Kuretake Gansai Tambi GRANULATING Kleuren Ⅱ, 5 kleuren set, aquarel verf set, ideaal voor kalligrafie, illustraties, penseel belettering, fineart en meer, Made in Japan, MC20GN2/5V

I’m a big fan of the Kuretake Zig pens, so thought I would give these paints a try. Colours are beautiful shades (very pastel, so if you’re looking for darker tones, these wouldn’t suit), but shine was great, very smooth paint and easy to apply.

While I'm impressed by the way these shine, the paints contain very little colour so they all look silvery on black paper. The colours show a little better on white paper, which is probably how I'll use them most. They might look more colourful if mixed with a little good quality translucent watercolour or if used over permanent marker. Great for light pastel touches with a great deal of shimmer.I was also a bit disappointed that the pans are in a cardboard surround, not a proper watercolour box. I decanted the pans and put them into an old tin, securing them in place with blu-tack.

Really nice quality paints. I've been using them on their own and also in combination with watercolour paints by winsor newton and Daniel Smith - they mix and layer nicely with these other brands. They can produce a fine wash of shimmer or can be used with less water for a more opaque and pigmented colour. The shimmer particles can bunch up in one area, almost like a granulation effect. They also show up well when used on top of darker colours. The pans are a nice large size with plenty of paint.

Beyond any expectations! Superb quality and the granulation is top notch. Highly recommended

These are the most beautiful watercolour I've ever seen. Great quality, but that is expected from a Japanese brand. Beautiful pearly shine, lovely lots of pigment. I'll definitely buy this brand again.