Mixing Waterman black and Florida blue

[dmmcf]

After resisting for a little over a year, I'm in danger of succumbing to another temptation of this hobby: mixing inks. I've been looking for a very dark blue in a conventional formulation. The closest I've found out of a single bottle is Diamine Indigo, but I really want something darker and with better contrast on off-white paper. I know I've read of people mixing Waterman blue and black, but I haven't found a scan of the result. I'd be grateful if someone can point me to one, or offer some advice on what proportions will produce a dark blue ink that won't be mistaken for black. And if anyone knows whether this mixture tends to turn teal green like Waterman's blue-black, please speak up; try as I might, I can find nothing to like in that color. Thanks for your help.

 

Michael

[Legal Eagle]

I would think not. Mix a small amount and wait check back tommorow morning to see if there is any precipitate, or sludge, or if it has solidified. Oh and make sure you clean whateve container you put the mix into; I made that mistake one time and thought a precipitate had formed. Turns out it was only dust/dirt in the jar.

[mturk]

I've been mixing Waterman black and Florida blue in a 1:1 ratio for some time. It is VERY dark, but you can tell that it's not black in most lighting conditions. For comparison, it is darker than PR Midnight Blues. I guess you could say that it is to blue what Noodler's Zhivago is to green. Try 2/3 blue to 1/3 black and see how you like that.

[Dr.Grace]

I'd start with 20:1 blue:black and gradually increase the amount of black until you get the desired result. Generally, you don't need a lot of black to darken another color noticeably.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Dr.Grace

[gylyf]

I've been using a 4:1 FB:Black mix for a couple of years, with no problems. It results in a "true" Waterman Blue-Black that I like a lot. Best,

David

Edited April 15, 2008 by cellulophile

[Martius]

Ever try PR Midnight Blues or Supershow Electric Blue? These are both very dark blues (almost identical to one another, actually) and they behave very well. A little more saturated than you might like if you're looking for shading, though.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Martius

[Ondina]

I've been mixing all Waterman's colors for 3 decades, now, with the only exception of the Blue-Black, with splendid results and no problems at all. The colors achieved by mixing proportions are just awesome and remarkable, and a pleasure to use. My only complain is that the pink one is available only on carts.

[girlieg33k]

I've been using a 4:1 FB:Black mix for a couple of years, with no problems. It results in a "true" Waterman Blue-Black that I like a lot.

I use the same base formula that David notes above. However, this mix (as with any black and blue) will often yield a slight green tinge -- so I drop a wee bit of Waterman Purple which works to counterbalance the slight green tinge. I just drop in Purple with a small eyedropper until I see no more green from testing the mix with a swab and a dip pen.

 

I also mix Waterman BB with Black, but there is no set formula. I transfer the BB to a PR mixing kit bottle and use an eyedropper to slowly add Black to my liking. It doesn't take much to darken Waterman BB with Black. Again, if a green tinge appears, I add Purple.

 

[jhsiao]

Didn't someone say that Florida Blue and Havana Brown made for a very nice Blue Black?

 

Ah yes. Here it is.

 

[dmmcf]

Ever try PR Midnight Blues or Supershow Electric Blue? These are both very dark blues (almost identical to one another, actually) and they behave very well. A little more saturated than you might like if you're looking for shading, though.

 

I've tried Midnight Blues, and while the color is great, the saturation is a little too much of a good thing for some of my pens. I'm hoping to come up with a dark blue that Just Works in nearly any pen. (Then I'll get to work changing lead into gold....)

 

Thanks to all who've replied. My PR ink mixing kit arrived today, and I'll try some of your recommendations within a couple of days.

 

Michael

 

[el3ssar]

Thanks to all who've replied. My PR ink mixing kit arrived today, and I'll try some of your recommendations within a couple of days.

 

Michael

 

Did you tried the mix ? I'm really interested in it. If yes, could you give us some feedback (and maybe pictures ?) Thanks a lot

[dmmcf]

Did you tried the mix ? I'm really interested in it. If yes, could you give us some feedback (and maybe pictures ?) Thanks a lot

 

I've tried several ratios of blue:black, and nearly everything I've seen is in line with others' observations in this thread (no surprise there). I'm looking for a very dark blue, and proportions from 2:1 to 4:1 give results I like. 1:1 is very close to black, while 5:1 is on the light side for me. I have not felt the need to add any purple, even to the 4:1 mix; Florida blue is quite purple enough for me, and that seems to carry over to the mixes with black. All things considered, I think 4:1 blue:black is the best I'm going to do along these lines. I'm happy with that mixture until I look at a sample of PR Midnight Blues.

 

I'm afraid scans will have to wait until I have more free time, but I will try to get some up.

 

Michael