Flourish Forum
General Categories => Copperplate, Engrosser's Script, Roundhand Calligraphy => Topic started by: twigletzone on September 22, 2016, 08:45:09 AM
-
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping someone can give me some background information about how ink should flow when using pointed/flex dip pens. I know that ordinary fountain pen inks aren't suitable and that most calligraphy inks are meant for broad nibs rather than pointed ones. I did some research and found that you can add gum arabic and water in varying proportions to your ink to adjust the flow to better suit pointed pen work, and I've tried a couple of recipes suggested on fountainpennetwork and achieved some degree of improvement. But I'm still finding that the first few strokes after dipping the pen lay down so much ink that there's a visible meniscus on the page; the ink literally sits there in a blob with a rounded top (and yes, I do wipe the pen on the edge of the inkwell to remove the excess ink). I'm finding this frustrating because with that much ink going down I can't see if I'm getting my corners nice and sharp and my tops and bottoms flat.
That can't be correct, right? Is the paper part of the problem too? Do I just need to go and buy some painfully expensive copperplate ink, or can someone suggest what I might be doing wrong?
-
Do I just need to go and buy some painfully expensive copperplate ink ...?
That would be my advice. I could speculate about your nib preparation and so forth, but there's not much point since your ink is an unknown quantity. A bottle of Walker's costs £6 from Penman Direct and is just about the best you will find for pointed pen, full stop. Blot's is a fiver or so; Roberson's somewhat cheaper. Alternatively you could go down the walnut ink route and set yourself up with ink for a few years for under a tenner. None of these options strike me as all that painful compared to the cost of good paper or nibs.
-
or if you are in Asia you can easily get Sumi Ink from any stationery shop.
-
Some time ago I've experimented a little with dextrin as a binder for fountain pen ink.
http://sehrgut.co.uk/sca/ink.php
So far no luck. My conclusion was that the fountain pen ink I used was too runny to begin with, and thickening it didn't solve this. In fact all it did was make the ink heavier resulting in it sinking to the tip even faster.
Then I tried adding water instead. This made the ink stick together much better and stay on the nib more easily. Also, I don't dip, but load the concave side of the pen with a straw.
This way I have something that's workable, though not quite ideal. For that I'll be following @AndyT's advice one day.
-
Noodler's Black with about 50% water added to it works well for pointed pen practice. All of the work in my tutorial is done with this ink. I have also used Pelikan Black with gum arabic and regular Quink blue black with good results.
The reason most fountain pen inks are not suitable for pointed pen work is because they contain surfactants in various degrees. This makes the ink more 'wet' than water. Adding water actually makes the ink 'drier' in these cases. You cannot make all fountain pen inks work well but the ones I have listed work well for me.
Walnut ink is a good option for practice but you will want something darker for your 'good' work.
BTW Iron Gall ink isn't that hard to make at home. There are recipes available on fountainpennetwork and elsewhere. I have made a couple of batches from Pomegranate peels and it came out great.
- Salman
-
Thanks for sharing @SMK. Are these ink gentle on nibs? I know walnut ink is. Have stopped working with Sumi as few of my nibs rusted.
- Ashok
-
Fountain pen inks might not work very well but are indeed gentle on nibs. They are designed to live in fountain pens without causing any damage to the sac, plastic, feed or nib.
Iron Gall inks are acidic by their very nature and will therefore eat away at the metal.
I don't recommend pigmented inks for pointed pen work in general (Sumi included). There are times when one might need to use a waterproof ink but then Noodler's Black is as waterproof as anything and will give you better hairlines with less maintenance of the nib & ink.
Of course these are just my preferences. I know a number of professional Calligraphers use Sumi ink with good results.
Salman
-
I had a strange experience with fountain pen Ink (Parker). Sometime back I bought a Noodlers Ahab pen and fitter a Brause Rose nib. It worked quite well and I decided to keep the nib in the pen. After a day or two I saw the nib had almost turned black and had some kind of coating in the hollow area. I removed the nib cleaned it but nothing changed.
Wonder why. Is it because the Rose is made of different metal?
- Ashok
-
I had a strange experience with fountain pen Ink (Parker). Sometime back I bought a Noodlers Ahab pen and fitter a Brause Rose nib. It worked quite well and I decided to keep the nib in the pen. After a day or two I saw the nib had almost turned black and had some kind of coating in the hollow area. I removed the nib cleaned it but nothing changed.
Wonder why. Is it because the Rose is made of different metal?
- Ashok
A Rose nib is just not made of stainless steel – it simply rusts if you keep it wet. To my knowledge all normal dip nibs would rust if kept in ink (except maybe these chrome or other special coated nibs).
-
But I'm still finding that the first few strokes after dipping the pen lay down so much ink that there's a visible meniscus on the page; the ink literally sits there in a blob with a rounded top (and yes, I do wipe the pen on the edge of the inkwell to remove the excess ink). I'm finding this frustrating because with that much ink going down I can't see if I'm getting my corners nice and sharp and my tops and bottoms flat.
Is it possible that you just have too much ink on your nib to begin with …? It was something I did when I started with pointed pen, to avoid to have to dip too often.
If you do a fat swell stroke it's normal to have a blob on the page until dry. The trick is, if you start with a downstroke and want nice crisp corners, only to start to apply pressure when you have your tines in position. That is obviously one of the things that are easier to show than to describe.
There is a good video by Erica about that technique, in the Pointed Pen Nirvana. I can look it up for you if you haven't found it yet.
As Salman said, fountain pen ink can work quite nicely with gum arabic. Just don't load too much on the nib! I did an envelope job (in Spencerian) a while back with Pelikan 4001 Blue Black, with some added gum arabic – it had just the perfect hue of blue for the client. It worked nicely!
-
I'm with Salman re. Noodler's ink! It's my go-to ink. I also like their "bullet-proof" ink (it's water-resistant), depending on what I'm working on. I have been using Sumi ink lately and find it to be quite reliable, as well!
Janis
-
Hmm. My recommendations were targeted: @twigletzone resides in the UK where the range of products available is a little different from the US. For instance, decent sumi is only intermittently to be had. The Noodler situation might come as a surprise: there is only one official stockist and at the moment they do not have Noodler Black. Pelikan 4001 is easy enough to find, but it struck me that a one bottle solution which is guaranteed to work would be a better way to hit the ground running than experimenting with gum arabic or dilution.
However, since twigletzone has a fountain pen background and may wish to stick to inks which can be safely used in one as well as with a dip pen, any of the iron gall types can be relied upon to work pretty well. The most economical for a UK buyer is probably ESSRI (http://www.registrarsink.co.uk/registrars_ink.html).
-
In answer to various folks' observations:
I don't think I'm overloading the nib, I found the rhythm of dipping quite pleasant to get into.
I'm doing my level best to prep the nibs well, following tutorials I've found online. For the most part the nibs seem to be coating themselves in ink pretty adequately, which as I understand it is the key thing.
My paper is awful, I freely admit that, but I'm on a very (very) tight budget so I may just have to live with indifferent paper stock for now.
Estefa, I'd be very grateful to see the video you're talking about, I don't think I've found that one yet.
As to what I can get locally - I have a very good local art shop which stocks Higgins Eternal, Pelikan 4001, I believe at least one iron gall black, and some sumi inks too - no idea if the sumi they carry would count as "decent" to a conoisseur. I know they *used* to do Diamine registrar's ink, which is an iron gall blue-black, but they stopped stocking Diamine colours a while ago so they may no longer have it. I can't remember if they carry Walker's Copperplate or whether I imagined it - if they do I almost certainly took one look at the price and dismissed it from consideration due to budget. Walker's is no better online, either - it comes out at about £10 including shipping to order 30ml, and I can't afford to buy in bigger quantities. Hence the tone of mild horror when I ask about having to buy the expensive stuff.
I don't have a problem with the mere presence of iron gall inks in my household, if I can manage not to put leaded petrol in my car I can manage not to ink up a fountain pen with acid, but purely for financial reasons it'd be nice not to have to keep two separate types of ink.
So far my experiments with gum arabic and water have yielded something more or less usable based on some Quink blue I had kicking around. Quink blue-black is something I've seen mentioned on FPN as being unusually good for pointed pens, too - is it particularly unique as fountain pen inks go?
But I'm running low on my blue Quink mix so coming up with something I can use longer-term is a very current project. It's sounding like I either keep on with the gum arabic thing, which is at least cheap even if it's a pain in the neck, or resign myself to having iron gall ink for dip use?
-
It's easy to focus on the ink as the only factor, but I feel that more attention needs to be paid to the kind of paper used. As many fountain pen enthusiasts will at great pains point out, it is a three-way proposition: ink, nib, paper.
For the record, although I am no calligrapher I do write with a dip pen on Rhodia, Midori and Tomoe River papers, and I often use a variety of fountain pen inks alongside the more usual suspects of Higgin's Eternal, Sumi or Walnut ink.
-
@twigletzone
So let's get this straight: you want to use cheap ink intended for a fountain pen with a dash of gum arabic on "awful" paper, and you want someone to tell you it'll give good results?
A good ink will partially mitigate the failings of poor paper and vice versa; economise on both and you're on a hiding to nothing. I'm not unsympathetic to your budget constraints, but that's an immutable law. The only thing that comes to mind which will work acceptably on substandard paper and which should be cheaply available at your local art shop is a tube of gouache. It's a hassle, but not that bad an option.
Upgrade you paper and I'd recommend ESSRI, which you can use in a fountain pen - never mind all the rubbish spouted about how iron gall will eat your nib.
-
Rohrer & Klingner Salix works quite well for me too.
-
@twigletzone
So let's get this straight: you want to use cheap ink intended for a fountain pen with a dash of gum arabic on "awful" paper, and you want someone to tell you it'll give good results?
A good ink will partially mitigate the failings of poor paper and vice versa; economise on both and you're on a hiding to nothing. I'm not unsympathetic to your budget constraints, but that's an immutable law. The only thing that comes to mind which will work acceptably on substandard paper and which should be cheaply available at your local art shop is a tube of gouache. It's a hassle, but not that bad an option.
Upgrade you paper and I'd recommend ESSRI, which you can use in a fountain pen - never mind all the rubbish spouted about how iron gall will eat your nib.
What I want, Andy, is to learn copperplate despite the fact I live on disability benefits in a Tory-led UK. Just so we're absolutely clear, that's the kind of life that requires you to choose between buying food and paying your bills. Teaching myself new skills like copperplate is one of the few things I can do that makes me feel I have any sort of beauty in my life at all.
So it's not enormously helpful to be ridiculed for my poverty and told I should just spend more money. If it was there, I'd spend it. It isn't there. It's already all I can do to scrape together a few quid for new nibs and whatever ink I can get to work with time and patience. I do that at all - I take money away from my weekly shopping - because it isn't a luxury to have some kind of beauty in my life. It's one of the things that is vital to staving off the mental illness that keeps me in poverty.
I don't expect to be able to achieve anything luxurious. I haven't got that kind of money. All I want is to achieve something which is basically usable. You can sneer at me for being where I am, or you can be supportive. Your call.
-
You have not been ridiculed or sneered at. You've been given a range of suggestions which you chose to throw back in our faces. And now you've set out your situation in no uncertain terms which explains your tight budget, but not your lack of civility.
I do not believe I have a reputation as an ungenerous person. That people on disability benefits in the UK have suffered egregious treatment is not something I'd dispute. Were you to PM me with your details I'd be happy to send you some materials to get you started - it wouldn't be the first time - and no, it wouldn't be charity and I wouldn't require your gratitude. Courtesy would be nice, however.
Over to you.
-
@twigletzone
Consider using walnut ink--it's very cheap, if crystals are available in your area.
So it's not enormously helpful to be ridiculed for my poverty and told I should just spend more money. You can sneer at me for being where I am, or you can be supportive. Your call.
No one is ridiculing you or sneering at you based on your station in life, especially not AndyT, who is one of the most supportive, knowledgeable, and generous members of this forum.
Good luck with your calligraphic journey.
-
I had a bit of a love affair with Quink ink.... works lovely on cartridge paper. I wanted to use it on everything because it flowed so well.... but not all paper liked it, it can go blobby on the nib, but I really enjoyed splashing it around.
-
I have tried the fountain pen ink + arabic gum in some different inks now, and yes, it is a pain in the ass and it does not get really well for dip pen. My advice as the cheapest way to have calligraphy ink would be walnut crystals. If you are not sure about buying new things without being absolutely sure I can send you some for you to try. I have a ton. They never end. And they costed me less than a normal fountain pen ink bottle. I even think you may be able to use it in your fountain pens, but I am not really sure.
About paper, I think it is an important thing to consider too. There are just some papers so awful that absolutely nothing works on them. I have found that normal copy paper made for use on laser printers is cheap enough and performs well for practice calligraphy, and you can find local in almost everywhere.
Do not get mad at Andy, he is a good guy that was only trying to help. Terms like cheap or costly can be very subjective, and maybe not all the advices and suggestions are good for you, but you have to understand that there is a limited amount of options that work and that no-one could know how tight your budget was. Believe me, nobody here will ever laugh at other people's problems. This forum is the most helpful, sharing and caring community I have ever known.
-
HI @twigletzone
For very economical practice ink, the Van Dyke crystals are amazing. On the recommendation of Andy I have got some and they are wonderful. UK is the best and cheapest source for this. I think most wood working shops will stock this.
http://www.agwoodcare.co.uk/Item/van_dyke_crystals
This is the online link, but I am sure if you went to a hardware store you may be able tp get a smaller quantity to try out too.
This will cost you GBP 5.00 for 250 gms of crystal that will give you a lovely 3 litres of brown ink :)
For paper, like Alba said, most copier papers work great for practise. try out some 75 or 100 gsm papers. Also, I remember @AndyT saying that he had tried those computer papers used for dot matrix printers and they worked great. You know the ones with the holes on the side and perforated.
Maybe Andy can tell you where to get some in the UK.
Please don't be mad at Andy ;D He really is a magic person who really gives a LOT to this community.
Happy writing
-Prasad
-
@prasad you are no behind when it comes to generosity for helping out the Indian calligraphy community. And we are much thankful to the efforts you are taking. :D
- Ashok
-
@twigletzone :
As someone who grew up quite poor, spent time as a starving student, and who has experienced mental illness, I can attest to the fact that it sometimes seems like there is no end of people telling you that you need to buy better versions of this or that, that the constant feeling of deprivation exacerbates your problems with mental illness leaving you incredibly frustrated (because you have trouble working because of your illness, but your lack of income hurts your mood and makes your illness worse making it even harder to work; it can be and endless downward spiral), and that makes you rather short with people who urge you to spend more money. I'm sorry you have to deal with this because it is a frustrating and exhausting way to live. I will say, though, that in general the people on this forum like to be helpful and can be very sympathetic if they know you are going through some tough stuff in life.
It is also true that it is not uncommon for people to start calligraphy on a whim, choose to use the cheapest materials possible (even though they can afford better ones), and ignore all suggestions of buying better tools when they ask why they are not getting a good result. It can be frustrating to see that same situation pop up over and over again and repeat the same advice over and over again. But once people here realize you are serious and are doing the best you can with the tools that you can afford, they can come up with some fabulous ideas to help you.
It is absolutely true that to get the very best result, you need very good paper, a very good nib, and a very good ink. But, as your goal here is learning, it is reasonable to try to use the least expensive materials that will allow you to make good letterforms and improve. Keeping that in mind, my suggestions are:
1) Use walnut ink for practice and drafts of projects since it is quite cheap, you can vary the color intensity by simply leaving the lid off and letting the water evaporate to get a darker color or by adding more water if you want a lighter color. I loooove walnut ink and often use it for final projects too. Also, it is gentle on nibs--it won't cause them to rust as long as you clean and dry the nib well after use (also, make sure you take the nib out of your pen holder when you are done because water can get up into the holder and cause rusting of the inside of the holder and of the nib0.
2) For black ink, since you are on a very tight budget and therefore want to make your nibs last as long as possible, do not use any corrosive inks. So, iron gall is out because its composition causes nibs to corrode, even if you wash and dry them frequently and well. Yasutomo Sumi Ink has caused corrosion on my nibs as well. Moon Palace Sumi does not cause corrosion from all reports, I just got my first bottle of it so I can't personally confirm that. Higgins Eternal is a very contentious ink. Some people like it, some people hate it. I like it for broad pen. You can even make your own black ink from charcoal ashes if you like: http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/recipe/carbonblack.html (http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/recipe/carbonblack.html).
3. For paper, I like to use copy paper for practice, but not all brands will work well with the inks that you choose to use. If you can get a local recommendation, that is great, otherwise you might go to copy shops that offer several grades of paper for making photocopies and then ask to buy single sheets of each kind they offer. Then, you can go home and test them out before you buy a whole ream of paper. I have also had good success using cheap legal pads and cheap notebooks made by Japanese paper manufacturers. Unfortunately, when it comes to finding inexpensive paper, it can take a lot of trial and error to find one that works well for the nibs and inks you prefer. I have also used paper from a cheap sketchbook and tracing paper and "marker" paper.
4. For a nice, finished piece, see if you can find a place to buy watercolor paper or bristol paper by the sheet (a good art store should have it). One nice, large sheet shouldn't put you back too much.
Remember, an ink that works well on one paper may not work well on a different kind. Once you find a combination that works, stay with it. Switching one or the other will mean you may have to go through the whole experimentation process again.
Good luck!
-
Confirming that Moon Palace is not corrosive on the nibs. And a bottle can last quite some time. I have recently started diluting it with water because I like the consistency better, and a side perk is more ink!
-
You can even make your own black ink from charcoal ashes if you like: http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/recipe/carbonblack.html (http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/recipe/carbonblack.html).
That is just too cool!! I can make ink instead of buying it, not to mention here where charcoal is available for purchase EVERYWHERE. And on a student budget some inks like Kuretake is just too expensive to use (I'm almost done with my first bottle and it's only been about two weeks since I've started it) and this is just so much more budget friendly! I love it!! <3
-
Oh wow. making ink from charcoal ashes :D
Never heard of before. Worth a try...
- Ashok
-
In case anyone has missed it, there's a helpful book on ink making over here (http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=2719.0). When I say helpful, that's in the highly technical and exhaustive sense, though.
I suspect the key to making carbon inks is in grinding the pigment exceeding fine, and that would suggest that lamp black would be an easier material to start with. You'll probably need a muller, a sheet of glass and plenty of patience ... or else a mortar and pestle, big biceps and even more patience. This article (https://joshberer.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/lamp-black-calligraphy-ink/) outlines the general process.
-
Huh. Patience and/or biceps. I guess I'm stuck buying my ink. ;)
In all seriousness, thanks for sharing that article, Andy- I enjoyed reading the info on lamp black!
-
Thats valuable and fun to do information. Thanks for sharing @AndyT. :D
- Ashok
-
@AndyT : I think it's great! I mean then you could learn how to make all kinds of ink at home right?? And why not especially some places I know it's hard to get ink and when you do it's expensive. Here it's PHP350 ($7 USD) for a bottle of 60ml ink (kuretake black ink 60), and there's no Higgen's Eternal for some strange bizarre reason (I've tried like 10 times to track down higgen's eternal and it's always sold out). Some places do have Sumi Ink (it's the Philippines so we SHOULD be able to get sumi), but it's usually sold out, or not carried by stores but getting shipped in by individuals so we have to find those few individuals, it's kind of crazy. It's getting better I think because now it's more available but finding higgen's or other cheaper sumi for daily practice is just @.@
-
@FirebirdArts : I sympathise ... well, imported materials are expensive here in the UK too for the most part and the situation is likely to get worse.
Can you get Chinese ink sticks? They vary a lot in quality but seem to be available pretty much everywhere in the world where there's a Chinese community. (The Japanese equivalents are supposed to be better for pointed pen, but the prices tend to be :o ). It may be that's the cheapest way to obtain relatively pure lamp black, short of making it yourself - and hey, it's already ink. Of course, you're back to grinding your own, but at least it's not hard labour.
-
Last week I had some success making ink from very strong green tea and iron sulfate. Added some gum arabic as a binder but there are cheaper options for that too.
-
The black strokes in between are after adding the final bit of iron sulfate.
-
@AndyT : I probably could if I find a source for Chinese calligraphy, I've ground my own ink before, but as I'll be using it for daily calligraphy practice, I could just make my boyfriend do it. Haha! But I'm quite fascinated with making my own ink idea...again that's what boyfriends are for right? The hard work! All kidding aside, it sounds like an adventure to have fun with, especially other calligraphers...like if you had a calligraphy gathering and decided to make the theme of making ink, and everyone could make a different ink and share the results, I think that could be fun.
@Rednaxela : That is pretty awesome...please tell me where you got the iron sulfate to do that and how you did it?? Did you use powdered gum arabic or liquid?
-
... that's what boyfriends are for right? The hard work!
Um, I'd better check with MrsT ... one moment, please.
Yes, that's right! ;)
-
@Rednaxela : That is pretty awesome...please tell me where you got the iron sulfate to do that and how you did it?? Did you use powdered gum arabic or liquid?
This first attempt was done by letting 30g of green tea simmer in half a liter of distilled water for an hour or so. Strained it in a cloth and reduced it further somewhat. Dissolved the iron sulfate in water (30g to 100ml) and added it to the tea bit by bit, until the ink did not darken further when applied on the paper.
Iron sulfate can be found in garden centra as moss killer. I used Winsor & Newton liquid gum arabic.
Compared to my Akkerman #10, the end result was a bit on the wet side, not entirely giving the hairlines I was hoping for, but certainly not bad at all. For my next attempt I'm planning to make the tea even stronger to achieve a more concentrated ink. Also, I'm going to see if I can use the dextrin I still have lying around, as a binder.
-
Alexander, Looks fun to make. Lets see when I can make up my mind.
Thanks for sharing anyways.
- Ashok
-
Ashok, it was really great fun indeed. And especially in terms of colour, I was pleasantly surprised by the result, and how simple it actually was to achieve.
Please keep us posted!
-
@Rednaxela
Hi Alex,
This is crazy😊
I did exactly this last year, before I could lay my hands on gall nuts.
http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=1321.msg16753#msg16753
Isn't it the best thing to make your own ink? ;D
-
Cool @prasad, thanks for the tip! Making your own ink is really great fun. As a penmanship ink mine still has a minor flaw and I hope to be able to fix that one day. But overall the ink is really not bad and totally fine for practice work.
-
FWIW, this was written with the latest batch.
-
@Rednaxela: Have you considered trying black tea? I just thought of it...I still haven't found any iron sulfate here... :(
-
Hi @FirebirdArts, I have, but I also read that green tea contains more tannins than black tea. If you have sources indicating otherwise, I'd be all ears though!
-
@Rednaxela: Have you considered trying black tea? I just thought of it...I still haven't found any iron sulfate here... :(
Iron supplement tablets will work. Search ebay oen medical stores for ferrous sulphate supplements.
Hi @FirebirdArts, I have, but I also read that green tea contains more tannins than black tea. If you have sources indicating otherwise, I'd be all ears though!
Green tea indeed has more tannin content.
-
@prasad : I take iron supplements all the time...so I'd just dissolve them in the ink to make them darker? Would I have to get the tablet type or the capsule type? Would the sugar coating on the tablet affect the ink?
@Rednaxela : I was just thinking black tea simply because it's darker not really for tannin content. What does tannin have to do with the darkness?
-
@FirebirdArts
Sugar does not affect the ink. I suggested These tablets because I remember a member of this forum saying she could use this too.
Just get the 300 gm or more Ferrous Sulphate tablets. Grind them up and try it.
Happy writing
-
Check out this website @FirebirdArts.
http://irongallink.org/igi_indexd7ce.html
They explain it a lot better than I can.
-
@prasad @Rednaxela : I kind of want to do an ink making party with you guys now, your wealth of knowledge is fascinating...:D
-
Have I heard Ink Party??? Count me in!! @AndyT I absolutely love that book! I have it printed so I could take notes directly over it! Making ink is one of my favourite things to do and I have a lot of materials from my cosmetic-maker time. I've made walnut ink, longwood ink, iron gall ink, the famous dr. Stark recipe, pomegranate iron ink, cochineal iron ink and I even tried wine and jasmin green tea pearls! Not all of them have come out as good, but they all were so fun to make!
-
Wow Alba,
You have the entire Ink range. And I can imagine your place full of colourful jars filled with these lovely inks. Wish I could have few of them :D :D
-Ashok
-
Have I heard Ink Party??? Count me in!! @AndyT I absolutely love that book! I have it printed so I could take notes directly over it! Making ink is one of my favourite things to do and I have a lot of materials from my cosmetic-maker time. I've made walnut ink, longwood ink, iron gall ink, the famous dr. Stark recipe, pomegranate iron ink, cochineal iron ink and I even tried wine and jasmin green tea pearls! Not all of them have come out as good, but they all were so fun to make!
Yes you heard ink party...but I think you'd take the cake with everything you've already made... ;D ;D ;D
-
Well @FirebirdArts , most of that list can be also called "The list of my biggest failures" but... cake is always welcome! ;D
@ash0kgiri I am pretty happy with my excessively big amount of bottles, yeah. But my father seems to think that big bottles with fermenting galls are not good decorations. I try to put flowery stickers on them, but... ;D
-
Seconding ESSRI!
It lasts for ages, too - I bought a bottle 3+ years ago, have been using it in a Lamy Safari and as a dip ink since then, and am only about halfway through the bottle. Admittedly I'm also using Higgins Eternal for dip-pen lettering, but those two are my go-to inks for practice, and depending on the end effect desired, final work.
If you want to try some, PM me and I'll pop a sample in the post to you.
best wishes
Robin