Review: Karetaki Gansai Tambi 48 Watercolour Set: Are they worth the hype?

As an illustrator, I’m always on the lookout for materials that inspire creativity and elevate my work. Watercolours, in particular, are a staple in my process because they offer such a wonderful blend of colour, control and spontaneity and I love watching how they bring illustrations to life though the 'ugly' stage to something amazing. When I got my hands on the Karetaki Gansai Tambi 48 Watercolour Set, I was so eager to see how this medium performed because I had heard that they are watercolours that act nothing like watercolours.

My First Impressions:

Karetaki’s Gansai Tambi watercolours are known for their rich, opaque colours and smooth application, and this 48-set certainly makes a statement from the get go. Here’s what stood out to me immediately:

• The palette includes an extensive range of hues, from deep jewel tones to soft pastels and shimmering metallics.

• The pans are larger than traditional Western watercolours, making them easy to use with broader brushes which I loved.

• The presentation is beautiful. The paints are housed in a sleek, minimalist box with individual pans labeled in both Japanese and English numerals.

• Unlike traditional watercolours, Gansai Tambi paints have a creamy, almost gouache-like texture. That heavy pigmentation means some very smooth blending and really, REALLY bold colours!

  
  

But how do they perform?

Pigment Performance Gansai Tambi watercolours are probably best known for their highly pigmented and vibrant hues, and this set did not disappoint.

• The saturation is intense and a little bit goes a very long way. Even with a light touch, the colours appear bold.

• The metallic and pearlescent shades offer a beautiful shimmering effect, which I found was a bit much on their own but perfect for highlights and embellishments. I used the silver on a barbeque utensil for an illustration and the effect was amazing.

• Unlike traditional Western watercolours like my Windsor and Newtons, these paints have a slightly more opaque quality, allowing for strong layering and coverage but it is much more difficult to glaze with them.

• The opacity also meant that lifting colour completely was really challenging, especially on more absorbent paper.

  
  

Mixing & Layering One of the strengths of the Gansai Tambi paints was their blendability, but even this had its challenges.

• Mixing colours was smooth, though some of the deeper hues dominated the lighter tones.

• Layering worked Ok, but since these paints have more opacity than traditional watercolours, I found that the layering was mostly cevering up previous washes rather than building transparency.

• I think that the metallics and pearlescents worked best as the final accents to my work but while these look great in person, the scans didnt have the same touch of magic to them.

• On textured paper, the colours settle beautifully, but in my experience, the metallics sometimes dried unevenly.

  
  

Usability & Application 

I think this set is incredibly versatile, and it works well with various brushes and techniques. Here’s what I found:

• For fine details: The creamy consistency allows for smooth application, though a fine brush is needed for precision.

• For washes: These paints reactivate easily with water, making them ideal for soft gradients and controlled blending.

• On different papers: They perform beautifully on hot-pressed and cold-pressed watercolour paper, though on heavily textured surfaces, the metallics can settle unpredictably.

• For mixed media: They pair well with ink and coloured pencils, though they are not fully waterproof when dry, so reactivating them is possible.

OK, so who would I recommend this set to? So, should you add the Karetaki Gansai Tambi 48 Watercolour Set to your toolkit? Here’s my breakdown:

This set was great for:

• Illustrators who love rich, opaque colours that blend smoothly.

• Artists who enjoy bold, expressive watercolours with a touch of gouache-like coverage.

• Those looking for metallic and pearlescent paints that add striking highlights.

  
  

This set will probably not be deal for:

• Artists who prefer transparent, traditional Western-style watercolours.

• Those who rely on lifting techniques, as these paints tend to stain more than traditional watercolours.

• Calligraphers using fine nibs because these paints are best used with brushes rather than dip pens. I'd definatley recommend the Windsor and Newton inks for dip pen users over these paints.

  
  

My Final Thoughts:

Overall, the Karetaki Gansai Tambi 48 Watercolour set delivers vibrant, creamy paints that are a joy to work with. The bold pigmentation, large pans, and unique metallics make this a fantastic addition to any artist’s collection. While they lean slightly more opaque than traditional watercolours, they provide a gorgeous balance of intensity and blendability and the colours are amazing. Saying that though, since I wrote up this blog, I have already ordered the set of 12 pastle colours as I think this set was great, but missing some softer pastel tones and base skin colours.

Would I use them for every project? Absolutley not, but if I only got to choose one medium for the rest of eternity, these paints would be a contender. I think for more delicate, transparent washes though, I’d opt for traditional watercolours. But for bold illustrations, mixed media work, or adding luminous accents, this set is an absolute winner.

Have you tried Gansai Tambi Watercolours? I’d love to hear your thoughts about them! Have you used this set or any other set? Do you have a favourite Gansai Tambi colour? Let me know in the comments or tag me in your creations. I love seeing how other illustrators bring these paints to life!

NOTE: This is not a paid review and all opinions are my own.