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Octopus Write & Draw – Brown Seahorse This is a gorgeous, complex grey/brown with hints of burgundy, a match made in heaven for a dry pen and Japanese paper. Unfortunalty, I misplaced the chroma, but if it's any indication of the Octopus write & draw inks, it's a single dye component. It is very wet, well lubricated, and is one of the fastest drying inks, I ever used, which explains why there’s some bleed through /ghosting on Rhodia, even more so than on Hammermill! Writing Samples: I used respectively a Sheaffer Targe F reverse, Lamy Safari and for the final flex lines I used a Kanwrite Desire with an Ahab semi flex nib and for the name of the author I used the Sheaffer Targa, which has a semi-flex nib. Photo: Too my eyes, ink in more elegant with a drier pen that brings out the complexity and shading only on Japanese paper. There’s a hint of silver sheen/ reflection, under led lights, like most Octopus Write and Draw inks. Here you can see how it reflects on Iroful paper. Please note that the camera exaggerates the "sheen". This is only seen under certain angles with artificial lighting. Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Art Work: This was a quick sketch on a Talens Pocket sketchbook. Jacques Herbin Turquoise de Perse Noodler's Lexingtion Gray · Pens used: Sheaffer Targa F (reverse), Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Kanwrite Desire with Ahab nib · What I liked: Colour. · What I did not like: Bleed through on c · What some might not like: Bleed through on Rhodia. It loves most Japanese paper. · Shading: Yes, on Japanese paper. · Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper, Rhodia. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Very Wet · Lubrication: Lovely. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Not saturated. · Shading Potential: Japanese Paper. · Sheen: Faint silver sheen on Japanese Paper, like most Octopus inks, under artificial light. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: It's a pigment ink, so you might need a cleaning solution. I had to use one for the targa. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles, Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write & Draw Orange Monkey A slightly "neon-ish" light orange pigment ink by Octopus. Like most orange inks it is slightly below average in the lubrication department, with dry Ef nibs, but otherwise a pleasant writer. Ink is kind of flat under artificial led lights on most papers, but it goes crazy on Iroful paper with shades of peach, yellow orange up to red. There’s a silver sheen like most Octopus inks under artificial light on some Japanese papers, especially Iroful. It is legible, but a wetter pen, wider nib might be advantageous and of course good paper. Cleaning was easy, but I recommend a lit dunking in a cleaning solution. Octopus has a host of warnings and does not recommend you using it in your favorite shiny fountain pen. And recommends a well-sealed pen, which is a no brainer. About Octopus inks: They also suggest that the shelf life of their ink is two years, which is a bit surprising. This ink is ISO 12757-2 and DIN ISO 14145-2 and it's vegan in case you want to drink it Here is the list of complete line up: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Chroma: Writing Samples: I reverse wrote with an Ef nib. Please note colour is very difficult to scan. Photo: Colour is almost distracting on Iroful. Iroful /Rhodia Day light Note how the lines are wider on Iroful and thinner on Rhodia Same paper Artificial led light during the day. (Your typical overcast late fall light ). The led is angled towards the wall and not the paper. Note how Iroful goes all funky and Rhodia demur Now this photo was taken at night, with Iroful paper, with the same led light, same angle. Ink is dry I assure you. Note depending the angle the colour changes. The combination of ink and paper at night reminds me of colour changing gems. It can be distracting Comparison: Scan is not alright, but it gives you an idea. Caran d'ache is a very bright orange for ex. Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Art Work: And the cat created the monkey in Zeus' image A combination of impatience, wrong paper (I used an absorbent paper for pencil ) and mediocre drawing skills led to this sketch. I'll try to give it a bit of oomph with this story, I heard from my cat whispered in her sleep. 🙀 Once upon a time, Zeus left his throne dallying along with some shepherdess. Γάτα (Gáta), Zeus’ latest creation, climbed upon his comfy, cushiony throne, with, Ποντίκι (Pontíki, the Mouse) it’s sidekick. Pontíki stood guard, looking at the sky for Zeus’ signature thunderbolt, but he didn’t return. Gáta decided to create a being in Zeus's image, so he would feed it, keep it entertained and clean the litterbox! But being a Cat and not a deity, Gáta pushed said all the wrong incantations and thus the monkey was created. All it wanted was bananas, coconut trees and a lot of vines to swing. When Zeus returned he was so enraged that he banished Gáta to Earth and made Pontíki the Mouse and his descendants the cats prey as punishment, for eternity. With time, Zeus missed Gáta, his purring. So he created man to serve its descendants. This creation myth, of course, was rewritten by Man, who could not accept that monkeys were created before him and that he was to serve the Cat and not rule to the world. To this day, Man lives with this illusion. The following is a reproduction of Gáta creating the monkey. Octopus Write & Draw Orange Monkey Octopus Write & Draw Brown Seahorse (The cat's body, monkey's face, etc) Jacques Herbin Turquoise de Perse Noodler's Red Rattler's Red and Lexingtion Gray for the outlines.... · Pens used: Lamy (Reverse EF, EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate nib · What I liked: The colour on Iroful paper. · What I did not like: Pale flat, color on Rhodia. · What some might not like: Pigment ink, palish colour. · Shading: Paper dependant. · Ghosting: No. · Bleed through: No. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Slightly below average. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Pale · Shading Potential: Paper dependant. · Sheen: On Iroful paper. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: I let it soak overnight, water was clear after all but after soaking in cleaning solution there was some orange pigment left. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write & Draw Green Ostrich A very nice waterproof, lightfast bright murky-ish Green, with slightly below average lubrication. If you want a darker one, go for Crane Green. A note about Ostriches. It’s a common misconception that Ostriches hide their head under the sand, it couldn’t be further from truth. Apparently they look for food on the ground and when they lay their eggs, they have to turn them regularly, hence giving the impression that they are hiding in the sand. If they are in danger, they run instead and very fast. However, human often hide their head in the proverbial sand of denial The scans are off on Midori and Tomoe River 68 gsm paper. The other papers are alright. Chroma: Writing Samples: I used a reverse Ef for the Ultra Extra fine line. As I mentioned before the scans of Midori and Tomoe River GSM are off. Photo: Midori and Tomoe River 68 gsm Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Art Work: Walk on the Wild Side Paper is Canson Mixed Media Octopus Write & Draw inks used: Ostrich & trees: Green Ostrich Orange: Orange monkey Tree trunks: Brown Seahorse Other inks: Jacques Herbin: Turquoise de Perse, J Herbin, Lie de Thé (eiffel tower)and Noodler's Lexington Gray · Pens used: Lamy (Reverse EF/Ef/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate. · What I liked: Colour, drawing ostriches. · What I did not like: Nothing much. · What some might not like: Fear of pigment inks? · Shading: Yes · Ghosting: None on cheap paper. · Bleed through: A bit depending on cheap paper. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Slightly below average. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Not saturated. · Shading Potential: Ok. · Sheen: Silver sheen on Iroful, like most octopus W& D inks. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: Easy, but as it’s a pigment ink YMMV. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles, Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw Petrol Axolotl This belongs to Octopus' Write and Draw line of nano pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Octopus has a host of warning on their site, basically recommending their inks only in cheap, well-sealed pens. In my limited experience they have been much more well behaved than many other waterproof inks. https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ The naming of the inks is whimsical, the colour followed by an arbitrary animal. The ink is well behaved, wet, and well lubricated teal. Surprisingly it looks paler with Ef / B nibs (Maybe the ink level was low) and darker when I tried it in the Kakuno with a Medium nib. I'm a bit ambivalent about the colour. Let's start with the chroma: Writing Samples: Not bad with Hammermill: Photo: Comparison: Water test: My apologies for the art work. I was not so inspired: The prompt was Forrest for the yearly Inktober challenge: The red ink is J Herbin's Rouge Caroubier. · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef/ Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B), Osmiroid Copperplate nib · What I liked: Intriguing colour, well behaved ink. · What I did not like: Nothing, but the name. Petrol associated with an endangered amphibian, is a bit of a bad taste. · What some might not like: It’s sold out on Vanness, so I guess we’ll see. · Shading: Yes · Ghosting: Only with a flex nib on Hammermill · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Wet. · Lubrication: Good. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: Nope. · Shading Potential: With medium /broad nibs. · Sheen: Did not notice. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: It’s a pigment ink. But in my experience so far, Octopus inks can be easily cleaned with water and a bit of soaking · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw Red Koala This belongs to Write and Draw line of nano pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Octopus has a host of warning on their site, basically recommending their inks only in cheap, well-sealed pens. https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ The naming of the inks is whimsical, the colour followed by an arbitrary animal. It's a well behaved, lubricated and wet coral red ink. It's not a colour I really appreciate. Chroma: Writing Samples: Color seems off on Hammermill. Photo: Comparison: Water test: à and finally an uninspired artwork: There's a hint of Platinum Carbon Black and Akkerman's Delfts Blauw · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.9), Kanwrite with an Ahab nib · What I liked: Waterproofness · What I did not like: The colour. · What some might not like: Same as above. · Shading: Nope. · Ghosting: Yes on copy paper, depending pen, nib, pressure. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Wet. · Lubrication: Good. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: What do you think? · Shading Potential: Mmmm! · Sheen: Did not notice. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: It’s a red pigment ink. Emphasis on both colour and type. However, it was quite easy to clean. · Water resistance: Excellant · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus - Write and Draw - Brown Colibri Intriguing colour reminds me of persimmons, which grew on me over time. Very well behaved, even on copy paper, has lovely shading. This belongs to Write and Draw line of nano pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: the complete line of 38 inks: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Octopus has a host of warning on their site, basically using their inks only in cheap, well sealed pens. ttps://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ Let's start with the chroma: Writing Samples: quotes are from azquotes website, I'm not sure how accurate they are A drop of another ink forced to become creative... Very well behaved on Hammermill. Photo: Comparison: Water test: (Left side was held under water for 10s) And a little artwork, which is a variation on the same theme: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.1), Kanwrite with an Ahab flex. · What I liked: Very well-behaved ink. Intriguing colour. · What I did not like: Ironically, I’m not so sure about the colour · What some might not like: Nothing much. · Shading: Yes, there is some. · Ghosting: None. · Bleed through: None. · Flow Rate: Very wet · Lubrication: Slightly below average · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: Not really. · Shading Potential: On good paper, yes. · Sheen: No. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw - Violet Giraffe This belongs to Write and Draw line of nano-pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/e...colours?c=4671 I really enjoyed using this, elegant, classy ink. It’s a gorgeous purple, very well lubricated, especially pleasant to write with. However, it does not like copy paper. I went as far as inking a wet vintage pen and regretted it, as the amount of ink it spewed out made it impossible to control the pen, so I won’t recommend you filling your Pelikan “firehose” with a triple B nib 😜 Octopus has a host of warning on their site. ttps://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ So as a test, I let it dry up a bit in my Lamy Safari, basically forgetting it for a week or so, letting evaporation do its thing. Still the cleaning was surprisingly easy. I was disappointed when I did the water test. The ink is water resistant but lost a bit of it's charm. In conclusion, I would recommend this ink for a well sealed, dry-ish pen. Chroma is uninspiring: Writing samples: This ink is a snob. It does not like copy paper. Photo: I have no ink that remotely approaches this one: Water test: I was surprised/ disappointed by the result as you can see the ink was partially removed under running water. and finally a tiny art work, General Giraffe: The other ink is J Herbin, Ambre de Birmanie: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.1), Conway Stewart 330 double oblique flex (very wet) · What I liked: Elegant, classy colour, breathtaking will almost all nibs, · What I did not like: Not 100% waterproof, not a deal breaker, but I was expecting more from a pigment ink, longish dry times. · What some might not like: Longish dry times, hates copy paper… · Shading: Medium onwards · Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper · Bleed through: Yes, on copy paper · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent. · Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. · Start-up: Not noticed. · Saturation: Delicious. · Shading Potential: I can’t see much. · Sheen: Faint with the very wet nib. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Yes, on copy paper. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not noticed. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: No. · Water resistance: Very good but the excess ink washed off. · Availability: 50 ml Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw Ink - Blue Chameleon After reviewing so many inks, it's rare that I get excited about an ink or a new brand. This is one of them. I’ve been tempted to procure a bottle. It's a gorgeous grey blurple, well lubricated that I enjoyed writing in all nibs but the Japanese Ef, Kakuno. it transformed the needle tip of Osmiroid into a dream nib. It's a pigment ink, light fast, waterproof and has all the ISO accreditation you would want. Please note like most pigment inks, it's best using it in a well sealed pen and preferably not your expensive pens. You can read more about it: https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ and the complete line of 38 inks: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/7331/write-and-draw-ink-set-waterproof-drawing-ink-for-fountain-pens-38-colours?c=4671 Let's start with the chroma: Writing samples: It doesn't like copy paper much: photo of the Tome River page A little calligraphic work done with thee Osmiroid Copperplate nib (Mnemosyne notebook) Comparison: Water test: (left side was held underwater for 10 seconds and the wiped with tissue paper) And a tiny artwork to showcase the range of the ink (Paper is Talens mixed media) · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.9), Osmiroid copperplate nib · What I liked: Writing with, cushiony feel, intriguing, classy colour. · What I did not like: Writing with Japanese Ef nib · What some might not like: It doesn’t like copy paper · Shading: Yes. · Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper · Bleed through: same as above. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent · Nib Dry-out: Nope. · Start-up: No. · Saturation: Yes. · Shading Potential: Elegant · Sheen: Faint · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Rohrer & Klingner sketchINK Carmen I was quite a bit excited when I started the review. The colour seemed promising however, in the end the promising colour was due to a not so thoroughly cleaned feed. The colour is quite close to Super5 Delhi which I reviewed prior. I was excited when I saw the reddish blob in the chroma but in the end was disappointed by the colour. It’s another pure orange. Writing samples: As you can see the heading and the F nib is darker but soon after the colour reverted to what it should be. A comparison page between Super5 Delhi and sketchINK Carmen It's really ugly on copy paper. photo: Comparison: Water test: (Left side was under water) And finally a homage at the opera Carmen and the fatal flower that seals the tragic destructive relationship: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub , Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B,1.9), Kanwrite with an Ahab nib · What I liked: The name, reddish orange hint. · What I did not like: I prefer my oranges on the red side. · What some might not like: Dryish ink, nanopigment ink, · Shading: No. · Ghosting: With very wet pens and have handed writing. .. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Medium · Lubrication: Dry · Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. · Start-up: No. · Saturation: No. · Shading Potential: Dismal. · Sheen: No. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: No. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: No. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: It's a nano pigment ink. They tend to stick to everything, so you might need to use a penflush to be sure. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

There’s something about Octopus Write and Draw series. They have been a breath of fresh air, in the permanent ink world. Fox Grey isn't any different. It even makes the scratchy Kakuno Ef a pleasure to write with. The colour is pleasing, a warmish blue grey. Octopus has a host of warnings and does not recommend you using it in your favorite fountain pen. And recommends a well-sealed pen, which is a no brainer. In my experience it's best to use theses inks in pens that can be fully dismantled. They also suggest that the shelf life of their ink is two years, which is a bit surprising. The ink is ISO 12757-2 and DIN ISO 14145-2 Here is the list of complete line up: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 And warnings: https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ Let's start with the chroma: You can see clearly see the purplish grey. Writing samples: As you can see the wetter/wider the nib, the more ghosting /bleeding there'll be. Photo: which shows the bluish tinge. Comparison: Water test: [after 24 hrs, nothing budged] And finally a tiny artwork inspired by the ink: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B), Kanwrite with Ahab nib · What I liked: Beautiful colour, very well behaved. · What I did not like: Nothing. · What some might not like: Doesn’t function as well with wider nibs on copy paper. · Shading: Quite nice. · Ghosting: On copy paper · Bleed through: Same as above, only with Broad /flex nibs. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent. · Nib Dry-out: Quite good. · Start-up: No. · Saturation: Dark saturated grey · Shading Potential: Look for yourself. · Sheen: No · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: No. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Only with water · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

De Atramentis Artist Green Grey has a Document sibling, which I won't be reviewing. The difference between the two is that the latter is forgery proof and is slightly more expensive than the former. This is one of those dreamy green, which is perfect for grey days, so that you can muse dreamy thoughts in the confines of your journal, in front of a nice fire I really love this colour, and have enjoyed writing and drawing with it. Let's start with the chroma: Writing samples: You can see a comparison with Octopus Green Squirrel which is more olive and darker on Midori It doesn't like thin copy paper as you see, it ghosts and bleeds But on thick absorbent paper it's absolutely fine. Photo: Paper is Mnemosyne /Pen is Osmiroid with a Copperplate semi-flex nib Comparison: Watertest And as usual an art work entitled, Least Endangered Species The Squirrel is done, by Octopus Write and Draw, Green Squirrel The background is by De Atramentis Green Grey and finally the Brown is by Octopus Fluids Sepia Schwartz (ink is not waterproof) • Pens used: Pilot Kakuno, Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate nib • What I liked: Lovely muted/subtle colour, shading. • What I did not like: Nothing much. • What some might not like: Does not like copy paper. • Shading: Lovely • Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper • Bleed through: Yes, on copy paper • Flow Rate: Wet • Lubrication: Excellent • Nib Dry-out: Didn’t notice. • Start-up: Didn’t notice. • Saturation: No • Shading Potential: Excellent • Sheen: No • Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: No • Nib Creep / “Crud”: No • Staining (pen): No • Clogging: No • Cleaning: On the easy side. Octopus Green Squirrel was slightly easier. • Water resistance: Excellent • Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

This is my first review of an ink made by Octopus Fluids. The Write and Draw, lineup are waterproof and lightfast and are creatively named after animals. You can read more about the inks here. In a nutshell what they emphasize on is that these inks should be used in well-sealed pens. So no drafty pen and the complete line up of 38 inks is here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 This is one lovely ink and while it has one fault (It doesn't like copy paper), it's been a pleasure to use it. It’s a lovely grey olive green. The type of green/grey that I never get tired of. Let's start with the uninspiring chroma: Writing samples: The elegance of this ink shines in writing. As you can see there's ghosting and bleed through on thin paper. Photo (Paper Mnemosyne, Osmiroid Copperplate) Comparison If you like a lighter colour Octopus Green Crane or De Atramentis Green Grey (review coming) is also another excellent choice. Nothing budges: I did a quick little sketch to show case the range of the ink: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate nib · What I liked: I loved almost everything about this ink, wet, so lubricated that you can even write reverse with Lamy Ef. Beautiful shading. It looks lovely in all nibs. · What I did not like: Nothing much. · What some might not like: 30s dry time on Japanese paper, if you are allergic to wet inks 😝, or are forced to use copy paper. · Shading: Yes. · Ghosting: On cheap paper · Bleed through: On cheap paper · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent · Nib Dry-out: Nope · Start-up: None. · Saturation: No. · Shading Potential: Excellent · Sheen: None. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: If the pen is wet, primed and you insist writing on copy paper. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: None. · Staining (pen): None. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Surprising very easy · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

For this test, I wrote with the ink and did a water test after 7 days to give some time to iron gall inks to oxide. I deliberately wrote in such a way that IG and dye based inks were more wet at some part to see how much it will get affected. Furthermore I diluted the Noodlers ink to test the them as Noodlers ink are very saturated and I have read that they can be diluted. I also diluted R&K sketch emma to see how will it fare. Water droplets were left for nearly 6 hrs for water test and then the page was attached to window where 4-5 hrs of sunlight is there every day and was left for 1 month. This being rainy season in India, the sunlight only came around 20 days After putting droplets if water- Water test - 1 month sunlight test Conclusion:- You can look at the water resistance test to draw your own conclusions. I am not reiterating for the sake of brevity. As for sunlight test the Krishna Lyrebird Water Sapphire was first one to fade in nearly 5-6 days, next was Pilot Blue in 10 days. Pelikan Blue Black also faded around same time but shows more resistant than Pilot Blue, it is still (very low) readable at some parts. Pilot Black held pretty good and is readable and even it's watered portion was readable (barely) for almost 22 days, I was surprised to see it fare better than Pelikan 4001 Blue Black and also very famous pilot G2 blue gel pen. Both Pilot Iroshizuku Yamaguri and & Rohrer & Kligner Sepia faded to lighter colour but are still readable, with yamaguri performing slightly better. Rohrer & Kligner Sketchink Lilly, Emma, Sailor Seiboku, Souboku, Noodler Anti feather Blue and Baltimore Canyon are all unaffected by sunlight and water as expected (even the diluted part were unaffected). KWZ IG Turquoise held pretty good to sunlight (similar to yamaguri) but it got wet due to rain at around 22nd day and therefore it was washed out.

Artist inks are made with nanoparticles fountain pens, brushes etc. to paint and draw. Inks are lightfast and waterproof. However, when I contacted De Atramentis they told me that Document ink is more lightfast than Artist line. The Artist Dark Red ink looks especially nice on white paper. TR 68gr paper - Photo in direct sunlight - Fude nib. same text scan (text is famous French renaissance poem/ pavane by Thoinot Arbeau, you can listen to the music here) Hammermill paper - 90 - Medium nib HP 32 Rhodia - Medium nib and Ahab flex Dry time on TR 68gr paper is very long, as you can see. But it is acceptable on Rhodia (45 seconds). If the paper is absorbent it's almost immediate. Unlike cellulose reactive inks, this one preforms fairly good on cheep/ thin paper. However, cellulose reactive inks dry much faster. The bottles are different from the typical De Atramentis bottles (photo curtesy of Jane Blundell) When I was preparing my swatches, I thought both Document and Artist inks are the same, as you can see below. But in practice they are dissimilar in colour and behavior. Document Dark Red is lighter and surprisingly drier. However, Document and Artist inks can be mixed interchangeably ( I asked from the folks at De Atramentis) Comparison on Midori. Water resistance: (right side was held under water)- Paper Mnemosyne · Pens used: Jinaho 450, Fude/ Medium, Ahab flex · Shading: Yes. Depending pen paper combo. But more visible on screen than to the naked eye · Ghosting: None · Bleed through: On rare instances. · Flow Rate: Good · Lubrication: Decent · Nib Dry-out: Not noticed · Start-up: Not noticed · Saturation: Dark red · Shading Potential: Depending Paper. · Sheen: None · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed on paper. With heavy application there might be some. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: No · Staining (pen): Time will say. · Clogging: Only time will say. But none so far. · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 50 ml bottles

Being a creature of habit with many interests and a huge amount of curiosity on the one hand, but having never enough time and a streak of laziness on the other, I started my very basic lightfastness tests in May 2016 after having read that not all inks are created equal. So since then at the end or the beginning of each month I just pull out all my filled pens and two sheets of paper and write the basic information about each combination down in one or two lines. One sheets gets tucked away in the back of my current notebook or calendar, the other sheet I position on my south-east facing window, with the ink "looking" outside, of course. Whenever a pen gets filled during that month, I hopefully remember my little project and just add the new ink to both sheets, noting the data of the addition. Those lines will not be exposed to light for the full month but oftentimes these pens carry over to the next month and get their full "sun-time" then. In an ideal world I would take the window sheet off after a month, glue it next to the one in my notebook and have both look pretty much the same, but ... Since my post here created some interest (and I was asked so nicely I could not say no ), I post my fading test results for July and August (we had a decent heat wave and lots of sun in Berlin last month) here, too, and for the future invite you to share yours. Now that I know someone will actually see my very unscientific scribbling, I hopefully remember to write more legibly in the future. Sheets from July: 1) Akkerman Ceruleum Blauw 2) Colorverse Crystal Planet 3) DeAtramentis Hellblau 4) Diamine 150th Anniversary Blue Black 5) Diamine 150th Anniversary Regency Black 6) Diamine 150th Anniversary Blue Velvet 7) Diamine Aqua Blue -- almost entirely faded 8) Diamine Asa Blue 9) Diamine Beau Blue -- almost invisible 10) Diamine Blue Black 11) Diamine China Blue 12) Diamine Denim 13) Diamine Eclipse 14) Diamine Florida Blue -- almost gone 15) Diamine Flower Aster -- completely gone 16) Diamine Guitar Pelham Blue (vollständig ergraut, leicht verblasst) ------- there is a gap between 15) and 16) where the paper is perforated ---------- 17) Diamine Imperial Blue -- strongly faded 18) Diamine Indigo 19) Diamine Kensington Blue 20) Diamine Majestic Blue 26) Diamine Presidential Blue 28) Diamine Sargasso Sea 31) Diamine Skull & Roses 37) Lamy Königsblau / Royal Blue 47) Sailor Manyo Haha +1) Pelikan 4001 Königsblau / Royal Blue +30) Robert Oster Fire & Ice +40) Pilot(-Namiki cartridge) Blue Black

I can't find a similar thread, so I thought I'd start one here. Artists who use fountain pens to draw have different needs from those who are using them to write. Personally, I need ink to be waterproof so I can add watercolour, lightfast so it doesn't fade if hung on a wall, and work in a fountain pen with a very fine nib, since that's what I prefer to use. I thought perhaps other artists in the network may like to share their best finds. Pens for sketching also need to be lighter as I may be drawing solidly and cross-hatching for some time, so I tend to go with plastic rather than my lovely heavier pens. My favourite pens for drawing are Lamy Joy with an EF or EF gold nib - great for fast sketching and smooth for writing; Namiki Falcon EF and F - such lovely expressive lines (I use the EF for black and the F for brown), and Sailor 1911 EF for drawing lots of details and really fine lines. I have used the Sailor Nano ink but have found the De Atramentis document black to be a wonderful fast-drying and waterproof ink. The Document brown is also lovely for drawing and writing. I am excited about the idea of CYMK waterproof inks for fountain pens - a great idea that has been missing to my knowledge. For inks that don't like fountain pens, I love a dip pen and post office nib. I also like to use inks that are not waterproof so they react with water. Noodler's Polar Brown is rather lovely for this, as is an Aussie ink Art Spectrum Burnt Sienna, and Higgins Eternal for black. I've attached a photo of the pens and the nibs though many of you will be very familiar with them. I just like visuals! Love to hear from others :-)