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September 21, 2007
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Ink Log

Journal Entry: Fri Sep 21, 2007, 10:22 PM
  • Mood: Too Devious
  • Listening to: Musika - Flashdance (bpm 167)
  • Reading: Will Eisner- Comics and Sequential Art
Well, you asked for it, so you got it. A resource for different types of drawing ink for quill pens, tech pens, and brushes. Make sure the ink you choose is waterproof and lightfast (or fade-proof). Otherwise you could eventually wind up with ruined originals.

It's important to note that all of these are for black waterproof ink only, intended for calligraphy and inking penciled linework.


Higgins Waterproof Drawing Ink
This stuff is pretty common, and it's really inexpensive as far as drawing inks are concerned. It flows well, but it's quite thin and often times it won't be as "black" as other inks. This ink is not recommended for anything more than maybe practicing brush and pen technique, as its pigment content is far too low to produce consistent deep blacks without having to re-trace lines.

Higgins Black Magic India Ink
Another common drawing ink, but this ink has more pigment and is somewhat more opaque than Hiiggins Drawing Ink. It might clog smaller tech pens and it can bog down brushes used for fine detail work. It's also annoying that Higgins only produces this ink in one-ounce vials.

Higgins T-100 Drafting Ink
This ink is designed for use on drafting film and vellum, but it will work with a brush too. Just make sure it's not a super expensive brush because this ink will tear it up in a hurry. T-100 is too dense for use with a tech pen or quill pen.

Daler-Rowney FW Acrylic Ink
This ink is very opaque, but it flows quite smoothly off of a brush or a quill pen. It will work in a tech pen but expect occasional clogs. This stuff isn't cheap, but it's well worth it. Just make sure you shake it really well before use, or it will show up grey and inconsistent.

Daler-Rowney Calli India Ink
Though it works well with brush and quill, this ink is best suited for tech pens. It's very pourous, meaning it won't clog easily, and it's low-cohesion; cleaning brushes and pens after using this ink is rather simple.

Speedball Super Black India Ink
This ink is very opaque and it will work nicely in a tech pen, as well as with a  brush and a quill pen. Viscosity is relatively low, though it covers well and makes a nice rich black without having to re-trace lines. It's quite inexpensive, though; you can get two ounces of this for about the same price as one ounce of most other brands.

Pelikan Type A Drawing Ink
I've never had any gripes with this ink when used with brush or quill pen. It's a tad thicker than other brands, but it flows just as smoothly as any ink out there. It features relatively high viscosity and very high cohesion; letting ink harden and dry on a brush will probably kill it. This ink shouldn't be used in Tech pens because it will clog like crazy due to the high cohesion and thicker consistency.

Koh-I-Noor Drawing Ink
This ink is opaque jet-black, and by "jet-black" I mean it will never come out with anything short of a sand blaster. It flows reasonably well from a pen or brush, but be wary that high-viscosity inks tend to eat brushes like nobody's business. This ink is not intended for tech pens; the manufacturer Koh-I-Noor makes Rapidograph Ultradraw for that use. Make sure you get the bottle with the yellow label if you choose to go with this brand of ink.

Winsor and Newton Drawing Ink
This is a very consistent, smooth-flowing ink from british manufacturer Winsor & Newton. It produces a nice deep black that covers well and resists standard erasing. My biggest gripe with this ink, though, is its high price; a 14ml (.47 oz.) vial costs just under $5 US.

Dr. P.H. Martin Bombay India Ink
This ink features smooth flow and excellent pigment capacity. It has a consistency not unlike that of melted butter. It's ideal for use with a brush, though it will certainly work well with a dip pen. I wouldn't recommend using it in a tech pen, though, as it may clog. It's rather inexpensive, but there are retail distribution is limited.

Blick Black Cat India Ink
With a formulation similar to Pelikan Drawing Ink, this ink flows smoothly with brush and dip pen. Its pigment load isn't as high as Pelikan's, though it certainly covers well and draws a good opaque black without having to re-stroke.

Sennelier Encre de Chine
Distributed by the French conglomerate Savoir Faire, this is some really nice ink. Very consistent with deep, solid blacks that wash out rather easily from a brush or quill pen. I experienced some problems with clogging in tech pens, but then again this ink was formulated for fine arts applications. The biggest gripe I had, though, was the price; at over $5 US for a 3/4 vial, it's one of the most expensive brands on the market.

Mongo's Big Box of Stuff
Mongo's Brush Log
Add a Comment:
 
:icondarkblueeyes:
~darkblueeyes Jun 21, 2012  Student Traditional Artist
This is very helpful in understanding the other types of inks out there, thank you. :thanks: :)
Reply
:icongh-mongo:
`GH-MoNGo Nov 10, 2012  Professional
:ahoy:
Reply
:iconhexaditidom:
~Hexaditidom Oct 13, 2007  Hobbyist Digital Artist
So this just covers bottle ink? Can you recommend any ink-loaded pens? I mainly use ink to draw my comic strip, and I would go with bottles but I'm scared of the mess :/

Awesome sig btw :lol:
Reply
:icongh-mongo:
`GH-MoNGo Oct 13, 2007  Professional
Thanks!

The one I would recommend would be Prismacolor Fineliner. I think the ink in other brands of pigment liners is too weak and I find I have to go over lines again and again to get them dark enough.
Reply
:iconhexaditidom:
~Hexaditidom Oct 13, 2007  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Awesome. Thanks!
Reply
:iconalphavision:
Why does Dr. P.H. Martin Bombay India Ink look shiny when it is used over a large area? Is there any way to stop that?
Reply
:icongh-mongo:
`GH-MoNGo Oct 6, 2007  Professional
The only thing I can suggest is to add some ammonia to thin it down, but that may make the ink more transparent.

Dr. P.H. Martin also makes Black Star matte ink which doesn't have the bronzing sheen issue.
Reply
:iconalphavision:
You are a lifesaver! Thank you!
Reply
:iconcapnflynn:
~CapnFlynn Sep 22, 2007  Professional Filmographer
Wow, thanks for this list! Very useful for us folks who like ink but are total n00bs. :D
Reply
:icongh-mongo:
`GH-MoNGo Sep 22, 2007  Professional
:ahoy: No problem.
Reply
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