You will, however, notice it when you dip your pen into your ink the ink becomes noticeably sludgy! You can dilute the ink, but it is difficult to fully get rid of the blob. I’m sorry to say that I don’t have a good photo of the blob it doesn’t photograph well because it’s just as black as the rest of the ink. I think it’s the vegetable gum binder in the ink coming together and thickening. Here’s what I mean by that: over time (we’re talking a year or so), this blob of goo with a texture like a gelatin-based dessert forms in the ink. First of all, it has a tendency to morph into Jell-O. Speedball India ink is relatively beginner-friendly however, there are a couple of quirks it has that are important to note. When I very first set my sights on learning calligraphy, in fact, Speedball was the ink that I started out with. From 2012 to 2014, I used it to create almost every client commission I received, like the Kaitlin Style watercolor save the date map pictured below. And you know what? The great news is it’s a nice, reliable ink.

Speedball India Ink is probably what is available to you in your neighborhood arts and crafts shop. Martin’s Bombay India Ink, you can find it at:Īustralia – Jackson’s Art Supplies (as part of a relatively expensive set, unfortunately) Canada – Colours Netherlands – Art World Gallery Philippines – Craft Carrot United Kingdom – Scribblers (and several other retailers) United States – Paper & Ink Arts (and several other retailers) Speedball India Ink If you experience this problem, you should be able to remedy it by adding a bit of liquid or powdered gum arabic to thicken the ink up a bit! I have noticed that the ink can be a little bit runny - though not to the same degree as, say, Higgins Eternal - so it may not be the best ink to get if you are brand-new to calligraphy. I have read, however, that on low-quality papers, the ink can bleed. However, this India ink enables you to make strokes that are thin without compromising your ability to scan them into your computer.Īs far as cons go, Bombay ink hasn’t given me any grief as of yet. Some inks, especially those that boast tiny hairline strokes, don’t play nice with the scanner (ahem, walnut ink, iron gall ink, and Higgins ink). Like most black India inks, Bombay inks scan very well! I used Bombay ink to create all the hand-drawn/written components of the tulip-themed fabric invitation below (the invitation will be showcased in an upcoming blog post), and I was happy with how well it cooperated with the scanner. There was no problem with the Bombay ink its somewhat thin viscosity cooperates with different sizes of nibs to draw very fine lines! Crow quill pens have an itty-bitty nib, and if you pair those tiny nibs with thick inks, you can run into issues. First of all, I was very pleased at how nicely the ink worked with a crow quill pen. I mean, it does exactly what it’s supposed to do: it writes well and proves impervious to water.Ī couple of months ago, I used Bombay ink to create a line drawing of poppies, which I then painted over with watercolors. Martin’s Bombay India Ink, it’s a fantastic ink that you won’t regret having in your artillery.

While I don’t think there is anything shout-it-to-the-rooftops special about Dr. It’s hard not to like India Inks in general they are smooth, waterproof, archival, and wonderful for illustration and calligraphy purposes. All of these inks are excellent choices if you wish to create black calligraphy however, it’s a good idea to get to know them a little bit better before you make a buying decision. Martin’s Bombay India Ink, Speedball India Ink, and Winsor & Newton Black Calligraphy Ink. Today, we’re going to examine three more inks to conclude the comparison: Dr. Visit the individual reviews for a more detailed analysis and drawing examples.In Part I of the Black Calligraphy Inks Comparison series, you were introduced to Ziller, Sumi, and Higgins inks. Sailor Kiwa-Guro Nano Black Ink (セーラーナノインク極黒)īelow's the summary for each ink.

Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink (Bamboo Charcoal, Black) And if it's pigmented, it's not recommended for use in fountain pens. There's no one best ink because each ink has different characteristics and may be suited for different use. If you want the detailed review, just click and visit the individual reviews. Here's the quick rundown of pros and cons of each ink. Top half of the square represents one layer of ink, and the bottom two layers. Here are comparisons of different black inks I've used so far.

Higgins black india ink