Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolour Set - 100 Colours - Limited Edition

Spoil yourself or a creative friend with this very special Limited Edition watercolour set that includes 100 colour pans of Gansai Tambi, packaged beautifully in a wooden box. The box is decorated with flower and plant embellishments, which are common motifs used in Japanese paintings. 

The 100-shade set includes 72 standard and regular colours spanning vibrant yellows and reds, deep earth tones, pastels and floral hues, plus 28 specialty shades from the Starry, Iridescent, Granulating and Sumi colour ranges, with dedicated blank watercolour swatch sheets built into the packaging for easy colour matching and reference.

Traditional Japanese solid watercolours for professional artists and crafters. Gansai paints are a specific kind of Japanese watercolour with a slightly different binder than western paints. It's this binder that allows the paints to be applied more thickly like a gouache, and makes them dry with a slight sheen if they are applied thickly. It is a solid transparent watercolour that does not lose its vividness even when mixing colours due to the uniformity of pigment particles. When the pigment particles are uniform, the light is reflected constantly, so even if they are mixed, vivid colour development is possible.

Kuretake's Transparent Watercolour is a high quality paint that delivers brilliant colour. The finely ground pigment particles allow for blending, layering, and adding a colour gradation. These watercolours are built to last due to the paint's highly lightfast qualities and non-toxic pigments.

Handcrafted by traditional methods and free from odours, the solid water-based pigments in this set are more opaque than other brands and offer a smooth, creamy consistency when mixed together. Gansai paints are very pigmented and are thicker and creamier than Western watercolours. They tend to be less transparent than Western or European watercolours but can be thinned with water to create more transparent washes. 

*Gansai pan may show cracking due to a dry environment, occasionally the Gansai pan may look rough due to tiny air bubbles. None of these affects the quality or method of use.

Features:

• 100 x Individual Pans - encompassing every colour from the whole Gansai Tambi range

• Presented in a beautiful timber gift box

• Water based pigment

• High opaque ink

• Non toxic & Xylene free

• Lightfast

• Made in Japan

How to Use Kuretake Gansai Watercolour Pans

Using Kuretake Gansai Tambi is delightfully simple, no complicated rituals required! Just grab your favourite watercolour brush, add a little clean water to the pan and get those gorgeous pigments moving.

Once the colour has softened, load up your brush and paint directly onto your watercolour paper. Want a bold, punchy colour? Use less water. Prefer a soft, dreamy wash? Add more. It's all about finding the sweet spot that works for your artwork.

You can also mix Gansai Tambi colours together to create your own custom shades, layer colours for extra depth or experiment with different levels of transparency. They're wonderfully versatile, making them perfect for everything from loose watercolour sketches and illustration to lettering, journalling and mixed-media masterpieces.

A few tips for getting the most from your Gansai Tambi pans:

• Add water: A few drops is all you need to activate the paint.

• Load your brush: Pick up as much or as little pigment as your artwork demands.

• Play with water: More water creates lighter, more transparent washes; less water gives you richer, more opaque colour.

• Mix it up: Blend colours on your palette to create your own beautiful shades.

• Layer away: Let each layer dry before adding another for richer colour and depth.

• Keep it clean: Give your brush a good rinse between colours so your beautiful palette doesn't turn into a muddy science experiment!

And when you're finished creating? Let the pans dry before popping the lid back on and your Gansai Tambi set is ready for its next adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours?

Gansai Tambi are premium Japanese watercolours made by Kuretake. They're loved for their rich pigmentation, smooth consistency and beautiful range of colours. Unlike many traditional transparent watercolours, Gansai Tambi can give you a more opaque, creamy finish when used with less water, making them wonderfully versatile for illustration, lettering and fine art.

Are Gansai Tambi watercolours good for beginners?

Absolutely! You don't need to be a watercolour wizard to have fun with Gansai Tambi. They're incredibly easy to activate and forgiving to work with, making them a fantastic choice for beginners while still offering plenty for experienced artists to get excited about.

Are Kuretake Gansai Tambi professional watercolours?

Gansai Tambi are popular with artists, illustrators, designers and calligraphers around the world. Their high pigmentation, extensive colour range and versatility make them suitable for serious artwork as well as everyday creative play.

Can I mix Gansai Tambi colours?

Yes! In fact, we highly recommend getting a little experimental. Mix colours together on your palette to create unique shades and discover combinations that are entirely your own.

Can I use Gansai Tambi for illustration and lettering?

Definitely. Gansai Tambi are particularly popular for illustration, brush lettering, calligraphy, sketching and decorative artwork. Their rich colour and ability to create both opaque and transparent effects make them a very handy addition to your studio.

Why are there cracks in my Gansai Tambi pans?

Don't panic! Small cracks can sometimes appear in watercolour pans as the paint dries. This is normal and doesn't mean your paint has gone bad. Simply activate the colour with water and get back to creating.

What paper should I use with Kuretake Gansai Tambi?

For traditional watercolour painting, we recommend using good-quality watercolour paper. Cold-pressed paper is a great all-rounder, while hot-pressed paper gives you a smoother surface for fine details, illustration and lettering.

Why Artists Love Kuretake

There's something a little bit special about Kuretake Gansai Tambi. Maybe it's the ridiculously rich colour. Maybe it's the gorgeous Japanese craftsmanship. Or maybe it's simply the joy of opening a palette with 100 colours staring back at you and thinking, "Yep, I definitely need to paint something."

Gansai Tambi are known for their highly pigmented, creamy colours that can be used as bold, opaque paints or diluted with water for softer, more transparent washes. That makes them brilliant for artists who like to experiment and don't want their paints telling them what they can and can't do.

The generous pans are also a treat to use, giving your brush plenty of room to pick up pigment without constantly fighting with a tiny puddle of paint.

And then there's the colour selection. With 100 colours in this Limited Edition set, you've got an enormous playground of shades to explore — whether you're painting delicate florals, expressive illustrations, colourful lettering or something that only made sense at 2am.

Kuretake has been making art materials in Japan since 1902, bringing more than a century of experience and traditional Japanese craftsmanship to its products. The result? Watercolours that feel both beautifully traditional and wonderfully fun to use.

Why Buy from Art Shed?

Because buying art supplies should be almost as much fun as using them!

At Art Shed, we're a bunch of art-loving, colour-obsessed creatives who believe there's no such thing as "too many art supplies." We're here to help you find the good stuff, from everyday essentials to those ooh, 'I absolutely need that' treasures.

We love Kuretake Gansai Tambi because they're exactly the kind of paints that make you want to sit down and have a play. And with the 100 Colours Limited Edition Set, there's certainly no shortage of colours to get stuck into.

Whether you're a seasoned watercolour artist, a budding illustrator, a lettering lover or someone who simply walked past these colours and thought "Ooooh, pretty!" — we've got you covered.

Shop Kuretake Gansai Tambi at Art Shed and add a little more colour to your art kit!

About the Brand

Kuretake is a renowned Japanese art and stationery brand founded in 1902 in Nara, beginning with the traditional craft of sumi ink before evolving over more than a century into a globally respected maker of premium calligraphy, brush pens, inks and artist materials, including its celebrated Gansai Tambi watercolours.