A few weeks ago, I finally decided to order a graphite tint watercolor set made by Zig Kuretake. I'd been eyeing this set for a long time but often had to postpone the purchase because I've way too many supplies already and I didn't have a clear idea then how I would use that set. Years later and seemingly out of the blue, I placed the order through Lazada. I made sure to buy from the official Zig distributor here in the Philippines.
Item was shipped immediately and was delivered in a few days. So, I was so excited and eager and all ONLY to find out that I'd been sent the wrong product. This is what I got instead: Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI 14-color portable set
Funny how I felt disappointed and happy at the same time. I had great plans for the graphite tint set and was itching to use them to add shade to my figure drawings. And then, this cute Japanesque palette came, and I felt like opening the thing and painting with it already. I mean, it's a Kuretake Gansai Tambi set, yah know. I have the bigger gansai tambi sets and I am in love with them.
But, I didn't open the box.
Instead, I sent a photo of it to the seller and informed them about the mistake. I did get an instant reply... from a BOT, however. So, I sent another message. And I got a reply again, in Filipino, from a BOT. I sent another message saying that I'll just opt for a Return/Refund. Just to be fair. Since I know that this set costs twice the price of the set that I actually ordered. Ayaw naman nating malugi si seller, di ba?
The days came and went. Still no authentic reply from the seller. Lazada finally issued a refund after like 3 or 4 days. I waited 2 more days before opening the box, hoping that someone would pick it up and replace it. But no one came.
So.... I finally opened the box with a big smile. I was unsure about how I might use the beige and the gray. Surprisingly, when I painted this red-breasted robin, those neutrals along with white and black turned out to be indispensable. I used my own synthetic sable brush and painted on a small sketchbook with 100% cotton paper. I was so happy with how this little birdie turned out.
I made another small painting on the same sketchbook. I wanted to see how I could mix the colors to create a landscape. Once again, the neutrals helped me mute or add some colors. I was also surprised to see that I made various shades of green using this gansai tambi pocket set. True enough, you don't need much to be able to paint nature. I'll be using these watercolors for a few more small paintings while the other travel palettes can rest for a while.
I find the palette good enough for simple nature sketches, still life paintings, and crafting projects. I must also mention that the plastic casing is hard and sturdy. I don't know the chemical engineering behind it, but I seem to prefer it over the plastic casing of Cotman, Daler & Rowney and other pocket sets from known brands. This set has a lot of mixing compartments too. And that's definitely a huge advantage especially if you're sketching outdoors.
If you are curious about this set and would want to try it yourself, you can order through Lazada or Shopee or inquire at a brick-and-mortar art supplies shop in your own locale.
You can also buy this set from Amazon for less than $30:
