What Are Japanese Gansai Watercolors?

Описание: Gansai are traditional Japanese watercolors with unique qualities that set them apart from European paints. Instead of focusing solely on transparency, Gansai introduces a subtle opacity that allows colors to sit comfortably together on the page, creating rich moods and atmosphere.
Historically, palettes featured pigments like shell white, indigo, vermillion, and malachite—many of which remain in updated modern forms. Traditional binders used protein glue, sometimes modified with sugars, giving Gansai their distinctive gloss on unsized papers. Contemporary sets now include vegan binders and expanded palettes inspired by movements like Art Nouveau.

Techniques that highlight Gansai’s character include:
• Kouroku: shading within contour lines for natural hues.
• Tarashikomi & Bokashi: wet-into-wet techniques revealing flow and undertones.
• Tsuketate: expressive freehand strokes of ink and color capturing the subject’s energy.

Rooted in Nihonga and Sumi-e traditions, Gansai challenges artists to step outside routine and expand the possibilities of watercolor practice.

Shop Japanese Watercolors at Blick Art Materials here: https://www.dickblick.com/search/?q=j...

🧑‍🎨 Presentation by Todd from our Outreach Team
😁 Thanks to our vendor partners at Yasutomo & Kuretake for the footage
🫶🏽 Special thanks to artist Scott Maier, whose work we included here
🎥 Filmed at Blick Studios in Chicago, Illinois

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