Platinum Carbon Vs Mb Permanent Black For Illustration, Wash

[jcm499]

I am considering Platinum Carbon Black for use in illustrations. I have Motblanc Permanent Black, but the pigment smears very easily. Does Carbon Black also exhibit this behavior? Would you be more hesitant to use Carbon Black in a 149 than you would Permanent Black?

[requiescat]

I've never used the Montblanc ink, but Platinum Carbon Black doesn't smear after it dries, and it dries relatively quickly for art purposes; I've been fine doing ink/water over it after a couple hours or even sooner. The Platinum ink will gunk up a pen if you leave it in there without using it and don't clean it out, though; I don't use it in my nicer pens. (I only wish I owned a 149! I've inked with a fude nib frankenpen in a Noodler's pen body.)

[Algester]

I dont suggest using pigmented inks with hard to remove nibs that includes the pelikans M line pens and MBs use it on pens with easy to clean nibs and feeds (that includes a full clean cycle by removing the nib and feed out) for one thing pigmented inks LIKE TO CLING UNDER THE NIB

I repeat PIGMENTED INKS LIKE TO CLING UNDER THE NIB if you so desire it can be done but do take note THE INK WILL CLING UNDER THE NIB

why because I'm not sure how other inks would react to the pigments once they reach the ink you could get yourself a clogged pen for it

I dont have access to permanent black or blue by MB so I wouldnt really know how these inks are made is it pigmented base or cellulose reactive

Edited September 23, 2015 by Algester

[jcm499]

I'm not positive, but I think MB permanent ink is pigmented because the label warns users to be especially conscientious with cleaning due to "high solids content."

 

For anyone else who may be weighing the same options and comes across this thread, professional artist Steve Light uses Platinum Carbon Black in his 149, but would advise against doing so unless you have the tools and gumption to disassemble the pen for cleaning! See: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/201109-ink-for-montblanc-149/

[VivienR]

I didn't have and didn't tried Montblanc Pernament Black ink, but I have good experience with Platinum Carbon Black, as well with the Blue one too. They dry quickly once they are on the paper, doesn't smear and after 20 or so seconds you can even drop the paper into water... Even so, I find Carbon Black to be easily cleanable, never had any clogging issues with it.

[Randal6393]

Amazon offers a Platinum ink pen, filled with Carbon Black. Makes a great pen for fine art lines, starts nicely every time, and seems to clean easily. Costs around $ 10.00.

 

Enjoy,

[dcwaites]

What size of nib do you want to use? You may wish to dedicate a Platinum Preppy or two to the task. You can get them with Extra Fine, Fine and Medium nibs. It is very easy to pull out the nib/feed, pull the nib off the feed and clean the feed slot with the edge of a piece of hard paper, stiff plastic lolly wrapper, brash shim, very fine feeler gauge (buy a cheap $5 set).

 

I think you will have better results with the pigmented inks than the cellulose-reactive inks (Mont Blanc Permanent, Noodler's Bulletproof, Private Reserve Invincible). The latter can all leave un-set ink on top of the paper that can smear or will run and merge with other colours put on top of it.

 

I wouldn't put any pigmented ink (except possibly Sailor's Kiwaguro Nano-Carbon Black) in a Mont Blanc. Go for a cheaper pen, like one of the Preppys mentioned above, the Platinum Carbon pen mentioned by Randal (although it has a very, very fine nib, it might not suit you) or a Rotring Art pen which is designed to use difficult inks, and is easy to pull apart and clean.

[Pira]

I suppose it depends on how fine a nib you wish to have for drawing, but I have been using above mentioned Platinum Carbon Black pens (Japanese fine and extra fine, the former is = to 005 Sakura micron pen, EF even sharper) to draw for many years. They travel well. I have not put the ink into other fountain pens because I prefer the fine line and quite frankly I expect the ink to be problematic. It's just courting trouble...having said that ~ to answer your question: Platinum Carbon black is my go to for working with watercolour and other wet mediums. In my experience it dries quickly and doesn't budge when one puts colour on top of it. However, I prefer to give it a time to dry totally and to add it OVER any colours I apply to the paper because it does become dulled under layers of other mediums. This is assuming you wish to have a deep dark black...

Edited September 27, 2015 by Pira