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Lesson 1: Different Calligraphy Inks
As an intermediate calligrapher, it's important to know the tools that are available to you in order to achieve a certain effect. In this lesson, we'll examine several different calligraphy inks. We'll also talk about topics related to inks, like waterproofing and dilution.
1. Gouache (as Ink)
Gouache (rhymes with “squash”) is basically super opaque watercolor. You can use it to mix custom colors. Use light tones of gouache to write on dark papers for a stunning effect! If you want to make a large batch of gouache for future use, simply mix up gouache and water in a jar, then you can dip your pen directly into it. Be sure to tightly seal the jar after every use! (I just made a small batch of gouache for this video.)
Gouache inspiration:
2. India Ink
India inks are vibrant and lightfast. I love to use colored India inks for projects where I need my colors to “pop”!
India ink inspiration:
3. Iron Gall Ink
Iron gall ink is delightfully thin, allowing you to achieve incredible stroke contrast!
Iron gall ink inspiration:
4. Metallic Watercolor (as Ink)
I prefer to use metallic watercolors in lieu of metallic inks. That way, no pesky ink separation occurs (it’s the worst when pieces of glitter sink to the bottom of your ink jar, never to incorporate back in), and you can control the opacity.
Metallic watercolor inspiration:
5. Sumi Ink
Sumi ink is my go-to if I’m making something to scan … or if I just want to make a project with a nice, velvety black ink. Note that if water evaporates out of sumi ink, it can be tough to write with! Please feel free to dilute your sumi ink per this article.
Sumi ink inspiration:
6. Walnut Ink
If you’re looking for a beautiful antique-like effect, walnut ink is the way to go!
Walnut ink inspiration:
7. White Ink
Out of all the white inks I’ve tried, Bleed Proof White is my favorite!
White ink inspiration:
8. Watercolor (as Ink)
Using a watercolor palette as ink gives you the ability to take your calligraphy practice anywhere (because dry watercolor palettes are mess-free). Furthermore, you can use or mix practically any color you want, eliminating the need to invest in lots of different colors of calligraphy inks!
Watercolor (as ink) inspiration:
8A. Waterproofing Your Calligraphy
If you’re concerned about moisture damage to your calligraphy, consider applying a fixative!
(You can click here for a link to Jodean Cooper’s Fabulous Floral Flourishes tutorial!)
9. Ziller Ink
Ziller ink is the most waterproof ink that I’ve ever come across! If I’m combining watercolors with my calligraphy or sending an envelope to a wet climate, I always use Ziller inks.
Ziller ink inspiration:
9A. A Quick Tip About Combining Watercolors and Calligraphy
This video is less than a minute long, so definitely worth a watch, but here’s the gist: always write with your Ziller ink first, then apply watercolor.
10. How (and When) to Dilute Ink
A simple concept, ink dilution simply involves adding water to ink. Stirring water into your ink whenever your ink flow starts to feel “off” will help to make your writing experience more pleasant (and your ink will last longer)! If you’re unsure of the water quality where you live, use distilled water, which you can find in most supermarkets.
11. When (+ How) to Use Gum Arabic to Thicken Ink
Here’s a video that lends some clarification on when you might need gum arabic, and how to use it at that point. I’m using powdered gum arabic in the video, but the liquid gum arabic works the exact same way! Just add, stir, and test; add, stir, and test.
I hope that this lesson introduces you to some new inks! As you add to your collection, be sure to fill out the My Ink Collection sheet on page 2 of your course worksheet.
When you’re ready, take the lesson quiz to make sure you understand some core concepts, then move on to Lesson 2. If you have questions, ask in the Lesson Discussion below! I’ll answer within 24 hours.
*Links in this course lead to American merchants. For a list of international merchants, click here. This lesson contains affiliate links to Paper & Ink Arts and Scribblers.
118 responses
Hi Lindsey,
I am SO enjoying going through your classes and I look forward to your other classes! You are a great teacher!!
I have been very distracted by your beautiful wedding ring set! I absolutely LOVE L O V E it!!! It looks like one I had in the early ’70s. Where did your hubby get your set? I would love to get another set similar to it!!Thank you for putting your knowledge and experience online for us to learn from. It truly is so much fun!!
Blessings, Sue Gardner
Hi Sue!
Aw, thank you! My husband didn’t get my wedding ring set … my grandmother did. 🙂 It was hers, and I had always admired it. She loved the engagement ring part so much that she continued to wear it after her divorce from my grandfather. Come to think of it, they would have chosen that set in Denver in the 1970’s! (It wasn’t her original set; it was an upgrade from the more modest set they chose when they got engaged.)
Hernán and I got married a couple of years before she died, and when she offered the set to me, I couldn’t refuse it … I’d been searching high and low for a set that “spoke” to me, and I never found one I loved as much as hers. All I know about the set is exactly what she told me: “When [Grandpa] Tom and I were first engaged, in 1962, we selected a white gold set from local dealer Jay Donelan. After several years, the diamond fell out & I was without for quite a while. Tom selected another diamond for some occasion, but without a setting. When we felt we could afford it, we went to a downtown jeweler in Denver, armed with appropriate papers, and were allowed to view cases of settings. I knew I wanted yellow gold and unique style. When I saw it, no other would do. It was mounted and sent to Jay and he was blown away!! I had him size them & add the two small diamonds that had survived from my first set. Therefore, the set is one of a kind. With only one very small flaw, the set is pretty valuable and rarely worn without compliments!! Wear it as a representation of my love for such a wonderful granddaughter and her equally wonderful husband!!”
A long-winded answer to your short question! Here’s a photo that (barely, sorry) shows what the full set looks like: https://thepostmansknock.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/1twist_out_heart-13-of-15.jpg
Thanks for asking! The rings are a fun and special topic for me. I hope that you can find a set like it! I’ll bet with some strategic googling, one will appear.
Hello Lindsey,
I’ve started the Immediate course now. I took a detour during Mother’s day and made Mother’s day
cards for my friends and family. It turn our very nice. Believe it or not I did the cards in Copperplate.
I was very surprised that I really like that writing more than the others. I do also like The Amy Style, but
did not get the hang of the Kaitlin style writing, but I will keep trying. I think the Copperplate resonated
with me because it compliments the Janet style writing a lot to me. I’m looking forward to learning that
style. I know you said the Walnut ink is acidic and can be hard on the nib. I used it to make the cards and
I love it very much. In fact I did not have any trouble with in any way. It writes beautifully. So I guess its not
an ink you want to write with all the time. Also, I wanted to get your thoughts on blogging. I read your steps
to blogging and I wanted to know is that something I could do and is it a means of earning income once you
get the hang of it. Like to hear your thoughts.
JuliaHi Julia!
There’s no pressure to master Kaitlin Style calligraphy — if you don’t connect with it, there’s no need to push yourself to learn it! Instead, focus on the styles you love. 🙂 As far as walnut ink, use it as much as you like! It might wear down nibs a little bit faster than other, non-acidic inks, but not significantly so. I love that ink, too.
Blogging is a means of earning income! Google “how to earn income blogging”, and you’ll see the several ways that you can achieve that.
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Lindsey
Is there a reason not to use acrylc paint like you would gouche? How do the two compare/contrast use with a pointed pen nib?
Hi! I’m sorry for not responding to this a bit sooner … for some reason, it slipped through the cracks. Anyway! You can use acrylic ink for calligraphy, and I have done it before. But it’s not the best medium. First of all, you have to water acrylic paint down quite a bit to use it as an ink, which gives your calligraphy a translucent look. The binder for acrylic paint — acrylic polymer — also gives the calligraphy a bit of a strange sheen, since the paint does have to be watered down so much. Oftentimes, the pigment granules in acrylic paint are larger (since the paint is intended for use with a paintbrush), which doesn’t translate to smooth writing. Gouache, especially gouache that is formulated especially for calligraphy, has tiny particles of pigment that allow it to flow smoothly from the nib. Since gouache is essentially concentrated watercolor, it doesn’t mind a lot of dilution to transform it into ink. Gum arabic is the binder for gouache, which is a very calligraphy-friendly binder with a nice sheen to it. As an added bonus, gouache (on a palette, in a jar, or wherever you’re working from) can always be rehydrated to spring back to life as a useful ink. Once acrylic paint dries, that’s game over. In short: you *can* use acrylic paint for calligraphy, but it’s not going to be your most ideal medium. 🙂 Does this explanation make sense?
Hi! I’m so excited – I tried watercolors today and I’m totally in love! I have a question thought – using watercolors my stroke contrast is incredible and I just can’t seem to achieve the same with my Sumi ink, it’s better but not as good with my sepia….I’m assuming it’s something about my ink consistency?
Thank you!!Definitely that’s the case — the water content in the watercolors helps to make great stroke contrast. (You’ll find that iron gall ink and walnut ink also give amazing stroke contrast!) To help with sumi stroke contrast, you can dilute it with some water. 🙂 But it’s always going to be thicker than watercolors and other watery inks!
Hi Lindsey,
You’re a great teacher! Love your courses. I am so glad that you not only focus on the calligraphy, but we learn so much about all the supplies as well. Thank you so much. Your oblique pen for the EF66 is on it’s way and I can’t wait for it to arrive, so I can try it out.
I have a question about India ink. Dr. Ph. Martins claim their Bombay Ink is “truly waterproof”, but in your video you say that it is not. Does that mean that they can only withstand a few drops, but nothing more? Thanks!
Thank you! I’d call it highly water-resistant, but not waterproof. Especially if you haven’t given the ink 24 hours to dry, it does tend to smudge just a bit if you expose it to a lot of water. For a truly waterproof ink (that’s waterproof after 10-ish minutes of drying), I’d definitely go with Ziller!
Thank you for your clear explanation. Now I get the difference between Ziller and India ink. I do have some Ziller ink at home so I will use that for envelopes and stuff (it rains a lot here in the Netherlands). I will buy some India ink as well, because I’d love to try out those vibrant colors.
I think that sounds like the perfect game plan. If you have a fountain pen, try DeAtrementis’s Document Ink as well! It’s totally waterproof and great for drawing — though not with a dip pen because it’s too thin (though I suppose one could thicken it up with gum arabic). 🙂
Thanks for the tip!
Hi Lindsey! Really enjoying the course. I’m wondering if you can help me though. I’m trying to make those little Perspex/acetate place cards for my wedding in a couple of months. I want to do the names in gold ink, with my dip calligraphy pen (I don’t like the look I get with non flexible paint pens/false calligraphy). I’ve tried lots of inks but most don’t seem to have much staying power if a drop of water gets near them. Do you have any suggestions of what you’ve found works best for this? Also any non tips would be fab too! Thanks so much.
Jen xOh, gosh! You know, my first instinct would be a spray polyurethane or something similar. I’d actually make a trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s and explain the project … I’ll bet they have something they can recommend! My concern would be the calligraphy coming off as the poly hits it (because the poly is liquid), but beyond using faux calligraphy and a glittery paint marker, I think that’s probably your best option. Let me know what you end up doing!
Hi Lindsey! I’ve been having some trouble with my Sumi ink. It’s so, so runny that my downstrokes are incredibly thick, I can’t get the upstrokes to be thin, and the end product come out looking like I’m a grade schooler learning cursive for the first time. I thought I was just bad at using my new Brause EF66, but when I use watercolour for ink instead (what a great tip, thank you for sharing that!) everything turns out just fine. Do you have any recommendations? Am I somehow using the Sumi wrong? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention having this problem, you always seem to like this ink. Thank you– I love your work!
-MadalynYou know, it actually sounds like the ink might be a little bit too thick! Have you tried diluting it? Also, what about the paper you are using? Try using it on a different paper and see if that makes a difference! Sumi ink does tend to make thicker upstrokes than some other inks (like iron gall, walnut, or watercolors), which is why it can be good to use if you need something to be seen! For example, I always write out calligraphy for worksheets in sumi ink becuase it scans so well.
At the end of the day, it’s going to be all about experimentation … tweaking the viscosity, switching up paper, and maybe even trying a different nib. If you can’t get sumi to work for you, that’s 100% okay. I do *like* sumi, but my affinity for it doesn’t compare to my love for iron gall ink, for example. I just appreciate that sumi does have some super practical applications and that it always makes strokes that are easy to see!
Hi Lindsey! So I’ve been practicing with the Bleed Proof White ink, and haven’t been achieving smooth ink consistency on my final product. To be a bit more specific, when I use the India ink or watercolors, the ink dries somewhat flat to the paper with a little texture (from the actual ink), but when I use the white it doesn’t dry “flat”. The texture is almost bumpy and rough. (I hope this makes sense!) Is that normal? Should I use more water?
It’s normal! Since the Bleed Proof White is more of a paint and not an actual ink, it does try with a bit of texture. 🙂
Hi I was just wondering about the fixative you mentioned for waterproofing lots of envelopes at once. Is this also ok to use with watercolor inks? Please could you possibly recommend a good one? Thank you.
I use Krylon permanent fixative, which should be fine for use with watercolor! No matter what fixative you choose to use, though, I’d test it out on one envelope before applying to the whole bunch.
This might seem like a silly question, but considering how acidic the iron gall ink is, should I be concerned if it gets on my hands? I tend to have some sumi ink on my hands after practicing.
That’s a great question! No, there’s no reason for concern. This is a really interesting thread for further information: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/137912-ink-solvent-toxicity/. The general consensus? Don’t drink the ink, and you’ll be just fine! 😉
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