Grumbacher Japanese watercolors are made from pigments and a proprietary binder. The watercolor is opaque and dries to an eggshell sheen. Thinning with water yields a brilliant transparent color. Excellent lift allows for adding highlights and blending colors. The pan construction, with a built-in mixing well, keeps the main paint pan clean and undiluted with every use. The slanted well design allows for accumulating thinned paint for washes. The brilliant white pan material allows seeing color mixes accurately. Clean with soap and water.