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Montblanc Black Ink Trio


Tom Kellie

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fpn_1570448218__montblanc_elixir_calligr



Montblanc Elixir Calligraphy Black




fpn_1570448601__black_inks_by_montblanc.



Black Inks by Montblanc




fpn_1570448874__three_montblanc_black_in



Three Montblanc Black Inks




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Thank you for the great comparison! I do not use black ink very often, but have been considering purchasing one for some time. Because of my love for shading inks, I am gravitating towards Mystery Black.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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Thank you for the great comparison! I do not use black ink very often, but have been considering purchasing one for some time. Because of my love for shading inks, I am gravitating towards Mystery Black.

 

~ 5Cavaliers:

 

That's very kind of you!

Yes, of the three Montblanc black inks, it was Mystery Black which shaded.

The other two inks were consistently deep black.

I'm a lifelong fan of Dutch painter Frans Hals.

His range of blacks and whites is a perpetual revelation.

How he was able to formulate such a subtle range of blacks has dazzled me for decades.

The ink of my dreams might be a black or an intensely dark charcoal which nevertheless exhibited self-evident shading during ordinary writing.

Tom K.

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Hi Tom,

 

Thank you for the beautiful review! Slightly jealous of the 90th Anniversary pen :-)

 

What was your experience with dry time and smudging with the inks?

 

 

- P.

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Hi Tom,

 

Thank you for the beautiful review! Slightly jealous of the 90th Anniversary pen :-)

 

What was your experience with dry time and smudging with the inks?

 

~ Arcadian:

 

Thank you so much!

All three inks dried fairly rapidly.

It's unclear whether or not that was a function of the paper, the nibs, or the inks themselves.

My pens aren't at all wet writers, hence there's not much ink laid down.

None of the three smudged.

Of possible interest was that each of the Montblanc black inks was fairly easy to fully flush, including Permanent Black.

I'd recommend any of them to others, with those seeking shading perhaps best served by Montblanc Mystery Black.

Tom K.

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Thank you for this comparison. I’m not a black ink person myself, but the Mystery Black looks quite nice.

I’m also really intrigued by the rope-like dividers you used in the final comparison pic. Quite a nice effect. Can you explain how you made them?

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I’m also really intrigued by the rope-like dividers you used in the final comparison pic. Quite a nice effect. Can you explain how you made them?

 

 

fpn_1571290736__charcoal_pencil_dividers

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fpn_1571301047__.jpg



Chinese Ink Rubbing or “中国水墨拓片”




fpn_1571301149__matisse_magnolias.jpg



“Magnolias” Charcoal Pencil Sketch by Henri Matisse




*************************************




~ My aesthetic perspectives have been primarily influenced by three artists:



• Henri Matisse



• Paul Klee



• Frans Hals



All of them were colorists in their approach to image making. That's affected my thinking about watercolors, pastels, oils and inks.



Each of them also incorporated a substantial amount of decorative detail in their work, with Matisse having a lifelong affinity for the decorative arts.



Matisse used charcoal pencils for sketching, as well as pens & ink. He occasionally combined them with watercolors.



Working for several decades in East Asia, the raw, textured grace of ink rubbings, or “中国水墨拓片”, has influenced me.



Ancient engraved images, including carved written characters, are covered with paper which is then rubbed to create a faithful copy.



The combination of Chinese ink rubbings and Matisse's frequent use of charcoal pencils with fountain pens has resulted in my own approach.



The fountain pens on my writing desk are more frequently used for sketching than for handwriting.



I've particularly appreciated the superlative ink reviews from namrehsnoom due to their implicit sensitivity to inks as possible sketching or drawing materials.



After enjoying the masterfully comprehensive ink reviews from namrehsnoom, Lgsoltek, 5Cavaliers, Chrissy, and visvamitra I'd be hesitant to ever post any review of the inks on my writing desk.



Instead, I focus on showing images of inks in use, in cursive writing, printing, and mini-sketches for decorative purposes.



Using nibs ranging from EEFs, EFs and my beloved OFs to such broader nibs as BBs, OBBs, a BBB, OBBBs, and a BBBB, it's possible to show inks used in different contexts.



My career, field ecology, required regular photography of field observation sites. The cameras and lenses which served so well are now adapted to photographing fountain pens and handwriting samples.



As Frans Hals showed, there are many aspects to black or to white. Seeing how more experienced FPN members use color in their sketching and writing is an ongoing inspiration.



Tom K.


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What an interesting post Tom, it shows the man behind the post, thank you.

 

I used to live in Southern China only, I was involved with the China Light and Power power station at Castle Peak and worked with an ecologist on the effect of the warm water outlet into the sea, pleased to say that the only effect on nature was that the fish and sea life grew substantially larger.

 

Interesting choice of artists, I am a fan of the drawings of Holbein and his techniques, these must have been revolutionary for his time, early 1500s.

 

Regards

 

 

 

 

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Thank you for explaining ... my initial guess was that you used one of the black inks for the dividers. Now of course I'm totally challenged to find a way to produce a similar result using ink ;-)

 

Like yourself, I really think inks are made for both writing and sketching/drawing. I'm always in awe for artists that manage to draw multi-colour and realistic looking paintings - I totally suck at that. So my personal challenge took me the opposite way: single-ink drawings and keeping it more or less abstract (and thus simpler from a technical drawing perspective). As a bonus, it turns out that I really like doing these inkxperiment pieces. I find it a relaxing part of the hobby.

 

-- herman

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What an interesting post Tom, it shows the man behind the post, thank you.

 

I used to live in Southern China only, I was involved with the China Light and Power power station at Castle Peak and worked with an ecologist on the effect of the warm water outlet into the sea, pleased to say that the only effect on nature was that the fish and sea life grew substantially larger.

 

Interesting choice of artists, I am a fan of the drawings of Holbein and his techniques, these must have been revolutionary for his time, early 1500s.

 

~ Beechwood:

 

My career has been entirely north of the frontier.

At present, walking distance from one of the border checkpoints.

Holbein and Albrecht Dürer are both at the top of my list of those who mastered drawing.

The carefully considered drawings from Holbein's hand retain their capacity to inspire awe at such disciplined talent.

Thank you for your kind comment.

Tom K.

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Thank you for explaining ... my initial guess was that you used one of the black inks for the dividers. Now of course I'm totally challenged to find a way to produce a similar result using ink ;-)

 

Like yourself, I really think inks are made for both writing and sketching/drawing. I'm always in awe for artists that manage to draw multi-colour and realistic looking paintings - I totally suck at that. So my personal challenge took me the opposite way: single-ink drawings and keeping it more or less abstract (and thus simpler from a technical drawing perspective). As a bonus, it turns out that I really like doing these inkxperiment pieces. I find it a relaxing part of the hobby.

 

~ herman:

 

I like the visual challenge you've posed, of an ink alone rope-like effect.

What might be necessary would be a means of lightly spreading ink such that it's not painted across a given surface, but rather only highlights key textural elements.

A charcoal pencil's exposed lead does just that, as it's doesn't have liquid-like behavior, flowing to all parts of a surface.

Your commitment to inks for both writing and sketching/drawing shines through in your FPN ink reviews.

In 2019 I've been adding L’Artisan Pastellier Callifolio inks. The sketches in your ink reviews were compelling about the suitability of those inks for drawing.

On an unrelated note, I reread the entire Dune series in 2018. I grew up in the area where Frank Herbert lived.

Half a century ago, as a young teenager, I once served in a position in a Tolkien Society. I reread The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in 2016.

Seeing quotes from those works in your reviews is an added pleasure.

Single ink drawings are a special delight! Rather like single pastel or single chalk renderings.

Such an approach removes the distraction of the spectrum to instead highlight textures, shadows and geometric forms.

Ink experiment pieces bring out an ink's innate beauty, as well as showing how lines, shading and contrasts constitute fine art.

Thank you so much for your very kind comment.

Tom K.

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