Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor No.906 WHITE GOLD

White Gold (No. 906) is a metallic watercolour from Kuretake's Gansai Tambi series – handcrafted in Japan, water-based and pressed into a large format pan. The colour sits between warm silver and pale white gold: with a pearlescent shimmer and a cool lustre effect that shifts depending on light and water content. When dry, the metallic shimmer is fully retained.

Features

• Metallic pearlescent tone: White Gold creates a bright, silvery-golden shimmer – particularly luminous on dark grounds, delicate and shifting on light paper.
• Large pan surface: The pan measures approximately 48 × 28 mm – large enough to fully load wide watercolour brushes or calligraphy brushes without awkward reworking.
• Creamy, easily dispersed consistency: The colour dissolves smoothly with minimal water and applies evenly – neither too thick nor too thin.
• Coverage adjustable: With little water, opaque and solid; with more water, transparent and glazing – the same pan delivers both characters.
• Lightfast and water-based: The pigments are water-based, non-toxic and lightfast – suitable for work intended to last long-term.
• Handcrafted in Japan: Each pan is pressed in Japan using traditional handwork methods, which explains the fine pigment density and even texture.

Use & Tips

• Calligraphy and brush lettering: White Gold is ideal for metallic script – on black or dark blue paper, the tone reveals its strongest lustre. Wide calligraphy brushes pick up the colour directly from the pan.
• Illustration and sumi-e: As an accent colour in watercoloured illustration, White Gold lifts highlights and gives areas a soft, shimmering quality.
• On dark paper: Unlike transparent watercolours, White Gold covers with minimal water even on pre-printed or dark grounds – ideal for cards, collages or mixed media projects.
• Mixing with other Gansai Tambi tones: White Gold can be mixed with other pans in the series, for example to lighten pearl or gold tones or to create metallic colour blends.
• Activation: Touch a damp brush briefly to the pan surface and pick up the colour evenly – no lengthy soaking required.

For Calligraphy Enthusiasts

White Gold No. 906 belongs to the metallic effect colour range of the Gansai Tambi series (Nos. 901–906), which differs from the classic watercolour godets through its pearlescent mica pigment content. The colour behaves differently on rough watercolour paper than on smooth, calendered paper: on smooth surfaces, the metallic effect remains sharper and more even; on textured watercolour paper, fine light-shadow transitions emerge in the shimmer. For calligraphers wishing to use White Gold with a glass nib holder or broad calligraphy nib: the colour is too pigment-dense for most fountain pen nibs, but can be applied directly from the pan to the nib of a glass pen using a soft hair brush.

Technical Specifications