Ink T O D - Chalky Ink, What Is Is It? Who Like It?

[dragondazd]

Does it mean the ink feels pasty coming out, or that the ink dries cloudy?

Can people come to consensus on whether or not a given ink is chalky, or is it really subjective?

 

Are there people who like chalky ink or instances where it is preferred?

[dneal]

It's the way it looks when it dries. There's probably someone who likes it, but I think in general it would be safe to say that it is not preferred.

[Jerome Tarshis]

Agree with dneal that chalky inks are not preferred, but would add that they are not preferred by people who consider the ink to be chalky. For example, I recently gave up on a bottle of Diamine Quartz Black because I thought it had an unwelcome whitish undertone. Chalky.

 

On the other hand, if I saw the same whitish undertone and thought of it as giving the ink a delightful vintage quality, or a welcome subtlety, it would be a preferred ink. In my mind. So, yes, the idea here is that people who say "chalky" are not in all likelihood expressing approval, whereas people who say the ink reminds them of love letters from the 1940s have formed a different judgment.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I've used the term 'chalky' to describe the appearance of a dry ink when it is matte; the antonym of 'lustre'.

 

Most inks dye the paper without altering the surface characteristics of the paper. Chalky inks seem to alter the surface of the paper.

 

The inks I've described as chalky are from the Noodler's family of bulletproof inks. And there are some members of that family that do not have a chalky appearance - N54M was thought to have considerable lustre!

 

I've not been able to depict the chalky aspect of an ink using a scanner. Perhaps a photo-savvy Member would be so kind as to post a sample.

 

As I don't use Black FP inks, I haven't described any as chalky, but I can understand how they might be described as chalky if they don't completely dye the surface of the paper, which is not quite the same as a Dark Grey ink with shading. (?)

 

Some other inks might be described as chalky if they are dull / low chroma. e.g. Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black.

 

Oh, sometimes I use a very dry pen on a paper with low absorbency to get a 'sketchy' appearance, but that does not describe a core property of an ink.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited May 12, 2014 by Sandy1

[lapis]

Chalky is a term used to describe the colour seen after the ink has dried on the paper. Just like said above. Sandy's antonym is good but you could also say sheen. We all think (I think) that a piece of chalk does have a dull, rubbed-out look. It is an entirely subjective adjective and I myself am not all that hot about most chalky-looking inks... but... that is not always seen to be a negative trait. E.g. Diamine's Denim and Montblanc's Leonardo - Red Chalk were meant to have a chalky appearance in the first place. I don't think anybody would appreciate a pair of "shiny" jeans.

 

Mike

[MarneM]

I wouldn't consider chalky to be a negative thing, rather a quality of how the ink looks on paper. In a way, I think of it as the opposite of sheen. I describe one of my favorite inks, J. Herbin's Poussiere de Lune (moon dust) to be "chalky."

 

Example review of Poussiere de Lune here (I just picked one of them from this forum): https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/203537-stormy-summer-night-skies/

 

There are times when I like a nice, shiny ink, and times when I prefer a more subdued look. A chalky look also tends to make something look a little older, imho.

[annettefhorn]

For me "chalky" has two connotations: one, that it is not transparent; two, that its opacity has a milky quality. An ink can be opaque without being chalky, but not vice versa.

 

Watercolor example: cadmium red is not transparent, but it's not chalky. Adding Chinese White would make it chalky.

[dragondazd]

Would you consider Noodler's 54th mass chalky?

Would you consider Franklin-Christoph Olde Emerald chalky? It makes me think kind of 'velvety' but maybe it's chalky in a way I just happen to like?

 

I wouldn't describe sailor kiwa-guro as chalky, but it has a distinct, matte finish. ?

[brunico]

  On 5/12/2014 at 4:54 PM, dragondazd said:

I wouldn't describe sailor kiwa-guro as chalky, but it has a distinct, matte finish. ?

 

Aside from Kiwa-guro's sheen/shine/lustre when viewed at an angle in certain light, it's an ink that goes on solidly and consistently, which for me discounts it as chalky. Chalky, I think, means having a powdery, watercolour-like appearance, as when a wash of watercolour paint gives a non-reflective, slightly speckled appearance. All subjective, of course, but to me Noodler's Zhivago isn't chalky (too shiny for that), Noodler's El Lawrence perhaps is (it's quite earthy), and Diamine Umber and China Blue definitely are, unless your pens are much wetter than mine.

 

I agree that chalkiness often lends a pleasant vintage effect. It's not something I really think about unless I'm pairing inks in lettering, where, for example, lapis's Diamine Denim might call for something more subdued than Diamine Orange to complement it.

[dragondazd]

  On 5/12/2014 at 5:19 PM, brunico said:

Chalky, I think, means having a powdery, watercolour-like appearance, as when a wash of watercolour paint gives a non-reflective, slightly speckled appearance. All subjective, of course, but to me Noodler's Zhivago isn't chalky (too shiny for that), Noodler's El Lawrence perhaps is (it's quite earthy), and Diamine Umber and China Blue definitely are, unless your pens are much wetter than mine.

 

Since I use watercolors, I'm surprised they would be used to describe 'chalky'. Watercolors tend to have a lot of depth. I've also see that when you take a blowdryer to a watercolor to try to dry it faster, it gets cloudier, which could be described as chalky.

[brunico]

  On 5/12/2014 at 5:44 PM, dragondazd said:

Since I use watercolors, I'm surprised they would be used to describe 'chalky'.

 

Yes, I was trying to describe an aspect of some watercolours that I thought might make an analogy, but doing it badly because I have a watercolour set gathering dust, and that's pretty much the extent of my experience. So thanks for your clarification!

Edited May 12, 2014 by brunico

[RudyR]

  On 5/12/2014 at 10:51 AM, lapis said:

Chalky is a term used to describe the colour seen after the ink has dried on the paper. Just like said above. Sandy's antonym is good but you could also say sheen. We all think (I think) that a piece of chalk does have a dull, rubbed-out look. It is an entirely subjective adjective and I myself am not all that hot about most chalky-looking inks... but... that is not always seen to be a negative trait. E.g. Diamine's Denim and Montblanc's Leonardo - Red Chalk were meant to have a chalky appearance in the first place. I don't think anybody would appreciate a pair of "shiny" jeans.

 

Mike

 

I agree with Lapis on this one. If you want an excellent example of chalky, then Red Chalk is by design, made to look like chalk and does it with excellent ink properties. I think I'll go buy another bottle.... or 2....... or 3.

[BBU]

I think a chalky appearance may also be supplemented by the characteristics of the paper. Until this thread I had never noticed the word "chalky" used on FPN before, but it was one of the first words that popped into my head when I reviewed the results from using X-Feather (a Noodler's bulletproof black) on G. Lalo Vergé de France a few weeks after writing. The dried ink had a matte, powdery look to it, as if it could be blown off the page. On cheap notebook paper where texture isn't a concern, it still looks somehow chalky to me, but it's more difficult to describe why since it's not as obvious.

 

The fact that X-Feather resists being absorbed could play a major role and the extreme blackness of the ink could add to the illusion, too. I suppose that the more contrast there is between paper and ink, the more apparent the effect the paper's texture has on the ink's appearance will be (roughness, cuts in the edges of letters, etc.). I now believe that I'd prefer a less black black ink and paper that won't inhibit a crisp edge, but I guess I'd have to try it to be sure.

 

In other words, an ink that has a deliberately chalky look may not pair well or predictably with certain kinds of paper, depending on what result you were looking to produce. My current stance is that a chalky ink on highly textured paper will look worn and old (which can be either good or bad), due both to the ink itself and the character that will be imparted to it by the paper.

Edited May 12, 2014 by BBU

[SeeksAdvice]

Chalky:

Exhibit #1 - Noodler's Polar Green

 

http://www.gouletpens.com/v/vspfiles/photos/N19210-2T.jpg

 

Exhibit #2 - Noodler's Polar Blue

http://www.gouletpens.com/v/vspfiles/photos/N19208-2T.jpg

 

To me, chalkiness is the quality of the ink that transcends matte. Almost looks like a stick of chalk. Personally, I don't care for it. However, I own Polar Blue simply due to its water resistance.

[amberleadavis]

I hate chalky colors.

BTW, I changed your title to an Inky TOD because this was on the list we were going to ask.

 

I'll post some samples of inks I have found to be chalky.

[amberleadavis]

Okay, for some compare an contrast:

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_095.jpghttp://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_094.jpg

[amberleadavis]

OH, and here is one by definition.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_098.jpg

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_264.jpg

[strictlyobiter]

I kind of find Salix to be chalky on some paper, especially in one of my stubs or italics. Diamine Denim is quite chalky on drying as are a lot of the Herbin inks I use.

[WaskiSquirrel]

I've heard Noodler's Mata Hari's Cordial described as chalky. It has turned out to be one of my favorite inks, even it it turned the pen green.