Kuretake Gansai Tambi Granulating Colors Set 1 “Aurora” Review: My House Portrait + Urban Sketch Experience

Heya, this is Hat Ho Dao,

I paint watercolor house portraits and I do a lot of urban sketching. My workflow is usually simple: I draw with waterproof ink first, then I paint with watercolor. Because I paint buildings so often, I’m always looking for ways to get believable texture (stone, concrete, old walls, pavement…) without spending forever rendering every little detail.

Why I bought granulating colors (and why this set)

I’ve heard a lot of nice words about granulating colors for a long time. And lately, granulating watercolors have become very trendy. So many art suppliers and factories are producing and releasing their own versions now.

When I see those swatches online, the first thing I think isn’t “wow pretty” (although yes, they are). I always wonder something more practical: can this help me shorten the time it takes to create textures? If a paint can naturally separate and create variation by itself, that sounds perfect for the kinds of things I paint.

The Kuretake Gansai Tambi Granulating Colors Set 1 (Aurora) became my first granulation set, mostly because I already knew the Gansai Tambi format and I like how convenient it is in the studio. This post is my personal experience using it with my usual ink-first workflow.

Quick overview: what’s in the Aurora set

This set includes five colors:

• Aurora Red (No. 771)
• Aurora Pink (No. 772)
• Aurora Orange (No. 773)
• Aurora Blue (No. 774)
• Aurora Violet (No. 775)

(Some versions include an empty pan for mixing. Mine did.)

Granulating colors are designed so the pigments separate as they dry. Instead of a perfectly smooth wash, you get natural texture and little shifts in tone and color.

The pans: large, shallow, and very “Japanese paint” style

The first thing you notice with Gansai Tambi is the pan design. The pans are large and shallow, similar to many traditional Japanese paint formats. Kuretake is very popular for this style, and this is one of the reasons a lot of people like Gansai Tambi sets.

What I like about the large pans (especially in the studio)

For me, the large pan is a big plus because I don’t feel like I’m trying to “dig” pigment out of a tiny pan.nI’ve used small pans a lot, and over time I noticed two things:

• It can feel a bit annoying to load enough pigment quickly, especially when I need a big wash.
• Small pans make my brush tips wear out faster over time, especially when I use a calligraphy brush for painting. When you keep pushing and scrubbing into a small hard pan, it’s not great for the brush.

With the big pans, I can load color more comfortably without forcing my brush. They activate pretty quickly, but I still like to pre-wet the color I’m going to use. It gives me a more even wash and I don’t have to scrub the pan.

In terms of strength: these can be bold if you pick up pigment directly. If I want my ink lines to stay very crisp and central, I keep the wash more diluted.

The downside: not the best for plein air

The same thing I like in the studio can be a downside outdoors. These pans are large, and the set itself isn’t the smallest, so it’s a bit hard if you want plein air.

I usually paint in my studio, so for me it’s okay. But if your main goal is a compact travel palette, this format might feel bulky.

My baseline (so you know what I’m judging it against)

What I usually paint:

• House portraits (more controlled, clean shapes matter
• Urban sketches (faster, but still needs structure)

·      My process: Waterproof ink drawing => Watercolor washes for big shapes => Shadows => Accents

And because I paint houses a lot, I also care about time:

• I don’t want to paint every single brick.
• I don’t want to over-render pavement texture.
• I want a wash that can suggest “real surface” quickly.

The “texture shortcut” question: does it actually save time?

For the kind of textures I need, especially ground surfaces, this set can genuinely save time, but only in specific situations.

It saves time when:

• I want variation in a wash without manually creating it
• I'm painting things like pavement, concrete, stone, garden paths, rough ground, older walls

It doesn’t save time when:

• I need a perfectly even flat wash
• I overwork it trying to control the granulation (that usually makes it look worse)

So yes, it can shorten the texture process but it works best if you let it do its job and you don’t fight it.

How I tested it (with front yard / pavement examples)

A lot of reviews focus on skies, but in my work the more important test is the ground area around a house: front yard, front pavement, driveway, walkway. Those areas can easily look flat or too clean, and they also take time if I try to paint every little detail.

Test 1: Front pavement wash

I inked a simple house portrait outline and focused on the pavement/driveway shape in front. What I looked for:

• Can I get “texture” without painting every crack?
• Does it still look believable and not random?
• Does granulation help suggest stone/concrete?

Result:

This is where granulation helped me the most.

• A single wash can already show natural variation that reads as pavement texture.
• If I glaze once more in a few areas (still keeping it simple), it looks even better.

Test 2: Front yard / garden wash

I tried using a diluted wash in the yard area (where I normally would add scattered texture or leaves). What I looked for:

• Does it create a natural ground texture?
• Can it sit behind inked plants/fences without getting messy?

Result:

• It can work, but I prefer to keep it light.
• If I go too strong, the yard becomes the main focus and competes with the house. 

Color-by-color notes (how I use them)

I’ll be honest: I don’t use all five equally, and I don’t think you need to.

Aurora Blue (No. 774)

• Most useful for me overall.
• Great for cool shadows and cooler pavement notes
• Very good for adding variation without making things too bright

Aurora Violet (No. 775)

• I use it mainly for shadow depth.
• Nice for deeper shadow corners (under eaves, inside doorways)
• Can look busy if used everywhere

Aurora Orange (No. 773)

• Works well as warmth in building surroundings.
• Great as a light glaze on paths/brick hints/roof warmth
• I avoid using it too thick in large areas

Aurora Pink (No. 772)

• Accent color for me.
• Flowers, small details, warm reflected light
• I mostly keep it diluted

Aurora Red (No. 771)

• Strong accent only.
• Doors, signage, small focal points
• Too dominant for large building areas (for my style)

Pros and cons (based on my workflow)

Pros

• Good texture potential for pavement and ground areas (big plus for house portraits)
• Large pans are comfortable, especially with bigger brushes and calligraphy brushes
• Easier brush loading compared to tiny pan

Cons

• Pan format is not compact if you mainly paint plein air
• Not as predictable as normal watercolor in flat architectural shapes
• Easy to overdo if you use too much granulation behind detailed ink

Final thoughts (and what’s next)

This was my first granulation set. Since then, I actually have more granulating colors now, and I plan to review them later; so if you’re also curious about granulation in an ink-first workflow, follow me because I’ll post comparisons as I test them.

Also, the second Gansai Tambi granulation set has been released - and I already bought it. I’m planning to compare it directly with the Aurora set soon, especially for building textures and ground surfaces (the parts that matter most in my work).

For now, I don’t use the Aurora set as my only palette. I use it as an add-on: when I want texture in pavement, a bit more life in shadows, or small accents. If your work includes buildings and you’ve been wondering if granulation can speed up texture work, I think this set is a good starting point, as long as you’re okay with a little unpredictability and you mainly paint in the studio.