Inky T O D - What Ink Is True Blue? Or Do You Prefer, Purplish Blues Or Green Blues?

[AllenG]

I do have some opinions on this subject...

 

I've taken the online color acuity test a couple of times, and got a perfect score both times, so I think I'm better than average when it comes to picking out subtle shades.

 

Baystate Blue is most definitely a purple-tinted blue. However... Scanners do not pick up the purple element, and I suspect that some people actually cannot see it! If the BSB scans look accurate to you, then my guess would be that your eyes are not seeing everything that is there.

 

Noodler's Blue is just about my idea of a perfect, pure, straight-down-the middle blue. And yet, some people insist that they see some sort of turquoise in there? Not sure where they get that from.

 

I see the red in BSB too. Midway blue is closer to a true blue to my eye, but I see some grey in it.

Akkerman Shocking blue is a good true blue. Tsuki-Yo is my favorite blue. Diamine blue is probably the closest to a true blue in my collection, but it reminds me of BIC blue--so I hate it.

Edited July 9, 2014 by AllenG

[amberleadavis]

Years ago I saw a show (I think it was the history channel) and it opened with the statement that was something like, human history is a war of blue. Then they discussed everything from Greece to Royal Blue, to Blue eyes. I wish I could find the quote.

[Zuzu]

I am not particular good picking up subtle shades unless I can view inks side by side - but I feel like I grow more sensible on the matter the more inks I own.

 

I once considered the Diamine Asa Blue a '100% true blue', until I had the chance to compare it to the Sailor Sky-High, when I noticed the teal in it. That said, I like tealish blues over true blues, so that might be the reason why I find the Asa much more appealing than the Sky-High still.

 

Overall I am more accepting of teal shades when it comes to classify something as blue than shades of purple. For example: although I know of the teal in the Asa Blue, I still consider it to be in the 'true' blue range of colors and I consider Diamine Eau de Nil to be a greenish blue, at the same time I wouldn't call Diamine Imperial Blue/Sailor Ultramarine purplish blues - to me they just are purple. I am always amazed when they turn up in blue comparisons. I do like them as I like purples - dark, subtle purples in particular, but I wouldn't call them blue.

 

For me the term 'true blue' is also directly linked to saturation. I see neither teal nor purple in in the Diamine Prussian Blue, but I would not call it a 'true blue'.

[paulmcmanus]

I have about eight more blues on the way, including some De Atramentis and the new Graf one, so I'll let you know, but for the time being my one true, true blue has to be Asa gao. I do see hints of purple in BSB, which like another contributor, is probably why I like it so much. In my personal colour wheel any hint of green in a blue spoils it. Sailor Yama dori - my biggest ever colour disappointment.

[athenian]

Iroshizuku asa gao seems to me like a true blue.

[Blue_Moon]

The discussion isn't just about blue/red (purple) or blue/green (teal), but you have to include a multidimensional factor as well. After you settle on your choice of blue on the color spectrum, then you have to determine the lightness or darkness of that particular shade. That's indicated on Amberlea's color wheel by moving closer to the edge (lighter) or further toward the center (darker). It's akin to finding your perfect balance, (for example, let's say your ideal color is blue with a trace of green), then you decide that you want that particular balance, but a little darker, so you add a touch of black ink to the mix.

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_790.jpg

[JulesSilvan]

Never been a big fan of blue ink. I think it started back in primary school when we had to write with Berol fineliners, it was always the blue ones we were given. Washed out blue, the kind of blue that always came with Parker Vectors - the pens that school kids of my generation aspired to. I really dislike that blue, it's 'safe' and has no personality.

 

So for me the truest blue I have is Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue, it's a grown up blue, it's solid.

 

For some reason teal/ turquoise inks have never appealed either. Blues that lean to green and greens that lean to blue just feel wrong to me. Then there's blue-blacks, I like the ones that lean to grey the best but I'm not sure why.

[disillusion]

I would call Noodler's Navajo Turquoise a true blue - I suppose that puts me in a very small minority. Then again as a kid I used to call all purplish blues purple and got confused when people refer to them as blue.

[paulmcmanus]

I would call Noodler's Navajo Turquoise a true blue - I suppose that puts me in a very small minority. Then again as a kid I used to call all purplish blues purple and got confused when people refer to them as blue.

Yes, you clearly need help.

[KaB]

The French artist Yves Klein was quite obsessed by blue. He has been searching for the bluest blue one can get. And painted a lot of 'monochromes': paintings of only blue. Just google him and be impressed. The MoMa in NY for example has a nice monochrome by Klein: http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=80103

 

If you ever have the chance to see one in real life... for me it was an experience I'll never forget: the shock of seeing a blue that is so extremely blue...

 

And my question for you all: what ink would come closest to this Klein's blue?

[martinbir]

This is a difficult question. Just what is the essence of blueness?

 

I suppose it is the colour who's blueness cannot be qualified. Thus it cannot be a greeny-blue, or a grey-blue or a red-blue and neither can it be a pale blue or a dark blue.

 

Possessing nearly all Diamine's blue(ish) inks, I would say Presidential Blue is about as close as they get. But how interesting to note that out of a couple of dozen inks they nearly all have something other than just blue about them.

[napalm]

I have a simple method to detect teal. Blue is supposed to be a cold color. If your blue looks warm, then you're probably looking at a teal.

[Marky Mark]

I like blue inks that don't look washed out. To be punchy enough for me, I think they probably need to lean toward purple.

 

Of the inks I have Sargasso Sea is probably what I would identify as true blue, although this is compared to bilberry and lamy blue!

[Bookman]

I have a simple method to detect teal. Blue is supposed to be a cold color. If your blue looks warm, then you're probably looking at a teal.

 

My method is a little different: If it's supposedly blue and I don't like it, it's teal.

[napalm]

 

My method is a little different: If it's supposedly blue and I don't like it, it's teal.

 

Works for me too

[inkstainedruth]

 

My method is a little different: If it's supposedly blue and I don't like it, it's teal.

Sounds sort of like my mother's definition of reading fantasy novels (she claimed that she didn't like fantasy) -- but if she liked it, the book was *really* "alternate universe SF"....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[wallylynn]

I find full strength BSB also slightly on the purple side. Diluted I don't notice it. Also helps with the bleeding/feathering.

 

Got a bottle of Manhattan Blue (original Art Brown label) too. That was tealish in my Vista. (you can see the greenish remnant after a wash) My wetter Ahab and Konrad hide that better.

 

Didn't Binder introduce a short lived True Blue ink?

[Sasha Royale]

Private Reserve's DC Supershow Blue is my "pure blue".

[Bookman]

Sounds sort of like my mother's definition of reading fantasy novels (she claimed that she didn't like fantasy) -- but if she liked it, the book was *really* "alternate universe SF"....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I don't read Romance novels. But I read Jane Austen.