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#1
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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.) |
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#2
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"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 For Pen Talk, Images, Trading and Reviews: The Fountain Pen Network http://pagesperso.laposte.net/fpnet For Lupus Support and Info http://www.ghg.net/schwerpt/ASLFAQ/ |
#3
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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 |
#4
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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. |
#5
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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. |
#6
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"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.) |
#7
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"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!) |
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