J. Herbin - Gris Nuage

[AgentVenom]

* originally posted on my Instagram.

 

Ink Review: J. Herbin, Gris Nuage. Grade: 67.5%. Paper: Norcom Composition.

 

Gris Nuage(GN) means 'gray cloud' in English, and I think it's the perfect way to describe this ink. It looks just like a cloudy, rainy day(some of my favorite weather btw). I bought this ink because I've been experimenting with ink washes lately. I normally do my ink washes with Noodler's Heart of Darkness or Black, but they have a warm gray tone to them when diluted.

 

Gris Nuage reminds me more of the Copic cool gray range. I do have Copic markers, but I am more than a little frustrated with how expensive refills are considering how often the markers run out of ink. So far it's been a nice and simple alternative. I use this ink primarily in a Noodler's Konrad brush pen.

 

It flows well and can be a very light gray if you don't layer it too quickly. It allows me to throw down a basic one tone shade to what I'm drawing without having to beat the ink into the page like I do with a Copic marker.

 

I've not done much with diluting this ink because of how well it shades. If you are patient you can build and blend the color into a relatively dark charcoal gray. So in one simple brush pen, I can get a lot of work done without ever having to change pens.

 

Sadly, it does have its faults. As you can tell, this ink will feather any chance it gets. I've also found that it will eat into cheaper paper very quickly. I've even found that if I don't give it enough time to dry in a nice sketchbook it will start to degrade. Despite all that, it does resist bleeding through the page.

 

If you're need a quick solution to doing an ink wash or buying another bottle of Copic to refill your marker, I'd suggest you check this ink out.

[jasonchickerson]

For a better behaving ink of similar hue, try Iroshizuku Kiri-same.

 

I'd love to see some of your artistic work with this ink.

[AgentVenom]

For a better behaving ink of similar hue, try Iroshizuku Kiri-same.

 

I'd love to see some of your artistic work with this ink.

Thank you very much for the suggestion! Fuyu-Syogun looks like a good choice too.

[jasonchickerson]

Thank you very much for the suggestion! Fuyu-Syogun looks like a good choice too.

 

Yes, picking between fuyu-syogun and kiri-same is like picking between Copic cool and warm gray markers, respectively.

 

In fact fuyu-syogun is likely much closer in hue to gris nuage, though I much prefer kiri-same.

Edited May 5, 2015 by jasonchickerson

[AgentVenom]

Yes, picking between fuyu-syogun and kiri-same is like picking between Copic cool and warm gray markers, respectively.

 

In fact fuyu-syogun is likely much closer in hue to gris nuage, though I much prefer kiri-same.

I agree. I want to try them both. I love doing ink washes with Noodler's Heart of Darkness because it has a warm tone to it. This would be interesting to compare it with.