Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.860 GEM BLUE

The Kuretake Gansai Tambi No.860 Gem Blue is a single watercolor pan from Japan's most renowned Gansai line – a deep, shimmering blue with mica pigment (MICA) that glows equally well on light and dark paper. The color characteristically lies between transparent watercolor and gouache: highly pigmented, creamy in consistency, with a slightly glossy finish when dry. "Gansai" refers in Japanese to a solid color cake pressed from pigments, "Tambi" stands for aesthetics – together they describe the ambition of this color line.

Special Features

• Mica Pigment (MICA): No.860 Gem Blue contains shimmering mica particles that give the color a metallic, mother-of-pearl sheen – particularly striking on black or dark paper, where the blue practically glows.
• Variable Opacity: Little water creates an opaque, covering layer; plenty of water makes the color transparent and glazed – allowing you to switch between gouache effect and classic watercolor.
• Creamy Consistency: The color dissolves quickly and evenly on the brush without the cake seeming hard or brittle. Color changes between layers are possible because the lower layer dissolves again when worked over and blends with the new layer.
• Large Pan (48 × 28 mm): The generous format allows the use of wide flat brushes as well as fine detail brushes – no tight containers where the tip would immediately hit the edge.
• Lightfastness: Pigment-based formulation; lightfastness is pigment-dependent and decreases with increasing water content – for archival-worthy work, dilute sparingly.
• Single Pan: Designed as an individual color for repurchasing or targeted supplementing of an existing palette – fits all standard Gansai Tambi palette frames.

Application & Tips

• Calligraphy & Brush Lettering: Gem Blue is excellent for lettering on dark paper or cardboard – the shimmer effect is particularly strong on black watercolor paper. Load the brush well with water, but not too wet: an overly moist brush noticeably dilutes the MICA effect.
• Illustration & Sumi-e: On Washi paper or 300 g/m² watercolor paper, the color shows its full character: rich coverage in the first coat, delicate glazes through heavy dilution. Wet-on-dry works better than wet-on-wet, as the color flows less than Western watercolors.
• Mixed Media & Cards: In combination with non-archival black ink or fineliners, you can colorize drawings without completely covering the line – the semi-opaque character allows outlines to show through.
• Shimmering Accents: Applied heavily diluted as a wash over dried color areas, Gem Blue creates a fine metallic shimmer – as a subtle highlight layer over other Gansai Tambi colors.
• Paper Recommendation: 140 lb / 300 g/m² watercolor paper or Washi; on dark paper (black, navy) the MICA property unfolds its full effect.

For Watercolor Enthusiasts

The entire Gansai Tambi line works with Kuretake's proprietary ultra-fine particle dispersion technology, which ensures uniform pigment distribution in the cake. No.860 Gem Blue carries MICA as the primary pigment – a synthetic mica that contains no strontium chromate or lead pigments and is therefore safe for school and studio use (ACMI-certified, water-soluble, non-toxic). Unlike Western watercolors, Gansai Tambi has a slightly different binder ratio that produces characteristic flow behavior: less spontaneous spreading, but more precise control over edges and color areas. Dries with a slight sheen – this effect is even more pronounced in the Gem colors than in the standard colors of the series due to the MICA content.

Technical Specifications