Author Topic: Tuning and “titrating” your ink … how and when?  (Read 362 times)

Offline Zivio

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Tuning and “titrating” your ink … how and when?
« on: May 30, 2022, 06:32:14 PM »
I’ve been using pointed pen and ink now for about eight months and struggle with “too many variables” – nibs, inks, paper, state of my digestion, etc.!   I’ve learned from this forum that it requires a lot of experimentation. 

The illustrious @jeanwilson had responded to my questions once, in part:

I taught for many years and Higgins is OK for beginners. Many students would already have it from previous classes. I would offer alternatives for them to try and most of the time, students would be thrilled with the progress they made after finding some more delicate inks. The easiest one is walnut ink …

This was so true for me -- I’d only been using Higgins Eternal but tried some different inks and, mirabile dictu, all of a sudden, my pen began to make letters!  But then later the magic inks stopped being magic.  I assumed, perhaps, evaporation and added water.  Varying degrees of water with varying, inconsistent results.  And sometimes the same ink would work well and other times not.  I chalked this up to my inexperience and other variables.

When I say the ink works, I mean the nib seems to glide more smoothly without inconsistent “friction points.”  When it doesn’t’ work, I’m not talking, necessarily, about “scratchy” nibs, but a difficulty in maintaining a consistent movement on the page.   
I’ve seen threads on the forum about how to dilute or thicken inks, so my question is what does it feel like when an ink needs to be thinned … or thickened?  Can you describe the symptoms, either in how it feels or how it looks, when the ink should be adjusted?  And then, how do you approach the thinning or thickening to titrate it properly?
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Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Tuning and “titrating” your ink … how and when?
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2022, 11:16:55 PM »
This is such a good question. And a great indication you are really starting to pick up on the subtleties of how your tools are responding (or not). I try not to get overly bogged down with ink and stick to my main Walnut Ink and McCaffrey’s. If the Walnut ink gets too thick, rather than add water, I usually top up with more ink and it seems to refresh it. I may add a drop or two of water but not too much or it loses its viscosity.

The McCaffreys (and sumi inks) are a bit more forgiving - I just throw in a few drops of water, give it a stir, and see if it is flowing better. It should feel like half and half instead of heavy cream.  ;D
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Offline Zivio

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Re: Tuning and “titrating” your ink … how and when?
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2022, 11:13:57 PM »
... I try not to get overly bogged down with ink and stick to my main Walnut Ink and McCaffrey’s. If the Walnut ink gets too thick, rather than add water, I usually top up with more ink and it seems to refresh it ...

@Erica McPhee   It was only when I began to use Tom Norton's Walnut Ink that I felt like the pen began to truly work at all. It is most helpful for me to know that stressing about the ink isn't likely to be the most important thing for me to worry about at this stage of my learning -- thanks! Oh, and that top off method had seemed to work well. There are so many other variables to contend with.  It's been a moving target, and already I've discovered the ability to use certain nibs that I initially thought were an impossibility simply because my pen handling technique has changed or improved.  McCaffrey's hasn't been quite the friend -- just doesn't flow as well for me and not real fond of the weird crustiness on edges of dinky dips or jars -- but I did recently acquire some of your favorite Indigo Blue. Perhaps when giving it some new chances it may become a staple!

For now, I'm going to continue with my practice of changing up inks and/or nib styles every few days.  This most likely will be the best way to see what works under which conditions while my technique continues to develop.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2022, 11:16:05 PM by Zivio »
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Offline jeanwilson

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Re: Tuning and “titrating” your ink … how and when?
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2022, 11:19:57 AM »
One way to keep the ink fresh and not be bothered with evaporation is to keep the cap and the rim of the ink bottle pristine.
Clean both thoroughly (when you first open the bottle) and then refrain from any kind of tipping or jostling that would allow ink to get on the cap or edge. If that happens - clean everything thoroughly.
Use a small piece of plastic wrap (double thickness) to cover the ink before you put the cap on.
This will prevent any kind of crustiness from forming on the edge.
Do not use the kind of wrap that has the sticky dots - although that stuff is excellent for covering palettes.

When you need ink - carefully open the bottle and stir it very carefully.
Do not let the stir stick touch the edge of the ink bottle.
Never dip a pen into the bottle.
Pipettes work to transfer small amounts of ink into something else - but, I prefer using a regular plastic drinking straw.
Dip the straw into the ink - place your finger over the top of the straw - which will *hold* the ink in the straw
Remove the straw - without touching the edge of the ink bottle
and release the ink into whatever you are using.
If you are afraid the straw will drip - have something to catch the drip - like  paper towel or old linen cloth on your desk.
I don't bother with cleaning the straw - so I just snip off the half inch (or inch) that is inky - and discard it.
If I am going to be writing for a while - I rinse the straw and use it multiple times - and then snip it when I am done for the day.

Dinky dips are a popular item for transferring ink into a smaller container  - but I do not use dinky dips - because I do not dip.
I only brush load gouache - and with inks - I like to put them in those small trays with very shallow round *thumbprint-like* depressions.
I can load the ink by bringing the nib down - in a very flat orientation and the ink will *jump* into the nib.
It doesn't really *jump* - because you are dipping it - but you don't dip it in far enough to get any ink on the top.

Yes - you have to load the nib quite often - but the trade off is that you get better hairlines and do not have to stop and clean the nib as often.

When I am through - I discard whatever ink is left - it is always a very small amount - and it seems like a decent tradeoff - to fussing about with the bottle of ink - and crusts - and evaporating. The ink is always fresh.