In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 7: DeAtramentis Document Fog Grey

Author Laura CameronPosted on 2 Comments

12 days of Inkmas

 

Review by Tina Koyama

I’ve tried many so-called waterproof inks that turned out not to be, so I was skeptical about the DeAtramentis Document series. Available in 19 waterproof colors, it gives writers and sketchers a good range of color alternatives to black (my favorite waterproof ink is Platinum Carbon Black) – but are the Document inks truly waterproof? They are – which makes them very useful.

Of the three colors in the series that I reviewed, Fog Grey is the only one I chose more for sketching than writing. The other gray inks in my collection are water-soluble, so a waterproof option is definitely welcome. It’s a very cool gray – so cool, in fact, that I would go ahead and call it blue. The closest gray I have is Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun, and it’s not nearly as blue. (Another gray in the series, Urban Grey, is more neutral.)

I tested the all-important waterproof factor after one minute and after 10 minutes (scribbles at the bottom of the swatch card). Both tests showed no trace of bleeding, even with the heavy ink application where I washed the scribbles. It’s a reliable waterproof formula.

For my writing sample, I used my Franklin-Christoph Model 20 Marietta with a juicy fude nib and an old Hobonichi Techo. The ink flows nicely and dries fast enough for this lefty. As with other Document inks I reviewed, no sheen or shading is visible.

The final test, for me, is to take it out on the road (literally) for a sketch. Parked in a nearby neighborhood, I sketched this street scene. If you look closely at the windshields of the two near vehicles, you’ll see the marks I made on them; I then shaded the windshields with a marker. With water-soluble inks, the marker would have smeared them, but these ink lines remained crisp and permanent. Although the color is neither gray nor evocative of fog, for a chilly December scene, Fog Grey is ideal.

TOOLS

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 6: Ferris Wheel Press Tanzanite Sky

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Inkmas Day 6: Ferris Wheel Press Tanzanite Sky

12 days of Inkmas

Welcome to Day 6 of Inkmas 2018! I just received my Ferris Wheel Press Kickstarter Backer package so I thought this would be a good ink to show today. First, the bottle and packaging.

Ferris Wheel Press Tanzanite Sky bottle

Ferris Wheel Press packages their ink in a paperboard tube with lovely graphics and gold foil details. Inside, the bottle is wrapped in a color coordinated drawstring bag. The bottle itself is almost completely spherical with just a small, flat area on the bottom so it doesn’t roll away while filling your pen. The cap is hex-shaped and appears to be made of metal as its quite heavy.

The whole package is lovely but I’m not sure how practical the bottle or the bag is. It will take some time to determine how difficult it will be to get ink out of the bottle when it’s less full — and how difficult it might be to get ink out of the bottom of the bottle without making a complete mess. The metal cap is lovely but not necessary. A gold painted cap made of plastic would probably have been just as effective and considerably less expensive. The weight of the cap also made it a little challenging to screw on and off. If it was misaligned at all, it didn’t thread properly. Its not a huge deal but at upwards of $40CAD (approx. $29US) per bottle, the bottle and ink should be flawless. Each bottle contains 85ml of ink, slightly more than a standard sized bottle of Diamine (80ml per bottle, approx. $16 each) which has a bottle with a wide flat bottom. Sure, the graphics on the Diamine bottle are not nearly as nice as the FWP bottle but I’m not sure a metal cap and fancy packaging are worth an additional $11.

But, I digress…

Ferris Wheel Press Tanzanite Sky Col-o-dex

Let’s get into the color. Tanzanite Sky is a deep, velvety blue-violet color. Its so dark and pigment-rich that there’s not a ton of shading. It had no discernible sheen on my Col-o-dex swatch card. The added pigment made the ink feel a little blobby when applied with a flexible dip pen.

Its a very dark blue that leans purple. I wouldn’t call it a blue-black but its a very deep blue.

Ferris Wheel Press Tanzanite Sky writing sample

In my writing sample, the ink performed better with a standard fountain pen but using the fine/medium nib of the FWP “The Brush” fountain pen but all shading aspects were lost.

Ferris Wheel Press Tanzanite Sky color comparison

When compared to other vivid blues in my collection, Tazanite Sky (third swatch down with the triangle border)  is definitely the darkest without adding black to the ink mixture. Above the Tanzanite Sky swatch in Sailor Nioi-Sumire and below it is Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao. While Nioi-Sumire is a very cool blue shade, its much lighter. And Asa-Goa is a brighter, warmer blue in comparison.

Ferris Wheel Press Tanzanite Sky Color Comparison

Krishna Christmas Eve is dark in writing and pooled in places but it writes lighter and has a lot of sheen to it.

Overall, Tanzanite Sky is not a color that stirred my heart. I’m just not a fan of the color. It’s a personal preference thing more than anything. It performs adequately and it is not exactly like a half a dozen inks I already own. However, unless you are searching for a blue-violet with no sheen or shading, this is not an ink color I’d recommend. I received two other bottles from FWP that I have warmer feelings about. Tanzanite Sky just isn’t for me.

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 5: DeAtramentis Document Dark Red

Author Laura CameronPosted on 1 Comment

12 days of Inkmas

 

Review by Tina Koyama

Although I use water-soluble inks for sketching when I want to wash some lines for effect, I depend on waterproof inks when I know I’m going to be using water-soluble colored pencils or watercolor, too. And when addressing envelopes, I always use waterproof ink. Platinum Carbon Black has been my go-to for years because of its absolutely reliable waterproof quality. Happily, the DeAtramentis Document line of 19 waterproof inks gives both writers and sketchers more color options.

With a sad shortage of reds in my ink collection (Iroshizuku Momiji is a favorite, but it’s more pink than red, leaving Diamine Poppy as my only true red), and considering the upcoming holidays, I decided to try Document Dark Red with the possibility of using it to address holiday card envelopes. I was imagining it might be a sophisticated burgundy, but it’s much closer to rust or brick red. The inks in my collection that come closest are Diamine Red Dragon, though Document is more subdued, and Diamine Ancient Copper, which is more orange and has all that crazy sheen. Document Dark Red exhibits no sheen at all. In fact, if you look at it in the bottle, it has a surprising opacity.

I tested its waterproof quality after one minute (the bottom scribble in the swatch) and after 10 minutes (the scribble above it). I see an insignificant trace of washing in both tests.

For a writing sample, I used my Sailor 1911 with a specialty Cross Point nib, which is particularly fat and juicy, and an old Hobonichi Techo. (Although it doesn’t show well in my photo, the pen’s burgundy body matches the ink well.) It flows beautifully. Since my photo doesn’t do the color justice, I also scanned the page.

Although it’s not what I would call “Christmas red” in a Jingle Bells, ho-ho-ho kind of way, it’s an understated red that could probably be used by teachers to mark papers without screaming “RED.” I can use it to address envelopes all year round.

TOOLS

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 4: 3 Oysters Marine Green

Author Laura CameronPosted on

12 days of Inkmas

Review by Laura Cameron

When I placed my order for 3 Oysters inks, I knew I had to include a bottle of Marine Green ($18.00). That tealy-green is right up my alley, but also reminds me of blue spruce, which we had one year as our Christmas Tree.

As I said, Marine Green is a tealish, bluish green. In lighter applications it appears very teal, but in darker applications it packs a whole lot of pinky purple sheen.

Now you know I love a good teal, and some sheen. But I kind of thought I had something awfully close to it in my ink stash… and I was right. Organics Studio Walden Pond!

Right down to the pinky, purple sheen right? I will say that I find the Organics Studio a mess every time I use it. When I try and fill my pen there are always flakes that land on the counter, whereas I didn’t have that problem with the 3 Oysters. I love, love, love the color. My only caveat is that the ink drops took 24+ hours to dry – you can see they’re still wet in the photo!

But if teal green is your color, this one is pretty sweet!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 3: DeAtramentis Document White

Author Laura CameronPosted on 2 Comments

12 days of Inkmas

 

Review by Tina Koyama

I had two main reasons for wanting to try White in the DeAtramentis Document waterproof ink series (available in 19 colors). Holiday cards often come with red or green envelopes, so I thought it would be fun to try addressing some of mine with white ink. That was my holiday motivation. My sketching motivation was that I use a white Sakura Gelly Roll gel pen fairly frequently – most often in a red Field Notes Sweet Tooth notebook – but Gelly Rolls are water-soluble, and that’s occasionally a problem when I combine it with wet media. I wondered if waterproof Document ink would be a good option for both purposes.

Before I get to the ink itself, let’s address the more immediate pen issue. My intention was to fill a fountain pen with it, but once I chose a pen, it took forever to sufficiently flush what I thought was an already clean nib to use it with white ink. No matter how many times I flushed it, traces of the pen’s previous blue ink were visible.

I got so tired of flushing and reflushing that I finally gave up and decided to use a dip nib. (I guess that would have been the smarter choice anyway, but I’m not well-practiced in dipping, so I thought the fountain pen would be easier.) If you want to use this ink in a fountain pen, I recommend buying a brand new one and dedicating it to white ink only. You have been warned!

I was a little disappointed that this ink isn’t more opaque. Compared to my white Gelly Roll, which is an opaque, consistent white, Document White is milkier and has areas that are less opaque. I shook my sample to see if that would help, but I didn’t notice any difference. The brush swatch, especially, shows the lack of consistency in opacity.

My writing sample was done on a red page of a Shizen Design multi-colored notebook, where you can see varying degrees of opacity depending on the thickness of the line and how recently I had dipped. If I were adept at using a flex nib to get lots of thicks and thins, the variety would be interesting and probably attractive.

I’ve seen examples online of calligraphers using white acrylic ink to write on dark papers with lovely results, so this ink might be a good candidate for that (though not by me). Used with a heavier nib, the uneven opacity would be less of an issue, and the ink is certainly waterproof, so it would be a fun option for those colored envelopes.

TOOLS

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Silent Night

Author AnaPosted on
Fashionable Friday: Silent Night

My holiday spirit is definitely colored by the long days I’ve been working. I leave for work while its dark and I come home when its dark so a starry night holiday theme seemed just perfect. May your holidays be filled with starry skies and memorable nights. And, if you’re like me, quiet too.

  • Sun-Star Stickyle Scissors in Navy Blue $6 (via JetPens)
  • Constellation Colour Changing Nordic Mug $25 (via David’s Tea)
  • Vintage Esterbrook Relief 2-L in Blue Marble $175 (via Anderson Pens)
  • Diamine Shimmering Ink Blue Pearl €9.50 per bottle (via Appelboom)
  • The Night Sky Notebook Set £8 (via Backpocket Notebooks)
  • Kaweco Special Black Fountain $105 (via Vanness Pen Shop)
  • Silver Gold Small Stars Washi Tape (Chugoku) $2 (via CuteTape)
  • Karas Canterbury Blue Fountain Pen Ink $10 (via Karas Pen Co.)
  • Leonardo Momento Zero blue Hawaii fountain pen €178 (via Fontoplumo)
  • Esterbrook Phaeton 300R Fountain Pen in Mineral Blue $68 (via Pen Chalet)
  • XS Minimalist Pocket Fountain Pen in Aluminum $59 (via Ensso)

Thanks to my sponsors for providing some of the images I use for Fashionable Friday. Please consider making your next purchase from one of the shops that support this blog and let them know you heard about them here. Thanks for your support and for supporting the shops that help keep it running.

In Ink Review

Inkmas: Day 2, Kyo-no-oto Urahairo 08 and Keshimurasaki 09

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 1 Comment
Inkmas: Day 2, Kyo-no-oto Urahairo 08 and Keshimurasaki 09

12 days of Inkmas

By Jessica Coles

Day 2 of the 12 Days of Inkmas!

Today I am showing not one, but two new inks on the market.  Urahairo 08 and Keshimurasaki 09 (each sell for $28.00 for 40mL) are new colors made for the TAG stationery store in Kyoto, Japan. This line of inks is a series produced with the intention of replicating dye colors traditionally used in Japan.

I first saw these inks in an online post using both Urahairo and Keshimurasaki together and I fell in love with both.  I (not very patiently) waited for them to come to the United States and found them at Vanness during a Black Friday sale.

Urahairo translates to something like “the pale color on the underside of leaves”.  (I don’t actually read, write or speak Japanese, so I am trusting others for this description.)

The name is perfect for this ink – it brings to mind the light, dusty green of sage leaves or the color on an aspen tree when the leaves are just beginning to grow.  Urahairo is a pale ink. With dusty or pastel-ish shades, it’s hard to know ahead of time if it will be dark enough to read using a nib size that is reasonable.  I can handle nibs up to a medium and sometimes a broad while still writing normally, but with anything larger, I can’t read anything I’ve written in my normal handwriting. I have used Urahairo with a fine and extra fine nib and have had no problem with legibility.

To give you a bit of an idea how Urahairo compares with other colors, I’ve laid it out with 4 other inks.  De Atramentis Fir (the same color used for De Atramentis Jane Austen) is very close in color and tone.

Now for the second ink, Keshimurasaki 09 (the numbers following the name indicate their position in the ink series). The packaging for all Kyo-no-oto inks is amazingly luxurious with letterpress print and thick paper that reminds me of heavy watercolor paper.

That helps to describe the ink colors as well. Both Urahairo and Keshimurasaki have the feeling of watercolors; undersaturated colors that darken significantly when more layers are added.  Don’t mistake that for how the ink performs when writing, however.  Kyo-no-oto inks are known for being dry.  Both 08 and 09 are dry inks (referring to the way the ink flows out of the pen). But neither ink is nearly as dry as their sibling, Hisoku.  I found both Urahairo and Keshimurasaki to do well in pens when I selected nibs that were slightly wider than I usually choose.

The color of Keshimurasaki is difficult to classify; it is somewhere between blue-black and purple grey. I knew that murasaki translated into purple.  Keshi means something around ruin or off or not. As with any language, though, translating the parts doesn’t really give the meaning of the word.  According to an Instagram post by @atsaichu, the color describes a vat of dye that was meant to be purple but was ruined by too much heat.  That’s quite a mouthful to put into one color! Off-purple may be the best short description.

Each time I thought of an ink that was close to 09’s color, I was surprised by how wrong I was. It was enough to make me suspect that the color changed every time I looked away. Rather than describe the color, here are the comparisons:

Although the price of the Kyo-no-oto inks is on the expensive side, I believe they are absolutely worth it. The colors are unique and beautiful on any paper. The pens I have filled with Urahairo and Keshimurasaki are in my daily carry pens and will stay that way for quite a while.

Here’s some of the splotches from playing with the inks and mixing a bit!

Disclaimer: All items used in the review were purchased by myself.  For more information, see our About page.