Jacques Herbin — Couleurs de Paris Bistro Parisien — Ink Review #266

Jacques Herbin — Bistro Parisien

 

Ink Review # 266

 

Ink: Bistro Parisien
Series: Couleurs de Paris (Colors of Paris)
Brand: Jacques Herbin
Country: France
Availability: 10 ml, 30 ml bottles. 
Pens Used: Osmiroid Copperplate EEF flex, Lamy Safari (EF, F, M, B, 1.1)

Description

This is one of three new inks added to the Couleurs de Paris collection. 

It’s a tribute to the Parisian bistros.

I got my sample from Fountainfeder in Germany. 

With a dry pen it’s a lovely, luminous red, with a wet pen it is a lovely red-black with gorgeous shading.

It has no water resistance.

It made my Osmiroid nib sing; however, with Lamy nibs the lubrication was slightly below-average to excellent, depending on the nib size.

This ink has become one of my favorites for artwork and sketching. The range of tones I can extract from it is endless.

Chroma

Writing Samples

photos LED and sunlight

Translations from other languages are provided for reference only and may differ from published versions.

Because of the sunlight you can see different shades of red.

Rhodia

“If you opened people up, you would find landscapes.”— Agnès Varda (1928–2019), French filmmaker

Close-up

Iroful

“It takes more wit to make love than to command armies.”— Ninon de Lenclos (1620–1705), French writer

Close-up

Midori

“What fills time is truly wasting it.”—Marguerite Duras (1914–1996), French novelist

Close-up

Tomoe River 68 gsm

« J’ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris. » — “J’ai deux amours” (1931), sung by Joséphine Baker (1906–1975)

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

Close-up

Hammermill 20 lb

“To will oneself free is also to will others free.” — Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986), French philosopher.

Close-up

Comparison

Col-O-ring swatches. Scans are approximate.

Water Test

Artwork

Frankly, My Dear

Inktober52, Prompt 35: Cinch

“Cinch my corset, Butler! We’ll be late for the ball!”“Frankly, Kitty, it’s a cinch.”

Tintenlabor Monte Rosa, Jacques Herbin Bistro, Fontaine, and Ostrich Purple Snowflakes on Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.

Banjo

Inktober52 Prompt 32: Banjo.

A long time ago, Cat used a Mouse headstock to sing her blues.

Inspired by an 1888 commercial color lithograph trade card titled Banjo, from the “Musical Instruments” series (N82), issued by W. Duke Sons & Co.

Jacques Herbin Fontaine, Passages des Panoramas and Bistro Parisien, and Tintenlabor Onyx fountain pen inks, some diluted with water, on Talens Mixed Media paper.

Bistro

Based on an early photograph of Chez Castelain, the café on rue Lepic that later became Café des 2 Moulins, probably photographed in the early 20th century.

Jacques Herbin - Bistro Parisien - Tintenlabor Monte Rosa,  Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook. 

Jacques Herbin Bistro Parisien, Tintenlabor Monte Rosa, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook

 

Ink Characteristics

·      Writing Experience: Lovely.
·      What I Liked: Beautiful color. Lovely lubrication.
·      What I Did Not Like: Lack of water resistance.
·      Shading: Lovely.
·      Ghosting: A bit on copy paper.
·      Bleed Through: Same as above.
·      Flow Rate: Wet.
·      Lubrication: Lovely.
·      Nib Dry-out: Did not notice.
·      Start-up: No problems.
·      Saturation: From luminous to dark.
·      Sheen: No.
·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice.
·      Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.
·      Staining (Pen): No.
·      Clogging: No.
·      Cleaning: Relatively easy for a red ink.
·      Water Resistance: You’ll have a mess.

Closing

This is a chameleon of a dark red by Herbin and one of the best I’ve reviewed so far by this brand. It’s a difficult color to describe. It’s worth a sample or small bottle. It made me really happy.

No fountain pens were harmed in preparing this review. ;)

Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier. :)