De Atramentis Artist Sepia

[yazeh]

This ink belongs to the Artist series and is slightly less archival than the Document series. 

 

In a nutshell: I would recommend this ink only to those who either used broad nibs, wet medium/fine nibs without feedback and excellent smooth paper. For those who don't use these options, mindfulness is obligatory. 😇

 

 

Longwinded version: 

This is a high maintenance ink in a nonconventional way:  It demands the right nib/paper combination!

The Pilot Kakuno Ef wrote with a smoothness of  fingernails on  chalkboard. The perfect self-torture implement. The Stub like a blunt knife. 

 

With Lamy Safari F/M, while the line was nice and juicy, I recoiled each time I reached for the pen. Some one had mixed sand in the ink. It’s a good option for those who have serious pen /ink addicts. You will be pen sober in no time.

 

However, writing with a Pilot M/Safari B/Kanwrite was surprisingly enjoyable. And with the fude nib acceptable. 

So be forewarned.

 

Chroma

Ink comparison:

Writing samples:

Rhodia 

TR 68gr

Midori

 

Cheap/ absorbent paper 

Back

Photo: TR 68gr 

Close up:

 

I challenge myself with the yearly inktober.  This sketch was done with the Ef nib. I can blame the mediocrity of my talent to the ink... but surprisingly the experience was acceptable... The left to right motion worked fine. 

 

Water test: A bit of excess ink is removed, but other than that respectable. 

 

 

· Pens used: Pilot Kakuno (Ef/M/stub) Lamy Safari (Fine/ /Medium /Broad) / Kanwrite Ultraflex (wet) / Jinhao 450 fude (wet)

· What I liked: Writing with a broad nib, and Kakuno M and sketching

· What I didn’t liked: Writing with Ef, F, medium and stub. It needs a wet pen and a smooth nib.

· Shading: From medium to broad

· Ghosting: Yes, On cheap paper 

· Bleed through: Yes, with absorbent papers. 

· Flow Rate: Good

· Lubrication: If you write with wet nib.  

· Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. 

· Start-up: No problem. 

· Saturation: Dark.  

· Shading Potential: Bleak.

· Sheen: Nonexistent

· Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed

· Nib Creep / “Crud”: No 

· Staining (pen): No

· Clogging: No. 

· Cleaning: Easy. Though it might stain transparent sections. 

· Water resistance: Excellent

· Availability: 50 ml bottles

 

 

Comments appreciated but not obligatory

[inkstainedruth]

I wasn't familiar with the DA Artist series inks.  That looks like a nice color, but the dry time seems a little slow on the better quality paper like Tomoe River.

Thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

Very nice, @yazeh!   I rather like this color, but guess I can find it elsewhere - no lubrication rules out use in pretty much all of my nibs.   But it's good to know your novice angel isn't going anywhere.   Thanks for this review - I think it's the first from this line that I've seen.

[mizgeorge]

Excellent review @yazeh - thank you so much as always

 

This ink is very safely on my not needed list. I love the colour, but the performance would drive me potty!

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

I wasn't familiar with the DA Artist series inks.  That looks like a nice color, but the dry time seems a little slow on the better quality paper like Tomoe River.

Thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

🙏

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Very nice, @yazeh!   I rather like this color, but guess I can find it elsewhere - no lubrication rules out use in pretty much all of my nibs.   But it's good to know your novice angel isn't going anywhere.   Thanks for this review - I think it's the first from this line that I've seen.

Yep, it's like the mystery 48 ink  It's the 2nd. The first was Dark Red...

34 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

Excellent review @yazeh - thank you so much as always

 

This ink is very safely on my not needed list. I love the colour, but the performance would drive me potty!

Most welcome! It would be Ok with the types of nibs you use

[PithyProlix]

Thanks for the great show & tell! Ohhhh, really like the color but ... 

[yazeh]

8 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

Thanks for the great show & tell! Ohhhh, really like the color but ... 

I thought so. But it's not worth it

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the 'warning.'  Diabolo Menthe, now that's an ink I love.  😉

[InesF]

Thank you @yazehfor the ink review.

I like the colour of the ink and I like the angel drawing! 😇

 

The problems you faced, concerning missing lubrication, will hold me back a bit. But my already existing stack of brown and sepia inks holds me back massively. At least, I will have a closer look at the deAtramentis Artist series (is there a series?).

 

[yazeh]

4 hours ago, InesF said:

Thank you @yazehfor the ink review.

I like the colour of the ink and I like the angel drawing! 😇

You're too kind

 

 

4 hours ago, InesF said:

 

The problems you faced, concerning missing lubrication, will hold me back a bit. But my already existing stack of brown and sepia inks holds me back massively. At least, I will have a closer look at the deAtramentis Artist series (is there a series?).

 

https://www.de-atramentis.com/en/advanced_search_result.php?categories_id=0&keywords=artist&inc_subcat=1

[InesF]

12 hours ago, yazeh said:

 

17 hours ago, InesF said:

 

The problems you faced, concerning missing lubrication, will hold me back a bit. But my already existing stack of brown and sepia inks holds me back massively. At least, I will have a closer look at the deAtramentis Artist series (is there a series?).

 

https://www.de-atramentis.com/en/advanced_search_result.php?categories_id=0&keywords=artist&inc_subcat=1

Thank you!

(shame on me, I was too lazy to search by my own)

Hmm, I see a Green-Gray and a Dark-Blue! Nice bottles! Huhu, dangerous! 😛

[yazeh]

4 hours ago, InesF said:

Thank you!

(shame on me, I was too lazy to search by my own)

It's good to be lazy and smell the roses from time to time

 

4 hours ago, InesF said:

Hmm, I see a Green-Gray and a Dark-Blue! Nice bottles! Huhu, dangerous! 😛

 

[namrehsnoom]

Great presentation of the ink. Never heard of this DA series before. I quite like the colour, not so much the lubrication issues - but it wouldn’t be the first non-lubricated ink I used. Usually this issue is solved using a wet pen / broad nib. I like the archival nature - would be great at work, but in that case I really need EF/F performance (the only nib sizes that work on the low-quality.print paper we use there). 

So - I will enjoy the ink through this review, and let it pass in real life.

[yazeh]

18 hours ago, namrehsnoom said:

Great presentation of the ink.

🙏 You're too kind!

18 hours ago, namrehsnoom said:

Never heard of this DA series before. I quite like the colour, not so much the lubrication issues - but it wouldn’t be the first non-lubricated ink I used. Usually this issue is solved using a wet pen / broad nib. I like the archival nature - would be great at work, but in that case I really need EF/F performance (the only nib sizes that work on the low-quality.print paper we use there). 

So - I will enjoy the ink through this review, and let it pass in real life.

The dark red was quite nice. Though I admit I didn't use an Ef nib when I did the review. 

Here is the list of their inks:

https://www.de-atramentis.com/en/Artist-ink-/?view_mode=default&listing_sort=&listing_count=24