J.herbin Vert Olive

[carpedavid]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4651033336_bc54680e42_b.jpg

 

J. Herbin Vert Olive should be an ink that’s the color of olives, but it is not. Instead, it is the color of extra virgin olive oil – an ephemeral, translucent yellow-green – as backlit by a fluorescent light. One could also describe it as the color of Mountain Dew. Either way, it’s a color found somewhere in one’s kitchen. Its level of saturation is very low, but it does exhibit a very high degree of shading in both fine and wide nibs.

 

Vert Olive is a very wet ink – akin to Vert Empire or Blue Myostosis. It flows well, of course, but tends to feather significantly on every paper I tested: it was most noticeable in my Ecosystem journal, which is a very absorbent paper, and least noticeable on Rhodia paper, which tends to be feather-resistant. Show-through was low on all papers, fortunately, and I noticed bleed-through only on the thin paper of a Moleskine cahier.

 

Dry time is exceptionally fast. On Ecosystem, Rhodia, and Moleskine papers, Vert Olive was dry in less than three seconds. Consequently, writing on an incline seemed to produce no noticeable increase in drying time compared to writing flat for this ink.

 

There are plenty of green inks that are suitable for business use, but Vert Olive isn’t one of them. I could see it being used for highlighting or possibly editing, but not for correspondence. It is difficult to read on both white and cream-colored paper; while it provides plenty of contrast, the color is so vibrant as to be tiring on the eyes.

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4650415707_143d44c090.jpg

 

All of J. Herbin’s fountain pen inks come in a 30ml bottle with an integrated pen rest that is suitable for displaying on top of one’s desk.

 

While Vert Olive is a beautiful ink, due to its brilliant color I can only see using it for editing, highlighting, calligraphy, or other artistic endeavors.

 

Note on the scan: on my computer screen, the scan is slightly brighter than the actual ink, but only slightly. It is a very vibrant ink.

 

Review Materials: for this review, I used a Lamy 1.9mm steel calligraphy nib on a Lamy Joy pen for the wide strokes. The fine strokes were made using a Pelican M205 Demonstrator with a medium steel nib. The paper is Rhodia 80gsm. I also tested using a Moleskine cahier and an Ecosystem notebook.

 

Read all of my ink reviews (and more) on my blog: seize the dave.

[Ghost Plane]

While I love the color, I gave up using it because it's impossible to see under incandescent bulbs at night, so I have trouble transcribing my writing.

 

Nice review! :clap1:

[TangleCrafts]

If you want a deeper olive colour, try a 3:1 mix of Vert Olive with Lie de The - far more readable! (Edited to add photo below)

 

http://tanglecrafts.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/olive-crop.jpg

 

 

Edited June 8, 2010 by TangleCrafts

[Ghost Plane]

Thanks!

[J English Smith]

Yes, this one is too light. A mix with it would be good - I tried a homebrew by adding black to it, but was not thrilled with my results. I've had a couple of Herbin inks that were just too pale to be practical for writing. But I love Bleu Myosotis and Vert Empire.

[carpedavid]

If you want a deeper olive colour, try a 3:1 mix of Vert Olive with Lie de The - far more readable!  I listed it with a scan in the ink recipes thread.

 

Ooh, neat. I'll have to try that!

[egretsrus]

It's too light for me, too. I use Noodler's Army Green.

[lizncats]

It's a lovely colour - would it be easier to read on off-white paper, I wonder...

[RobbW]

TangleCrafts, that is beautiful! Thanks for sharing that recipe.

[carpedavid]

It's a lovely colour - would it be easier to read on off-white paper, I wonder...

 

It's worse, actually. While it's less neon-y, it blends in more, which actually makes it more difficult to read.

[amble63]

I also found it too light but once I mixed it with a little Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue, it was a really really fabulous fresh spring green.

[acolythe]

While I love the color, I gave up using it because it's impossible to see under incandescent bulbs at night, so I have trouble transcribing my writing.

 

Nice review! :clap1:

 

Tanglecrafts i love the mix, I cannot wait to try it. Much like Stipulas Verde Mushiato

Edited June 9, 2010 by acolythe

[TangleCrafts]

"...Much like Stipulas Verde Mushiato"

 

Immediately dashed to check out reviews of the Stipula ink, and it is definitely a 'must' to add to my to-try list!  (Does anybody happen to have a sample they would like to trade?  Otherwise, I will try to locate a UK supplier...)  I think it is darker than my Inky Little Olive mix, but will be interesting to compare.

 

 

[Iranna]

This ink is wonderful for drawing!

[FrankB]

Thanks for a lovely, artful review.

 

Dunno what to say, guys. This is my favorite green. Some of you are no doubt tired of hearing me say it, but I call this ink "grass stain green." It is a light, pastel green, but it has such a natural, organic character to it that I just cannot get enough of it. It has performed well for me, though it does feather on some paper. To each his own.

[indigirl]

This is interesting... I have been using this ink in fairly wet, flex & semiflex pens & I get results that are darker, more olivey if you will, than the OP picture & the written descriptions throughout this thread. I had my first bottle for a few years & always found it too light until I acquired my first semiflex pen & then... the heavens opened, angels sang, &c.

 

So, my advice to people who like this color but find it too light: as an alternative to mixing w/ other inks, try in different pens!

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4691737340_6892545065_o.jpg

[TangleCrafts]

It definitely looks far more olive-y in your photo, indigirl!  

[indigirl]

Yep, it's like the ink was just waiting for the right pen to come along!

[litmajor]

I never fully appreciated shading until I saw how beautiful it is in your lettering, Carpedavid

[carpedavid]

I never fully appreciated shading until I saw how beautiful it is in your lettering, Carpedavid

 

Wow! Thanks!