly over the moistened pan – the creamy consistency picks up the color immediately without forming lumps.
• Dark vs. light paper: On white paper, Gem Red shows a warm, luminous red with visible shimmer effect; on black paper, the coverage is maximized, and the metallic shimmer appears more intense.
• Sumi-e and mixed media: The quick dissolving makes the color suitable for spontaneous sketching and mixed media work where short preparation time is important.

For Calligraphy Enthusiasts

The Gansai Tambi series is based on Kuretake's over 100 years of experience in manufacturing sumi ink – the colors are hand-poured into pans in Nara, Japan. Gem Red belongs to the Gem color series, whose pigments are mixed with mica powder: this creates a metallic-opaque color that behaves differently than classic transparent watercolors of Western origin. Those working with broad-edged pens or calligraphy brushes on smooth, ink-resistant paper benefit from the creamy consistency – no stuttering, no splattering. Since the color is pigment-based, it is not archivally document-fast in the archival sense; for decorative calligraphy and illustration projects, this is usually irrelevant.

Technical Specifications