I use waterproof black drawing ink a lot with dip pens. I've found that acrylic ink flows more smoothly and reliably than indian ink. Like you say, acrylic ink is fully waterproof when dry so it doesn't smudge when you brush a colour wash over the top. Indian ink is very variable in how waterproof it is. I don't bother with it anymore. I just put permanent (lightfast) ink in a fountain pen and sketch with that. It's easier!
Have you tried using an eye dropper to load your dip pens, with ink? For portable dip pen, or brush work, a small eye drops bottle, filled with ink, is very handy. I find it helps me get more control over how much ink is on pen. Otherwise I dip the pen to deep in a full ink bottle, or as ink gets low in bottle, I can't get enough on the pen.
Well well...what do you know. I was just thinking about getting back into inks after seeing Takehiko Inoue's works, particularly his Vagabond drawings. His lines and brush strokes are amazing!! And then your video appeared today! Thank you for sharing your experiences with the inks!
Um..this is a bit misleading. Indian Ink is made with shellac. While it is wet it is watersoluble (sort of), but when dry it is waterproof i.e. if you overlay it it won't move. You can dilute Indian Ink with water and this lightens it. But…it will separate and curdle if you use tap water. Apparently distilled water doesn't cause this to happen. Shellac is dissolvable with alcohol…which is what French polishers use (French polish is shellac based).
Cleaning your pins would also apply if you use any form of ink that has any form of acid in them such as iron gaul ink, it will eventually eat through the paper over the years and will rapidly destroy a good quality nib.
I was very surprised the shellac was not waterproof. Thank you for referring us to an artist you respect. I think that would make a nice addition occasionally. It provides insight to your muse! Thanks as always, well done.
It seemed that the only areas of the shellac India ink that were not waterproof were the parts you added water to the ink while painting. Isn't the whole point of shellac is that it doesn't dissolve in water and imparts waterproofing. Surely adding water to a shellac ink would thus interfere with the waterproofing property.
A little googling has confirmed that diluting shellac based India ink with a lot of water loses waterproofing but there is a dilution medium available allowing you to dilute the ink heavily yet still retain waterproof properties.
@@theoriginalbabycubSo far I've read that shellac dissolves into alcohol, and can be diluted with water as mentioned. Though if there are less stinky options than alcohol (I live with people who are very sensitive to strong smells), I'd love some recommendations if you have any.
I'm rekatively new with ink and just starting to experiment with different types, so this video was interesting and useful. Also tips are also welcome! (FYI, I personally prefer brushes, both for their versatility and availability here where I live.)
The internet says you have a different review for Ph Martin Indian ink. I’m going to locate that review because I bought some and haven’t used it. I want to try it with a pen nib and mixed with water. Thank you.
I think i,ll try the india waterproof inkt. I love that it is waterproof,you can colour it whit watercolour and its super black. The blackest inkt i have ever seen
I was curious to check out more of Matt Cooks work but I don’t see the links. I noticed you opened up a Twitter page, but I was wondering if he is on Instagram.
@@teohycI get your point; to me Indian ink is carbon black ink with gum arabic and shellac, so it's glossy and waterproof. Chinese ink has no shellac so it's not glossy and not totally waterfast. Then there's stuff like black acrylic ink that dries waterproof but it's a different medium and it feels gloopier when I'm using it, so I wouldn't call that Indian ink either.
Have you had the experience of some inks taking forever to dry before you can use watercolors over them? I'm using noodler's Heart of Darkness Ink on 100% cotton paper and if I don't give it at least overnight to dry the ink will dissolve or spread under water. What ink do you use in your fountain pens in your videos?
I use blotting paper (or kitchen towel as blotting paper) when doing line and wash with noodlers. It works perfectly. If you don’t you always have a bit of ink on top of your line that hasn’t bonded with the paper and will dilute on contact with a wet brush.
Thank you for this. I am very interested in trying acrylic inks. Are there things to look for to avoid in the ingredients of acrylic inks? I prefer to buy on amazon and they have a few brands I just don't know if they will work the same. For example: PH Martin, Daler Rowney, Liquitex, Golden are some I would be interested in.
Noodler's has a fountain pen that can be used with India ink. It's called the Boston Safety Pen: noodlersink.com/boston-safety-pen/ I have a bottle of India ink that takes a really long time to dry. My Noodler's American Eel in black takes less time;
Thanks for making this video. I didn't absorb it the first time I watched it, but it's just the thing right now. Curious about acrylic ink. I have to figure what to do with a big bottle of India ink with shellac. It's far too shiny to photograph well, and I doubt it will scan well either.
@@teohyc I used it in washes, and had trouble scanning it because of the sheen. It was a very old scanner though, so maybe that was the problem. You also solved why I had such a bad time using shellaced ink with a dip pen. I was impressed with how well the India ink without shellac performed, and it's matte. I assumed none of the inks was fountain pen friendly.
@@teohyc Thx for quick response, but why i ask, is im wondering if it has dried out or does it start ok, im asking because after watching your vid im interested in getting one. Thx again
I use waterproof black drawing ink a lot with dip pens. I've found that acrylic ink flows more smoothly and reliably than indian ink. Like you say, acrylic ink is fully waterproof when dry so it doesn't smudge when you brush a colour wash over the top. Indian ink is very variable in how waterproof it is. I don't bother with it anymore. I just put permanent (lightfast) ink in a fountain pen and sketch with that. It's easier!
Have you tried using an eye dropper to load your dip pens, with ink?
For portable dip pen, or brush work, a small eye drops bottle, filled with ink, is very handy.
I find it helps me get more control over how much ink is on pen.
Otherwise I dip the pen to deep in a full ink bottle, or as ink gets low in bottle, I can't get enough on the pen.
Good idea
Well well...what do you know. I was just thinking about getting back into inks after seeing Takehiko Inoue's works, particularly his Vagabond drawings. His lines and brush strokes are amazing!! And then your video appeared today! Thank you for sharing your experiences with the inks!
Um..this is a bit misleading. Indian Ink is made with shellac. While it is wet it is watersoluble (sort of), but when dry it is waterproof i.e. if you overlay it it won't move. You can dilute Indian Ink with water and this lightens it. But…it will separate and curdle if you use tap water. Apparently distilled water doesn't cause this to happen. Shellac is dissolvable with alcohol…which is what French polishers use (French polish is shellac based).
I'm glad I can always count on this channel to explain to me what certain inks are
I use a lot of sepia ink, but also black. So thanks for this video.
Cleaning your pins would also apply if you use any form of ink that has any form of acid in them such as iron gaul ink, it will eventually eat through the paper over the years and will rapidly destroy a good quality nib.
Great video , I’m just starting to use ink in my work , this video was really helpful , thankyou
I was very surprised the shellac was not waterproof. Thank you for referring us to an artist you respect. I think that would make a nice addition occasionally. It provides insight to your muse! Thanks as always, well done.
It is waterproof, if you don't thin it with water when applied.
Use it in full strength, wait for it to dry, and you can paint over it.
@@TheScreamingFrog916 Thank you. From the demo, it appeared to bleed.
It seemed that the only areas of the shellac India ink that were not waterproof were the parts you added water to the ink while painting. Isn't the whole point of shellac is that it doesn't dissolve in water and imparts waterproofing. Surely adding water to a shellac ink would thus interfere with the waterproofing property.
A little googling has confirmed that diluting shellac based India ink with a lot of water loses waterproofing but there is a dilution medium available allowing you to dilute the ink heavily yet still retain waterproof properties.
@@theoriginalbabycub Will say though, the way it bloomed with the water was pretty, might be worth exploring even if it does lose the waterproofing
@@theoriginalbabycubSo far I've read that shellac dissolves into alcohol, and can be diluted with water as mentioned. Though if there are less stinky options than alcohol (I live with people who are very sensitive to strong smells), I'd love some recommendations if you have any.
I'm rekatively new with ink and just starting to experiment with different types, so this video was interesting and useful.
Also tips are also welcome!
(FYI, I personally prefer brushes, both for their versatility and availability here where I live.)
Thanks! I'm still debating on my approach to #inktober2019 and this information is helpful.
The internet says you have a different review for Ph Martin Indian ink. I’m going to locate that review because I bought some and haven’t used it. I want to try it with a pen nib and mixed with water. Thank you.
You may find it here www.parkablogs.com/tags/dr-ph-martin
I think i,ll try the india waterproof inkt. I love that it is waterproof,you can colour it whit watercolour and its super black. The blackest inkt i have ever seen
Yeet, my question has been answered~
I usually ask my mom what is the diff between diff paints •.•
I was curious to check out more of Matt Cooks work but I don’t see the links. I noticed you opened up a Twitter page, but I was wondering if he is on Instagram.
It's here twitter.com/matthewcook15
This is just my opinion but if it's not waterproof it's not Indian ink!
There are waterproof inks that are not indian inks
@@teohycI get your point; to me Indian ink is carbon black ink with gum arabic and shellac, so it's glossy and waterproof. Chinese ink has no shellac so it's not glossy and not totally waterfast. Then there's stuff like black acrylic ink that dries waterproof but it's a different medium and it feels gloopier when I'm using it, so I wouldn't call that Indian ink either.
Which do you think would be better for toning a paper for drawing?
Thanks for the tips!👍🏼
Hi Teoh. Thanks for this video. What nib are you using to get such nice line variation?
That's a dip pen with Zebra G nib. Other fun pens to try are the fude nib pens ruclips.net/video/YtN1V8-YnZQ/видео.html
Wonderful … thx
Might have needed to let the shellac india ink dry more before spraying it with water
A mi me gusta trabajar más con tinta pero con la tinta acrílica generas un tono más oscuro en tus trazos.
Manolomeo eso, y agrega que por lo general son a prueba de agua y puedes usar acuarelas más rápido 😀
neo VIVE ¡Cierto, cierto! 😎
Have you had the experience of some inks taking forever to dry before you can use watercolors over them? I'm using noodler's Heart of Darkness Ink on 100% cotton paper and if I don't give it at least overnight to dry the ink will dissolve or spread under water. What ink do you use in your fountain pens in your videos?
Noodlers is the slowest drying ink I've ever used. Most other waterproof inks have normal drying time.
I use blotting paper (or kitchen towel as blotting paper) when doing line and wash with noodlers. It works perfectly. If you don’t you always have a bit of ink on top of your line that hasn’t bonded with the paper and will dilute on contact with a wet brush.
Great information. 👍😀 Thanks Teoh.
Very informative video 👍I've never tried anything other than fountain pen ink which is not waterproof... But this is interesting... Thank you 😊
DeAtramentis makes an excellent waterproof ink for fountain pens. I buy mine through Gouletpens.com
@@BetsyRoutmanMarks Thank you... I'll check it out 👍😊
Thank you for this. I am very interested in trying acrylic inks. Are there things to look for to avoid in the ingredients of acrylic inks? I prefer to buy on amazon and they have a few brands I just don't know if they will work the same. For example: PH Martin, Daler Rowney, Liquitex, Golden are some I would be interested in.
Very informative, thank you
Any advice for using ink with brushes? Are certain inks not safe to use with brushes? I don’t want to ruin any.
Just make sure to wash your brushes each time after use and it will be fine. Just be careful of those inks that dry particularly fast, and hard.
@@teohyc Great, thanks Teoh! Love your channel.
Hi Teoh, what kind of waterproof inks then will you recommend to use with a fountain pen? Thanks!
I use DeAtramentis Document Black fountain pen ink and have been very pleased with it.
De Atramentis Document or Archive. Sailor KiwaGuro, Platinum Carbon, SketchINK
Thanks Regina Rooks for sharing this info! Will def try it soon!
Teoh Yi Chie got it! Thanks Teoh!
Noodler's has a fountain pen that can be used with India ink. It's called the Boston Safety Pen: noodlersink.com/boston-safety-pen/
I have a bottle of India ink that takes a really long time to dry. My Noodler's American Eel in black takes less time;
I think mixing the last ink with water may have made it less waterproof.
Thanks!
was your bottle of shellac ink very old at all?
It’s a new bottle
thanks!🌼
Thanks for making this video. I didn't absorb it the first time I watched it, but it's just the thing right now. Curious about acrylic ink.
I have to figure what to do with a big bottle of India ink with shellac. It's far too shiny to photograph well, and I doubt it will scan well either.
Shellac ink is best use with dip pens. The ink will coat the surface and it's difficult to scratch off even with force. It should still scan well.
@@teohyc I used it in washes, and had trouble scanning it because of the sheen. It was a very old scanner though, so maybe that was the problem. You also solved why I had such a bad time using shellaced ink with a dip pen. I was impressed with how well the India ink without shellac performed, and it's matte. I assumed none of the inks was fountain pen friendly.
Can I use it for brush pens?
No
@@teohyc Oh I mean the acrylic ink
@@karolus28 Acrylic ink is not safe. It dries into a strong coating
Excellent video! Thank you.
Saludos desde México
👍👌
Hi Teoh, how is your Indigraph pen doing?
I'm not using that pen. I've too many pens to use. Anyway, the nib is not different from my other fountain pens.
@@teohyc Thx for quick response, but why i ask, is im wondering if it has dried out or does it start ok, im asking because after watching your vid im interested in getting one. Thx again
You know, I just so happened to be looking for a good ink to buy.