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Visconti Sepia


JDlugosz

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What color is this ink?

http://www.dlugosz.com/Hosted/InkScans/Visconti/Sepia/ColorPicker.png

 

The common meaning of sepia is a grayish brown. I don't know the colorimetric properties of the original pigment of this name that was used as Egyptian ink and obtained from cuttlefish (the word sepia or more properly σηπία is actually Greek for cuttlefish).

 

But the common use today of the word seems to refer to a Hue of around 30°. Instructions for making sepia tone pictures digitally say to use, e.g. 27°. 30° would be exactly half way between pure Red and pure Yellow, which is perfect Orange! The perception of Brown is actually a dark Orange, and is one reason it is so elusive to mix. If you get off the beam, you wind up perceiving Orange or Red but not psychologically Brown. The concept of Brown is more resilient when it is desaturated, or mixed with gray.

 

The hue of 16°, which is what this ink is, would look like this at full brightness and saturation. That is, it is clearly a reddish orange. Now mix in gray and then dim it, and you get Visconti Sepia. It is definitely more red in appearance than what you would normally think of as sepia as in sepia tone photos.

 

http://www.dlugosz.com/Hosted/InkScans/Visconti/Sepia/Sample-text.jpg

 

The files I present have calibrated correct values in the file, with an embedded ICC profile for Adobe RGB. You should be able to compare any of my review scans side-by-side to see the difference, because the exposure and adjustment is exactly the same in each ink scan. To aid color perception on your monitor, there is a thin white border to show the paper color (the paper is faintly blue in sunlight) and a gray matte. The matte is perfectly neutral, so judge the color relative to that.

 

http://www.dlugosz.com/Hosted/InkScans/Visconti/Sepia/Sample-figure.jpg

 

I used a new pen for the sample above. But I also tried it in my Hero 300 Gold, which is a wet writer, and found it too wet to use in the size I wanted to write. So it is not good for wet writers.

 

http://www.dlugosz.com/Hosted/InkScans/Visconti/Sepia/feather.jpg

 

It really doesn't show much variation or shading, and there is some feathering visible under magnification but it doesn't make my loops close up, at least if the pen isn't too gushy. I plan on trying it with fine points.

 

—John

 

http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.pngThese images are hosted on my site, only to relieve the server burden. I specifically grant the right of FPN to re-host them, back them up, or otherwise to maintain continuity of this content, as they see fit.

 

edit (wimg): fixed sepia in Greek and M-dash to fix quick edit bugs, as requested by John

Edited by wimg
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Visconti Sepia is a very nice ink. At present, I have three brown inks in my collection: Waterman Havana Brown, Visconti Sepia, and Omas Sepia. I like all three very much.

 

My next brown ink purchase will probably be one of the following: Conway Stewart, Sailor, Stipula, Sheaffer, Diamine Saddle, and Noodlers Walnut.

CharlieB

 

"The moment he opened the refrigerator, he saw it. Caponata! Fragrant, colorful, abundant, it filled an entire soup dish, enough for at least four people.... The notes of the triumphal march of Aida came spontaneously, naturally, to his lips." -- Andrea Camilleri, Excursion to Tindari, p. 212

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Thank you for the review ... I'm on a quest for the perfect brown.

 

Todd

The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away. D. Viscott

 

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John, Well documented review of the Visconti Brown.

It is my fav brown as I also join all of you on the quest for the perfect brown.

 

Why do you call it Sepia? I was looking at Swisherpens.com and they have a 3-4 ounce bottle at $15. IThey call it brown.

Has Visconti changed the name?

 

I just loaded my Pelikan 400 honey white with Fine nib. It's my writer of the moment. Replaced my Namiki Vanish point as my carry pen. I never thought that would happen...

 

Thanks again

Tom

 

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...........

Why do you call it Sepia? I was looking at Swisherpens.com and they have a 3-4 ounce bottle at $15. IThey call it brown.

Has Visconti changed the name?

 

....................

 

Thanks again

Tom

 

Never mind on my DUH!!! question ...I see it is called Vixconti Sepia...

 

 

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Very nice. If my monitor is showing the colour correctly, that ink may be my next purchase. Much more appealing to me than the Havana Brown I have now.

"Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears

Her noblest work she classes, O,

Her prentice han' she tried on man,

An' then she made the lasses, O."

- Robert Burns

 

 

 

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Very nice. If my monitor is showing the colour correctly, that ink may be my next purchase. Much more appealing to me than the Havana Brown I have now.

 

I just received a sample of Visconti brown today from Pear Tree Pens. I'm not certain that Brown and Sepia are the same ink but it's my Next Brown Ink once the Havana runs dry. Incredible brown without the red tint Havana gives sometimes. Not that there's anything wrong with it. :)

 

Wow. Really nice ink.

Wall Street Econ 101: Privatize Profits; Socialize Losses. Capitalism will survive as long as socialism is there to save it.

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  • 8 months later...

Very interesting review. Thanks much!

May you have pens you enjoy, with plenty of paper and ink. :)

Please use only my FPN name "Gran" in your posts. Thanks very much!

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  • 7 years later...

A nice ink, property and color-wise but it's my number choice for the worst designed bottle I've ever seen. An upside down pyramid. One false shake of your hand and you will have a sepia-colored table, pants, etc. I would decant it to another more stable bottle before attempting to fill a pen with it. There are too many other acceptable to waste my time with this brand

Thank you for the review

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