Inks for Dip Pens?

Having gotten some nice art deco ink wells and some bizarre-looking
Soennecken nibs I would like to give dip pens a try. But what inks
ought I use? I have pretty much standardized on Noodler's/Swisher's
for my FPs, but dip pens would seem to have different requirements or
allow other possibilities. What are others using? Herbin has some
interesting sounding inks, but how well do they write? Has anyone
tried anything from De Atramentis?

Thanks


(At this rate in a few years I will be learning cuneiform and being
sniffy about other peoples' choice of clay.)

"svejk" wrote in message
oups.com...
Having gotten some nice art deco ink wells and some bizarre-looking
Soennecken nibs I would like to give dip pens a try. But what inks
ought I use? I have pretty much standardized on Noodler's/Swisher's
for my FPs, but dip pens would seem to have different requirements or
allow other possibilities. What are others using? Herbin has some
interesting sounding inks, but how well do they write? Has anyone
tried anything from De Atramentis?

J. Herbin inks are actually rather commonly used by dip pen artists. They
can look beautiful in an uber-flexy dip nib. Showing great variation in
shade as you write.

FP inks in general don't "stick" as well to dip nibs as I would like. I've
found that dipping a nib and letting the ink dry a little, then dipping
again, creates enough surface tension to allow good flow with some inks.
You'd want to do this in a dip well of course, not in a fresh whole bottle
of ink. I've not really dipped Noodler's much or made note of how well it
works.

I also use gouache (an opaque watercolor) and am going to try a couple of
metallic calligraphy inks (not for use in FPs) soon. I have used Higgin's
black ink which is very dense. A bit too much for my tastes but I think it
can be diluted. Guoache works very well with dip nibs and you can mix it as
you would other watercolors. Again, not for FPs.
--

KCat

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You can use all the same ink as before - Noodler's works just fine with
a dip pen, as do all the other fountain pen inks -

But you can also use just about any ink you find. One obvious thing
possible with dip pens (that is impossible with fountain pens) is India
ink; another is those very colourful "calligraphy" inks that you might
find in art stores.

Any ink you can't use with a steel-nibbed dip pen should probably come
with a warning label anyway. :-)
But do rinse the nib after use, and then dry carefully to prevent
rusting.
And as with fountain pens, it's nice to buy some cheap common ones to
"mess around" with.

David

In article , "KCat" wrote:
FP inks in general don't "stick" as well to dip nibs as I would like. I've
found that dipping a nib and letting the ink dry a little, then dipping
again, creates enough surface tension to allow good flow with some inks.
[snip]
I also use gouache (an opaque watercolor) and am going to try a couple of
metallic calligraphy inks (not for use in FPs) soon. I have used Higgin's
[snip]

Have you tried those ink for Chinese brushes? it's very opaque. does it work
for dip pen? (it is not for FP pens, too sticky)
i also find the regular FP ink seems too watery for dip pens. it is too wet &
runny in the beginning.

regards,

Pam @ Home

Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts.

svejk wrote:

Having gotten some nice art deco ink wells and some bizarre-looking
Soennecken nibs I would like to give dip pens a try. But what inks
ought I use? I have pretty much standardized on Noodler's/Swisher's
for my FPs, but dip pens would seem to have different requirements or
allow other possibilities. What are others using? Herbin has some
interesting sounding inks, but how well do they write? Has anyone
tried anything from De Atramentis?

Thanks


(At this rate in a few years I will be learning cuneiform and being
sniffy about other peoples' choice of clay.)


KCat and *david* provided some good information. Generally, I use FP
inks with my steel pens. However, I have three J. Herbin inks meant
for dip pens: (1) Encre Victor Hugo, (2) Roi Soleil, and (3) Encre
Authentique, also called Lawyers' Ink.

Victor Hugo and Authentique are both very dark black. The Hugo is
made from the formula used for Hugo's specially commissioned ink,
and authentique is claimed to last 300 years. The roi soleil is a
deep blue made from the formula in use when the Sun King reigned.
These are much thicker than FP inks. Because of the ingredients,
neither water nor alcohol adequately clean the pens. From someone's
suggestion here on a.c.p-p, I use a cleaner for rapidographs.

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with De Atramentis. However, the best
clay comes from an outcrop in an arroyo a few miles from home. It
has just the right blend of Miocene lacustrine deposits with just a
hint of Pleistocene volcanic ash. The lacustrine clay, by itself, is
smooth as a baby's bottom. The volcanic ash adds just enough tooth
so that your reed doesn't go skipping across the surface of the
tablet. The rest of you will just have to wail and gnash your teeth
because of the inferiority of your clays. ;0)

HTH,
Mark Z.

"Windsor&Newton" calligraphy inks are quite good and commonly available in
art or craft stores. They do contain shellac, are pigment based colors,
should not be used for fountain pens despite what their label says. I find
them more capable of fine hairline strokes than the "Herbin" range of
calligraphy inks. Also, a good nib cleaner such as "Rapidoeze" is
recommended. At some point you may wish to try the acrylic based iridescent
inks such as "Pearlescent" for some fun (more suitable for broad nibs, not
generally capable of fine hairlines) All of the above inks may be diluted
with water for improved flow.
"svejk" wrote in message
oups.com...
Having gotten some nice art deco ink wells and some bizarre-looking
Soennecken nibs I would like to give dip pens a try. But what inks
ought I use? I have pretty much standardized on Noodler's/Swisher's
for my FPs, but dip pens would seem to have different requirements or
allow other possibilities. What are others using? Herbin has some
interesting sounding inks, but how well do they write? Has anyone
tried anything from De Atramentis?

Thanks


(At this rate in a few years I will be learning cuneiform and being
sniffy about other peoples' choice of clay.)

"phk" wrote in message
...
Have you tried those ink for Chinese brushes? it's very opaque. does it
work
for dip pen? (it is not for FP pens, too sticky)
i also find the regular FP ink seems too watery for dip pens. it is too
wet &
runny in the beginning.

regards,

Pam @ Home

Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts.

I haven't tried sumi ink yet. I think my sister has. I'll ask. I would
imagine it would work well on some dip nibs. Since it is sticky and you can
vary the viscosity rather easily (or so it seems - haven't really used them
so...)

Someday I'll sit down and test my inks on a couple of nibs. Try to come up
with some conclusions about various brands since I have number to choose
from. (too many!)