De Atramentis — Artist Dark Red — Ink Review #34

De Atramentis — Artist - Dark Red

 

Ink Review # 34

 

Originally posted on FPN: Apr 30, 2022

 

Ink: Artist Dark Red
Series: Artist
Brand: De Atramentis
Type: Pigment ink
Country: Germany
Availability: 50 ml bottles
Pens Used: Jinhao 450, (fude/ M), Ahab flex

Description

Artist inks are made with nanoparticles and are intended for painting and drawing with fountain pens and brushes. The inks are lightfast and waterproof. However, when I contacted De Atramentis, they told me that the Document inks are more lightfast than the Artist line. 

When I was preparing my swatches, I thought the Document and Artist inks looked the same. The Midori comparison shows that Document Dark Red is slightly lighter.

They also told me that Document and Artist inks can be mixed interchangeably.

Dry time on Tomoe River 68 gsm paper is very long, as you can see below. But it is acceptable on Rhodia (45 seconds). If the paper is absorbent, it's almost immediate.

This ink performs fairly well on cheap, thin paper. It looks especially nice on white paper.

Artist bottles are different from the typical De Atramentis bottles. You can check them here: 

https://janeblundellart.blogspot.com/2020/10/de-atramentis-artist-inks.html

Note on pigment inks: Pigmented fountain pen inks are best used in well-sealed pens that are easy to dismantle. Regular cleaning is advisable, and pen flush may be needed if water alone is not enough.

Writing Samples

Photo

Tomoe River 68 gsm (Photo in direct sunlight)

Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.

Fude nib. 

The text is a famous French Renaissance poem/pavane by Thoinot Arbeau.

Scans 

Hammermill 20 lb 

M nib

HP Premium32 32 lb Paper

Rhodia

M nib and Ahab flex

Comparison

When I was preparing my swatches, I thought the Document and Artist inks looked the same, as you can see below.

Water Test

Right side was held under running water. Paper is Mnemosyne.

Ink Characteristics

·      Shading: Subtle. Depending on the pen/paper combo. But more visible on screen than to the naked eye. 
·      Ghosting: None.
·      Bleed through: In rare instances.
·      Flow Rate: Good.
·      Lubrication: Decent.
·      Nib Dry-out: Not noticed.
·      Start-up: Not noticed.
·      Saturation: Dark red.
·      Shading Potential: Depending on the 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 tell.
·      Clogging: Only time will tell. But none so far.
·      Water resistance: Excellent.

 

Feel free to share your experience, feedback, or any other comments. The more the merrier. 😊

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