De Atramentis Document Brown

January 5, 2016

Hello all,

here is my long-term review of De Atramentis Document BROWN ink. I'm copying it here from my site, and hopefully all the links and images will work fine. If you encounter any problems, you can try to see if the original post works better for you:

http://www.pictogramax.com/de-atramentis-document-brown-ink/

OK, here it goes:

This review is so long overdue that maybe it became pointless. More than a year has passed since I first got the bottle of DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN ink; many more agile reviewers already stated their opinions. It seems that DOCUMENT RANGE found it's way to sketcher's arsenals all around the world without my tiny drop of analyse and help, which is quite natural - I'm not claiming these ramblings really matter. But I promised to do it, and new generations of sketchers will come, so somebody will eventually find it useful one of these days.

DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN ink was sent to me by Dr Franz-Josef Jansen, the owner of DE ATRAMENTIS INKS, in order to try it and give my opinion on it. A fellow member of F P N showed my sketches to Dr Jansen, some of them featured in ESQUISSE DE JOUR 031 done with other De Atramentis inks. It seemed to sparkle his interest and decision to include me among much more prolific and famous sketchers like LIZ STEELE or JANE BLUNDELL, for example. My review coming so late clearly shows their justified prestige :-)

If I can say anything in my defense, I worked a lot in the meantime, and it was the first time a manufacturer gave me a product to test. I wanted to really spend some time with it, use it in different scenarios and give unbiased opinion after thorough examination. So I used DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN for sketching and professional illustrations in my usual workflow; lived, traveled and worked with it and after more than a year of this kind of companionship, I believe I have a solid first-hand experience to share.

After this long introduction, I will give my impression in the shortest way: I love it. To explain why, let's take a break with some imagery, the first I did with DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN. It was the evening after receiving the bottle, I was eager to try it and impatient to clean a fountain pen for it, so I just used a dip pen.

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-INITIO-INK.jpg

The reason I was interested to try it is that it is not black. The waterproof ink I have been using regularly up to that point is PLATINUM CARBON BLACK, very well known among sketchers and fountain pen artists. It always served me well, completely stable after drying, never giving up under washes of watercolors. But, black. Now, with several manufacturers entering the waterproof arena, things changed significantly, but just several years ago we weren't so spoiled for choice. So, the hue, speed of drying and permanency of DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN were my first points of interest and examination.

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-INITIO-INK-DETAILS.jpg

It is a dark reddish brown, on broader strokes where the line is very saturated it borders on black, on lighter lines is warm and pleasant. A bit darker than I imagined, but with a dip pen that leaves more ink than fountain pen nib, it was to be expected. I proceeded to watercolors, to check water resistance, but also to see if it dries quickly enough to be safely washed over immediately after drawing.

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-INITIO-INKWASH.jpg

Result was fantastic, completely in line with highly dependable PLATINUM CARBON BLACK. I deliberately made a darker image, to wash over the ink in several layers of water and paint, but DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN ink stayed firmly on BOCKINGFORD watercolor paper. Nowhere the line diluted or smeared, and I didn't have to wait for it to dry.

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-INITIO-INKWASH-DETAILS.jpg

Great! Have I found my non-black waterproof ink? I passed my favorable comments to Dr Jansen, but didn't want to publish my opinions without further testing. Soon I worked on the illustration BROCELIANDE and gave the ink even more beating - lots of water, lots of paint, even some texturing and scrubing with a sponge... DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN took it all without complaining, confirming that it is dependable and can be used for serious work.

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PICTOGRAMAX-2014-BROCELIANDE.jpg

I love the fact that the line still has contrast, but is not as imposing as pure black, like here in SENTRY:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/PICTOGRAMAX-2014-SENTRY-DETAILS.jpg

OK, so it can take a beating, but what about sketching? Wasn't it the idea behind this review? True, so I took it for a spin in my F nib PILOT PRERA:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-SKETCH-GORNJAK-01-INK.jpg

To make this review a bit shorter, I will link the individual sketching sessions, rather than repeat them all completely. This very first experience you can find in post GORNJAK (do click on respective titles to go to individual articles).

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-SKETCH-GORNJAK.jpg

Over the following months, I made several of these sketching trips, each time with DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN, and always it was a pleasure. From this very cold session at SOKO GRAD...

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-SKETCH-SOKO-GRAD.jpg

...to magical spring-time experience at MOSS CREEK...

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-SKETCH-LEPTERIJA-SETUP.jpg

...to windy and rainy OLD MILL:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-SKETCH-VRMDZA.jpg

No matter the temperature, atmospheric conditions or the season, it always worked well, allowing me to work freely, immediately and full of confidence. It dries fast and stays firmly on page, which are the essential requirements. DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN became de facto my sketching ink, replacing completely PLATINUM CARBON BLACK. I still use the latter for INKING MY COMICS, where I need the ink to be black, but for watercolors I switched without hesitation. All of my color work, like this illustrations for LIGNES DE FRONT, have been with it since:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-LIGNES-DE-FRONT-02-FORZEC-DETAILS.jpg

Or the poster for comics festival in PIROT:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-PIROT-LOGO.jpg

At one occasion, I did a quick comparison with PLATINUM PIGMENTED SEPIA, another waterproof brownish ink...

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-DOCUMENT-BROWN-VS-CARBON-SEPIA-WASH.jpg

…and enjoyed sketching again with it at APARTMAN DENCIC:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-APARTMAN-DENCIC.jpg

So, DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN works well for me and continues to do so as my sketching ink of choice. The other benefit of Document range is that all the colors are intermixable, so it is relatively easy to make a perfect shade.JANE BLUNDELL has done a tremendous work to showcase it, and you can see the various combinations HERE or HERE, with many other samples on her site. Clearly anyone’s ideal color is not far away. I have yet to try mixing my own shade, as the original brown has been close to my wishes; maybe lightening it a bit with yellow would serve me well.

Recently I saw that De Atramentis introduced a mixable WHITE ink also, for creating pastel shades. Along I also saw some comments on too much feathering of De Atramentis Document inks, causing them to bleed on various papers. That got me curious to try my first writing test, because I usually draw on quality watercolor paper and it was never an issue for me. As I know that PLATINUM CARBON BLACK can feather horribly on some papers, I decided to put DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN to writing test. First on 80gr FABRIANO COPY 3 paper:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-FABRIANO-COPY.jpgIt is not a fountain pen friendly paper and DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN did feather, but less than PLATINUM CARBON BLACK. Both came out better with finer nib, less ink to bleed, but in any case DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN was crisper:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-WRITING-DETAILS.jpgTurning the paper, DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN could be seen showing through the paper a bit, but significantly less than PLATINUM CARBON BLACK (here PCB is on the left and DADB is on the right, as the image is reversed):

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-FABRIANO-COPY-VERSO.jpg

Samples in MIQUELRIUS FLEXIBLE NOTEBOOK were interesting; although it is a very thin paper, just 70 gr, it is better suited for fountain pens and writing was much sharper and controlled:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-MIQUELRIUS-01.jpg

Turning the page, DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN can be seen, but it is subtle even on this light paper:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-MIQUELRIUS-02.jpg

Turning the page again, PLATINUM CARBON BLACK shows more:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-MIQUELRIUS-03.jpgClose-ups show that again DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN was crisper than PLATINUM CARBON BLACK:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-MIQUELRIUS-DETAILS.jpg

And on BOCKINGFORD as well as other watercolor papers, my intended usage, feathering is no issue at all:

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-BOCKINGFORD.jpghttp://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PICTOGRAMAX-2016-DE-ATRAMENTIS-DOCUMENT-BROWN-BOCKINGFORD-DETAILS.jpg

I didn't test DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN on usual notebooks from Clairfontaine, Apica, Rhodia, Leuchtturm and others as it is not my real concern.

How well, or not, DOCUMENT INKS perform on various writing papers, and if they bleed more than other brands, I cannot confirm. The experiment showed that at least it feathers less than my other usual waterproof ink, so it is a plus also under it's belt. Drawing with fountain pens is my main focus and for that usage I can recommend it sincerely. One will likely do sketching and watercolors on special paper anyway.

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All in all, I never had a reason to complain. I can personally recommend DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN for sketching. Yes, it was given to me for testing, but the conclusion is from my own long and thorough experience, and without any obligations to manufacturer. It works well for me, maybe it will be equally fine for somebody else.

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/PICTOGRAMAX-2015-MASQUEROUGE.jpg

Edited January 5, 2016 by pictogramax

January 5, 2016

WOW. Stunning review Really Amazing and a pleasure to read / look at.

January 5, 2016

Worth the wait because you were able to put it through so many trials and applications. Thank you.

January 5, 2016

Breathtakingly beautiful work.

Thank you for sharing.

January 5, 2016

Quite a review, thanks. Wow nice artwork!

January 6, 2016

I keep on coming back to this review. Pictogramax - incredible work, really. I would be delighted to see any other ink review from you.

January 6, 2016

This review is fantastic! Thanks for the thorough description, and those stunning illustrations.... Please keep on working!

January 6, 2016

Thank you so much, everybody! Glad it was worth it after all :-)

visvamitra,

I did several reviews over the years, mostly they are scattered somewhere here on FPN; maybe they were inserted into review lists, I'm not sure. It is easier for me to direct you to the material on my site, as they are often inter-linked and you can follow one to another.

I did a four-part review of Noodler's AHAB when it first came out and created quite a sensation in our little FP universe:

1. AHAB ARRIVES : http://www.pictogramax.com/ahab-arrives/

2. AHAB SLEEPS OVER IT : http://www.pictogramax.com/ahab-sleeps-over-it/

3. AHAB REBORN: http://www.pictogramax.com/ahab-reborn/

4. AHAB EVALUATED : http://www.pictogramax.com/ahab-evaluated/

Later I did a three part review of Diamine's REGISTRAR'S ink:

1. DIAMINE REGISTRAR'S : http://www.pictogramax.com/diamine-registrars/

2. DIAMINE REGISTRAR'S ROUND TWO : http://www.pictogramax.com/diamine-registrars-round-two/

3. DIAMINE REGISTRAR'S ROUND THREE : http://www.pictogramax.com/diamine-registrars-round-three/

It inspired me to get R&K SCABIOSA, an ink I like very much:

SCABIOSA : http://www.pictogramax.com/scabiosa/

And