Diamine Inkvent 2022 – Day 6

Quick content note here: I understand Advent is a Christian artifact, regardless of its presence in my life and ancestry as a cultural event. I am not Christian, though much of my family is, and I am not happy with the Christianization of secular culture despite having grown up immersed in it. I promise to promote the voices and traditions from religions not my own, and the normalization of calling out when the dominant religious paradigm in America is packaged as secular celebration.

And with that, today’s door opening! *drumroll*……….

Day 6’s ink is called “Ghost.”

…I really was thrown by this one. Its title seems obvious, given the Western literary tradition, but for a few seconds I wondered if someone misplaced a Halloween collection ink.

I tested, as per usual, using a borosilicate glass dip pen in a Maruman Mnemosyne notebook. The paper in the Mnemosyne is good for sheening inks but isn’t as thin as Tomoe River, making it easier to use a sharp glass pen.

I… I don’t know how to express how amazing this ink is. None of the photos really capture it. I checked the bottle three times to confirm it was considered a standard ink. This ink is ANYTHING but standard.

It’s slightly thin but flows easily, so it’s not unpleasant at all when writing. It’s a purple-based gray which also shades steel blue which also shades violet blue-purple which ALSO shades lavender-pink which ALSO shades purple-brown.

… like I’m overwhelmed at how unique the colors are. I know quite a few ink brands that do this kind of work, like Sailor, but I’m not used to it from Diamine.

I probably need to get out more.

Because the ink is thin it dries somewhat fast, which is great if you want clean lines. However it still spread well enough that I only needed to scribble a little to fill the splotch.

That said, the pink and brown shades really make the nib scratches show up like a pimple on that important Zoom call. I’ll remember that if I’m using this in painting.

(I use a bothersome metaphor but really the nib marks don’t bother me. One of my favorite art pieces is The Teeth by Odilon Redon and no print I’ve seen yet shows how Redon has cut deeply into the canvas around the titular drawing. It’s such a vivid thing, and this ink can let me play with that a bit.)

((Seriously, why call this a standard ink??))

I’m in love. I’m one thousand percent in love. Full bottle, stat, please.

Next up: Day 7!