![]() ![]() They manufacture all their products at their facility in Germany and seem to take a lot of pride in what they make. Schmincke is a small (80 employees) German art supply company that goes back to 1881. Other things that shellac has been used for include making gramophone records, the adhesive in ballet pointe shoes, and combined with beeswax to give Jelly Belly jelly beans a shine (yum!). It makes the ink waterproof after drying and gives it a nice glossy sheen. Shellac is a secreted by the female lac bug on trees in India and Thailand. This type of shellac ink was in the Schmincke product line-up back in 1912 and at that time was called Nanking Tusche (translates to Nanjing Ink). Indian or India ink should probably be called Chinese ink as the Chinese have been making it for thousands of years but the English were introduced to it through their trade with India. Today’s ink, Schmincke Indian Ink, is not for fountain pens, but is a very deep black ink used for drawing, painting, and writing with a dip pen or brush. ![]() The term “ink” covers a very broad range of coloured liquids, gels, and even pastes like the ink used in printing. It seems appropriate to have another ink post as it is Inktober. Martin’s Bombay India Ink were a person, they would never have actually travelled to India but love the colourful fabrics of that country. Here are some examples of where I have used this ink: Written in uncials with Speedball C-2 nib Written with Tachikawa G nib on an envelope from my The Village Artisan recycled writing paper Written with Tachikawa G nib in a Journalbooks notebook Written with folded pen in vintage Peebles Press journal Design from the Postman’s Knock, with black sumi ink on Wausau Professional Series Royal fiber paper You do need to clean your nib promptly afterwards though, as once it is dry it is there to stay. I like using it on envelopes because, although it is an unusual colour, it is still very legible and the fact it is waterproof means you don’t have to worry if it gets damp. The transparent colour gradates from a brilliant red-violet to pink. I have only used it for calligraphy but I think it could be used for artwork as well. The opening of the bottle isn’t large enough to dip a pen into so I use the dropper to put the ink onto the nib. It comes in a glass bottle with a dropper-stopper lid. I haven’t tested the lightfast claim but it is waterproof when dry. The label on the bottle says it is lightfast and waterproof. I am not exactly sure what the pigment is in my Bombay India ink as it is a very bright red-violet colour so definitely not soot, but it does have shellac as part of its formula so that is how it fits into the India ink category. Martin’s product, this time it’s the Bombay India Ink. Traditionally the term India ink refers to a permanent, black, opaque ink made from soot like Schmincke India ink. Martin’s Bleed Proof white ink and have been experimenting with another Dr. ![]()
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