You’re welcome, Fabio!

You're welcome! I'll have to check out Mind of Watercolor's review.

Thanks! I’m actually working on a video where I demonstrate an unusual way to work with red chalk that was used by the masters.

You’re welcome!

My pleasure! I used technical pens early on (my step father was a graphic artist and had them in his studio.) Using them again for this video brought me back to that time long ago.

@@mkompan You've inspired me to dig them out again. At one point they were the only kind of pen l I used. I had the full range with multiple pen bodies, and used to love them. By the way, your channel has become my favourite art-related channel.😊

I’ll have to give it a try. Noodler’s is very paper dependent, but is the safest of all the waterproof inks in terms of clogging.

I was surprised by the variability in performance of both Carbon ink and Noodler’s black. I’m in Los Angeles, which is also pretty dry. The paper is the main factor and that’s the biggest advantage of India ink: it’s consistently waterproof on a variety of papers.

Thanks!

You're welcome! I do want this company to succeed, because they're producing an innovative product. But, carbon ink works well enough on a large enough range of papers that this pen will not be for everyone.

There are many variables. I went into this video, thinking that the results would be clear cut, with the India ink being clearly superior, but that wasn’t the case. The paper is really the biggest factor, and results are hard to predict. India ink also varies greatly, with some drying more matte than others.

@@mkompan With paper my own rule of thumb is if it will accept masking fluid it won't work with ink as it will sit on the surface. I can't guarantee it's 100 % accurate with all paper but it's worked for me so far.

@@atelierthhun1165 That's an interesting rule of thumb that makes sense. Thanks for the tip!

You’re welcome Matthew!

Thank you!

I'm also a fan of Lexington Gray. I like that it isn't as harsh as a real black, but when you need to you can layer it up to black. I wonder, though - if you like graphite, why not just use graphite?

@@ichirofakename because I use ink and watercolor wash. Graphite doesn’t really show strong enough for the appearance I’m trying to achieve

@@ichirofakename Cause it’s a dry, ie different, medium?

Interesting. I never noticed a problem going over Platinum Carbon Black ink with watercolor, but I never put it down in a wash, only somewhat fine lines. Mostly I use a mixture of fine liners and technical pens with my fountain pen though, and mostly on Fabriano Artistico hot press. They changed their sizing though so it will be interesting to see if there's a difference. I never gave that much consideration. Thanks for the review. Very helpful, as always.

I think you can probably get away with using India ink just by spraying the inside of the cap with water (or putting a little wad of wet cotton inside the cap. I'm experimenting with it right now and will share my results soon. It will of course not work as nearly as well.

Didn’t miss it, just didn’t include it. I agree, great ink!

I agree that the safety pen is actually the better solution to using all kinds of inks. However it can be very messy, requiring a eye dropper to fill, and you risk getting ink everywhere every time you open it. This pen operates like a regular fountain pen, and is a better everyday option for most artists.

@@mkompan I guess this is a rather subjective point of view. At Indigraph we have tested more than 50 different inks, Indian Inks, waterproof, normal inks, colour inks... With very good results. Practically, it works like an ordinary fountain pen, except for the cap that contains the technology to keep the nib wet. The Safety pen method was a reference, and we wanted to improve it, as it is quite likely that with these pens you will end up getting ink stains. You proposed us to make a review of our pen, and we thought it was good to let people know about our pen. And that they could see the difference between waterproof inks such as Carbon (which is not a Indian ink) with other Indian Inks. Noodler's Black (also not a Indian ink) What surprises us is the negative view you give about our pen, when we have found many people who are delighted with the pen, and who have been able to find that point that makes it special. At least we have managed to let people in the USA know that Indian Ink is a correct term. 😂😂😂

@@indigraphpen I think my video made it perfectly clear that your pen indeed works very well, and that there is a marked difference between the performance of India ink and the other two popular fountain pen inks. My channel offers unbiased, honest opinions and if something I made just sounded like advertising I would quickly lose the trust of my audience. The safety pen is messy and hard to operate and for most artists your pen is the better option. I’m sorry this review offended you! It was certainly not my intention. My criticism of the pen were very minor (and yes, subjective). It’s a well made product that serves a valuable purpose!

@@indigraphpen my review wasn’t at all negative! I say clearly that the pen works perfectly well, is well built and thoughtfully designed. The criticism is very minor and should not put anyone off from buying your product. And I agree that the price of this pen is fair, and most of my audience regularly pays more for fountain pens. For many artists this pen is completely out of reach, and since they’re used to buying cheap, disposable pens, there needs to be a more affordable option. Think of it as a stepping stone to getting your pen. People come here for my honest, unbiased (and yes, of course, subjective) opinion and expect me to give a full reporting of what I like and dislike in a pen. Something that sounds like advertising would make people not trust me. Again, I’m sorry if you found this review unfairly harsh. If I didn’t like your pen, I would not have taken so much time to make this video. Your pen works perfectly and will be useful to many artists!

100 is indeed expensive and not just for students. I’ve been experimenting with cheaper methods of making a pen work with India ink. If they work I’ll make a video on it.

Honestly, with the manufacturing methods, quantities, materials... 100 is a fair price. It is not a disposable tool. Nor is it a whim. It is a reliable and versatile tool. We understand that for many people it can be an economic effort, but compared to other tools, it has many advantages. The use of India ink as normal, up to 9 interchangeable nibs. This pen should be seen as an investment. Nowadays, we can spend 100 in the blink of an eye, a tank of petrol for 1 month, a dinner with your partner. Everyone has to see what they are passionate about. Before we got to the dampening system we have in our Indigraph pen, we spent more than 2 years developing prototypes. We used gels, sponges to retain humidity, cotton wool...

@@indigraphpen I understand the advantages. I am interested in getting one as I am frustrated with my current "waterproof" fountain pen ink. I mentioned Sailor has somehow changes its formula for their black Kiwaguro ink and does not live up to the old formula I was used to. I have even spent more than $200 to get myself a nice Sailor Pro Gear pen because I like the flow and reliability of the ink always flowing out. But, students will not bother spending even $20 on a Fude nib - I'll probably have a review how it can work for sketching design ideas.

@@drawingarchitecture For us one of the best Indian inks is Pelikan, it is very black, dries very fast and is very water resistant., although is a bit satin, And the highlighter has a medium resistance. Dr. Martins A is very good with a glossy finish, although it is a little more viscous than Pelikan. viscosity in inks is very important, Higgins Drawing is very low viscosity and flows very well to Speedball Super Black ink which is like peanut butter (I am exaggerating).🤣🤣

Actually, I found the Speedball ink works very well! I think it's very hard convincing artists, who are used buying disposable pens for a few dollars, to invest $100 on a pen. I showed the pen to my students and their faces lit up with excitement. Then I told them the price, and I could tell their hearts sank. If we are going to educate young artists, there needs to be an introductory product that they can use before graduating to the superior performance of your pen. BTW, in the U.S. no one pays 100 for petrol (unless you're driving a giant truck.) We may not have universal healthcare, but gas is cheap. :)

Thank you! I angered the Indigraph people with this review, but it is a useful pen for some people and I wish them well.

Yep, it's not called India Ink but there are pigment inks in many colors, check out Winsor & Newton's selection. Edit: I just looked it up on Amazon, Dr. Ph. Martin's calls theirs India ink regardless of the color. There's a full color set for about 80 bucks.

@@retardno002 I see Dick Blick also has something called Acrylic Ink. It may just be watered down paint.

1. Thank you, as always. 2. Yes, you can use color shellack-based inks in this pen. Not every ink will work equally well. The indigraph website has ink recommendations which they rate on 0-5 scale.

The price does put it out of reach for many people. I didn’t see a G nib option for it on the website, and I have my doubts because the G nib usually is compatible with #6 size feeds, whereas this pen uses a #5 feed and nib.

@@mkompan I 'misspoke', I meant they had a very small EF nib that someone touted to me from a competitor who also sells their pens. At 85 I'm spending a lot on some items, because nobody in my family would be able to use it.

I haven’t heard of this ink, but will definitely try it based on your recommendation. I’m not so obsessed with the blackness of ink, and on the papers I use Noodler’s black is fully waterproof, so I’m not desperately searching for something better.

@@mkompan I like the blackest ink because of the graphic work I'm doing, but sometimes a softer black can be needed as well. What papers are you using Noodler's Black on? I've had poor results when it comes to it being waterproof. The waterproof soft black I use is Rohrer & Klingner's Lotte (from the Sketch Ink series). Today I've tried the waterproof fountain pen ink from Octopus (also a German company). It's called Elephant Black (Write & Draw series) and my first test shows it is as waterproof as acrylic ink, just like Super5. And possibly a touch darker than Super5, but I need to do more tests on various papers for confirmation. It's also cheaper per ml of ink. Aside from Elephant Black they have many other colours as well.

@@karel9825 I find Noodler’s black tends to work best on hot press watercolor paper, such as Arches hit press. On other papers, such as my Talens art creations sketchbook it’s not perfect leaving a touch of residue, but it works well enough. I’ll have to track down this Octopus ink as well. This might not be easy to obtain for those of us living in the US.

I’m actually experimenting with different methods to see how they work. If the results are good, I’ll make a video in it.

Sorry, I haven’t used those inks. Their site has a long list of inks that they approve for the pen. If it’s not listed, you might want to contact the company and ask.

From what I could see the main advantage is that India is faster drying and more consistently waterproof that the other two ink, whose performance was heavily dependent on the paper. I have a sample of DeAtramentis Black, but have yet to dry it.

@@mkompan Thanks for responding. I've heard horror stories about India ink killing fountain pens! De Atramentis Document ink doesn't clog and is 'permanent' and dries fast. No problem being in pens for months without regular use. Also--Really enjoyed your tutorial on the pencils --and your drawings--superb!

@@fabtext thank you! I would never dare put India ink into my other pens, but this pen allows you to to do it, and works very well.

Diluted ammonia is a good way to go in general.

I've never tried the Indigraph fude so I can't compare it to the ones I have in my TWSBI pens. I agree that the Indigraph is not terribly comfortable,

My pleasure. The company does not recommend using white drawing ink in this pen. I have tried it with De Atramentis Document white, waterproof ink designed for fountain pen, and while it works and doesn’t clog, the performance isn’t great.

@@mkompan Thanks for the Advice. I have seen the Video about the White Document Ink. I follow your YT-Channel becaus I am a Fan of Albrecht Dürer and Fountain Pens and I noticed you did a lot of great Fountain Pen Drawings in the Style of Albrecht Dürer. I found out Albrecht Dürer did not use white ink, his Drawings with white were scrapt out. The Paper was white with a Blue or Green grounding and the white parts were scrapt out. But I could not find out how this were made. Whitch tool he use and what grounding color ist easy scrapable, I am in the Reserarch state. They call the Paper Venizianian Paper. Greatings from Germany.

@@SiebengescheitundNeunmalklug that’s interesting. My experiments with white ink showed that it doesn’t work well in quill pens, perhaps because the pigment size prevented proper flow. Modern white ink is made with zinc white, however, whereas artists prior to the 1800’s used lead, which may have performed better. Many of Durer’s drawings on toned paper (such as his famous praying hands) were done with a fine brush, which explains the effectiveness of his white lines, which I was unable to reproduce with a pen.

@@mkompan I think you are correct he did not scrape the white out, he brushes the lines.

Thanks for catching that. I had a lot technical issues making this video.

The price will put this pen out of reach for many people, but 12 dollar plastic pens break and need to be replaced, whereas only have to buy this pen once. If you consider this a long term investment then perhaps the price is reasonable. Furthermore, I’m against the theft of intellectual property. I’m sure someone will make a cheaper knockoff at some point, but I will not buy it. There are cheaper (but probably less effective ways) to use India ink in a fountain pen which I will post soon.

​@@mkompan PILOT brand have premium product that cost more than 200$ yet a Parallel Calligraphy Pen for art making cost 8$. Its all plastic and it doesn't break at all, can last many years. It is a lot more unique technology than this on top of that. Normal fountain pen from Pilot for calligraphy like Plumix - can be found even cheaper. They know their target groups well and are worldwide recognizable brand. I don't mind pretentious premium pens - but they are whole another obsession that have nothing to do with art supplies and making art. The majority of people interested in india ink and this product will be artist for obvious reasons. Milking artists is nasty. Chinese competition in such cases - for the win. They are saving the whole capitalism thing anyway.

@LyubomirIko if you want to support Chinese slave labor in yet another market, while ironically decrying capitalism....go right ahead...

I see nothing wrong with you expressing your preferences, but this way of working has a long history, being used by Michelangelo, DaVinci, and Raphael, and a countless number of other masters, so just recognize that your opinion is an a rather extreme outlier.

@@mkompan I do use hatching occasionally, I not strictly against it, however I am surprised by how common it is when there are other ways of shading.