This is a Read-only file – the original can be found here.

I had 13 ink samples come in yesterday:
Noodler’s Nightshade
Noodler’s Sequoia
Noodler’s Walnut
Noodler’s Navy
Noodler’s Pecan
Noodler’s Whaleman’s Sepia
Noodler’s Kung Te-Cheng
Noodler’s Baystate Blue
Private Reserve Velvet Black
Private Reserve Avocado
Private Reserve Chocolat
Diamine Red Dragon
J. Herbin Rouge Hematite

I played with the samples on a sheet of an 11×14″ Raffine sketchbook, since this paper is well sized to allow the ink to move with water. I was especially interested in seeing which ones would wash with a waterbrush, and for how long they’d retain that characteristic, and which ones stayed put.

The ones that washed the best and longest have small stars next to the name on the test sheet. I kept returning to the samples and going over parts of the writing with a waterbrush. The Noodler’s Kung Te-Cheng is definitely Bulletproof. All of the others washed more than that one, with several contenders for ink and wash work.

The bottom row of inks is from the March Ink Drop from Goulet Pens. For those not familiar with the Ink Drop, you pay $10 a month, and each month five ink samples show up in your mailbox! You also get a 10% discount on full bottles of that month’s inks, in case you fall in love with one of the samples. Other member discounts are also offered.

In addition to knowing how much the different inks wash, I am interested in finding out which ones are lightfast. I cut pieces of Strathmore 500 Plate Bristol for this. I know the ink sinks in a lot more on this; maybe it would have been better to do it on a different surface, but I’ll see how this goes.

A heavy line of the ink was drawn with a Q tip, going back and forth four times. Then I washed with a waterbrush to draw down some of the ink into a wash line below. I wrote the ink names in on each side with a bamboo dip pen, and the strips were cut in half. The left halves will go into a south facing window. The right halves will be stashed in a wooden box so they will not be exposed to light. I’ll keep comparing them over time, and will add each month’s Ink Drop samples to the test. I’ll report back as I check on the samples being tested.

For ink and wash work, I’ve decided to experiment with Nightshade first in one of my pens. I’ve loaded up a Lami Safari fountain pen with that, and I’ll do the washes with a waterbrush. I selected that ink because I think the purple wash color will make for good, cool-colored shadows even if used alongside watercolor. There’s actually more ink in these samples than I thought there would be — plenty to experiment with and get a good feel for each of them. Even after all the testing I did, plus filling up my Lamy converter, I probably have half the sample left! My art intern was here yesterday and she was playing with the samples too, so that’s quite a bit of ink.

If anybody else wants to add samples and lightfastness tests to this thread, I’m certainly willing to share it so it can be a forum reference.

Jamie