Gold ink/gouache/paint

[Lindagreenart]

I did a little search on the forum for opinions on the best gold ink/paint to use for calligraphy. The posts I found were a few years old. There must have been more products entering the market in the last couple of years. So...

What is your favourite gold for calligraphy? And which is the most shimmery/sparkly?

[TeresaS]

My daughter gave me some Moroccan Gold from Fox and Quill for Christmas.  It is on the expensive side, but I really like it.  It flows really well and has great hairlines.  I am not an artist and really don’t like to fuss with mixing things up which is why I’m not big with watercolors or Finetec.  I just like to open a bottle and go! The Moroccan Gold has a brown base when it isn’t mixed if that helps.  It is really pretty.

[Trazo]

I am quite lazy and I also prefer something I can use just right from the bottle, but Finetec (Coliro) watercolours are worth a try. And they comes in a lot of different tonalities.

[Lindagreenart]

I totally get the no-fuss of opening a bottle and writing. I don't mind the idea of watercolours as I am a watercolour artist but getting the correct consistency, then applying the paint to the nib must be a chore.

[Inked botanicals]

I love Finetec and they have quite a number of different golds! For those of you that don't like the mixing-and-painting-the-nib thing, you can dissolve the entire pan by letting it soak in a glass container or something with a bit of water and adjust consistency just once. Then it works lie any other gold ink.

When it is dry and new you can put it out of the plastic in where it comes easily. It is glued at the bottom, so you need to remove that glue. If the pan breaks it does not matter. When dry it does not stain, so you can touch with your hands and use whatever tools you need to remove it. Once removed from the plastic and the glue dot, you can let it soak with some water (don't add too much in first) in whatever container you use to store inks. In some time (maybe a day or two) it would be soft paint. You can then add water to adjust consistency and you will have a full container of liquid gold ink. Then you just will have to shake it a bit and ready to use!

[TeresaS]

What a great idea!  I am going to do that.  I have a palette and 2 golds...which are beautiful... that I rarely use because I hate the fuss.  Thank you!

[Lindagreenart]

I love Finetec and they have quite a number of different golds! For those of you that don't like the mixing-and-painting-the-nib thing, you can dissolve the entire pan by letting it soak in a glass container or something with a bit of water and adjust consistency just once. Then it works lie any other gold ink.

When it is dry and new you can put it out of the plastic in where it comes easily. It is glued at the bottom, so you need to remove that glue. If the pan breaks it does not matter. When dry it does not stain, so you can touch with your hands and use whatever tools you need to remove it. Once removed from the plastic and the glue dot, you can let it soak with some water (don't add too much in first) in whatever container you use to store inks. In some time (maybe a day or two) it would be soft paint. You can then add water to adjust consistency and you will have a full container of liquid gold ink. Then you just will have to shake it a bit and ready to use!

What a brilliant idea. So in your opinion these watercolours are the best gold you have used?

[Erica McPhee]

I second the Finetec watercolor pans. I use them almost exclusively for gold. Great idea @Inked botanicals ! 

[Trazo]

@Inked botanicals Thanks for the tip. I will try with one pan and see how it goes.

[K-2]

Finetec/Coliro will continue to be a perennial favorite for all the reasons described above, and they are my go-to metalics.  But just to add a little variety to the discussion, I'm going to throw in for Yasutomo pan gold.  It comes in a darker/warmer gold and a lighter/cooler gold (pictured), and also a silver.  The porcelain pans are luxurious and enormous and reusable for mixing other paints when/if you ever finish using up one.  The pigments are ground very very fine - much finer than Finetec or the Dr. Ph. Martin's metallics (that come as a liquid with an eyedropper lid, and which I use a lot because I'm a huge fan of the "nickel" color).  You have to add a drop of gum arabic to get them to stick to the paper, which makes them a little more persnickety to use than Finetec, and they don't look super special....until you burnish them!  and they will shine like real gold leaf.
--yours, K

[Erica McPhee]

Oh that is very cool! Thank you for the tip!

[Inked botanicals]

and they don't look super special....until you burnish them!  and they will shine like real gold leaf.

That sounds really interesting!!