Monthly Ink Challenge - Season III

[inkstainedruth]

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[InesF]

8 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

 

WOW! Thank you @LizEF, you hit the bulls eye  ! I love it!

 

I'm a bit surprised that a diluted Pilot ink does feather ...

[LizEF]

5 hours ago, InesF said:

WOW! Thank you @LizEF, you hit the bulls eye  ! I love it!

Thanks!

 

5 hours ago, InesF said:

I'm a bit surprised that a diluted Pilot ink does feather ...

Well, some of that is smudges due to me being impatient.  And the rest - the naked eye cannot see that much fuzziness or feathering, so I think the scanner made up some of it and exaggerated the rest. (Sometimes the scanner makes ink marks look granular.  I assume this is due to the paper texture. My eye doesn't see such granularity.)

[InesF]

Monthly Ink Set III – February

 

The February Ink Set consists of the following inks and fountain pens:

Colorverse Pillars of Creation – in Waterman Carène m-stub

Colorverse Crab Nebula – in Pineider Arco Desert Beetle EF

Scribo Blu cosmico – in Stipula La22 flex

Waterman Inspired Blue – in Aurora Optima Antarctica M

 

Here is a handwritten sample of the inks with their pens:

 

The February palette has only three main colours that are thematically assigned to Space and the Universe and how we can see it from Earth. The fourth ink, Inspired Blue, is forwarded from January simply because I like the pen and ink combination too much as to let it go. The Aurora Antarctica is among my top three pens, one month per year is not enough joy – I like to get the full excitement. Besides that, the bright turquoise is a nice contrast to the three dark space-themed inks and has, at least, „Inspired‟ in the name.  

 

Colorverse Pillars of Creation is often reviewed as being a boring muddy brown ink. With a second look it becomes quite obvious that the ink has a saturated and elegant Bordeaux hue with a comparably pale green sheen. Looking at a right angel to the paper, the two almost complementary colours mix into this muddy brown. While the ink is generally great, how the base and the sheen colour mix is not, unfortunately. Besides that, it is a well behaved ink and the Waterman Carène loves it!  

 

During the design phase (which began first week of January) I tried to get either Colorverse Quasar or Sunspot into the set. Finally, the intense Blu cosmico won against Quasar, and Sunspot was too dark for the set, it would had taken away the pleasure of colour contrast.

 

Here is what I wrote some days ago, when I first time tested the full four ink set in longer writing:

 

The inspiration text is taken from the biography of a space game character I created and played over many years: „Go out and play in the Universe, all suns are shining!‟

 

Strange things happen in space while we are busy chasing fountain pens and inks that we may like. Space telescopes, such as James Webb, deliver fantastic photos that allow us to see our Universe at a time when it was comparably young and other observations provided an indirect view on Dark Matter. It is an exciting time, let us do exciting things!

 

 

Take your time, take your colour, become inspired and start feeling at home ... in this year ... in this Universe!

See you latest at February 18^th.

 

[msilverton]

I gotta get some Waterman Inspired Blue now. That shading is gorgeous.

[InesF]

Indeed, @msilverton, Inspired Blue is a great shader, as are almost all of the more pale, unsaturated inks. Btw. Pelikan 4001 Turquoise is almost the same colour and does shade  as good.

Have fun!

 

[LizEF]

Somehow I missed this when first posted.  Gorgeous combination and writing.  I love your fancy initial capitals.

 

On 2/1/2024 at 11:11 AM, InesF said:

„Go out and play in the Universe, all suns are shining!‟

This immediately presented an idea and image of a doodle in my mind, though I'm not sure how it might look on paper...  This and next week are quite busy for me (and way too people-full for my introverted self), so my contribution will have to come later in the month. I'll try to find a pen to ink with yellow - or perhaps use a G-nib in a dip nib holder and several yellows..... Hmm.  My brain is liking this idea....

[InesF]

17 hours ago, LizEF said:

I'll try to find a pen to ink with yellow - or perhaps use a G-nib in a dip nib holder and several yellows..... Hmm.  My brain is liking this idea....

You are highly welcome!

It's not only Tuesdays, now we have one more contribution from you to looking forward!  

[InesF]

February 18^th, time for some inspired results.  

 

During the last two weeks I had melodies such as "Starry, Starry Night" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" circling in my mind. But I failed to translate the (not so deeply star and Universe related) song texts into something with pen and ink.

 

So I asked perplexity.at: What can be associated with the phrase "Go out and play in the Universe, all suns are shining"?

And it answered:

You can use the phrase "go out and play in the universe, all suns are shining" in a conversation to encourage someone to embrace life and its possibilities. For example, you could use it to inspire a friend to pursue their dreams, take risks, or simply enjoy the present moment. It's a poetic way of expressing the idea that the world is full of opportunities and beauty, and it encourages a positive and adventurous outlook on life.

 

WOW, not bad!

 

As next I searched for songs which still have Sun or Universe in their lyrics but also express the mood of what perplexity.at answered.

 

I found these two:

 

From the same Cat Stevens (at the time he recorded this, now: Yusuf Islam) album, I like to give a honorable mention: "The Boy with the Moon and Star on his Head". I love this song so much ... 🥰

 

Further, I have made a drawing:

 

Hmm, OK. It didn't turn out as three dimensional as I intended it to be. It should visualize the warp into the universe, passing all the suns (suns, not coffins ) in a spiral drawing, like a vinyl record of old. I did two concept studies and gave up on the spiral. Concentric circles were hard enough ... 😎

 

So far my Monthly Challenge for February. All four fountain pens are still in use and will be until end of the Month.

See you for the next ink and pen set at March 3^rd, latest. Have a good time!

[OCArt]

@InesFWow, I really like this!  Thanks for sharing.

[InesF]

13 hours ago, OCArt said:

@InesFWow, I really like this!  Thanks for sharing.

Thank you, @OCArt, you are too kind! 🙏

[msilverton]

This is really good. It does have a 3D effect if you concentrate on the very center.

[InesF]

22 hours ago, msilverton said:

This is really good. It does have a 3D effect if you concentrate on the very center.

Thank you, @msilverton, you are welcome!

[gmax]

@InesF those are lovely written pieces, and another nice colour selection.

 

I especially like the phrase "Go out and play in the Universe, all suns are shining!‟

 

Thank you  

[InesF]

On 2/23/2024 at 7:58 PM, gmax said:

@InesF those are lovely written pieces, and another nice colour selection.

 

I especially like the phrase "Go out and play in the Universe, all suns are shining!‟

 

Thank you  

Thank you, you are welcome!

[InesF]

Monthly Ink Challenge III – March 2024

 

This months ink set consists of:

Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris – in Pelikan M600 Turquoise-White EF

Pelikan Edelstein Rose Quartz Mix* – in Montblanc Virginia Woolf F

Rohrer & Klingner Ebony – in Waterman Perspective F

Wearingeul Mad Hatter – in Aurora Optima Caleidoscopio Bianca goccia

 

While Ebony is an interesting colour in between brown and black, it does neither sheen nor shade. No other of the inks do sheen but all of them, surprisingly including the dark Verdigris, have excellent shading. I love them all!

Best combinations of two inks are Rose Quartz Mix with either Verdigris or with Mad Hatter. However, the set as a whole feels balanced and harmonic.

 

*) Rose Quartz does, in my subjective opinion, not qualify for daily use in other than casual situations. It is a dry and comparably pale ink, although with interesting purple shading (means: it has potential). I did a complex modification to make it viable for me: to 20 mL Rose Quartz I added 1 mL Pelikan 4001 Violet (a bit risky because of pH-value), 1 mL Pelikan Edelstein Star Ruby and 0.5 mL Iroshizuku tsuki-yo. The result is an ink with the same general character, same base colour and shading, but a bit darker and a bit less dry. That alone would had been enough modification, but I added 1% Gum Arabic which improved the sharp-edged appearance of the lines and significantly intensified the shading. Such modified, this Rose Quartz Mix became one of my favourite inks overnight.

 

Here is a writing sample of all four inks with their pens:

 

I made some USB-microscope images of the three shading inks from above writing sample:

 

 

The basic theme for March is based on the equinox and is realized as two light and two dark fountain pens filled with two light and two dark inks. To make it more exciting and complex, the dark fountain pens are each filled with one light and one dark ink and the same principle applies to the light fountain pens. It's a bit like a chessboard with white and black pieces on light and dark squares.

 

The inspiration quote for March is:

Good and Evil, Light and Shadow, the Bright and the Dark Side are always in balance, just as day and night are at the time of the equinox.

 

 

Take your fountain pen(s), be inspired and have fun!

I‘m looking forward to your interpretation of the March theme.

See you March 17^th, latest.

[LizEF]

(First, apologies - I just couldn't manage my planned doodle for February.   Wanted to, but just couldn't fit it in - really, I would wipe February off the calendar if I could, but that's a whole other story...)

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris

Exceptional choice!   There's something magical about this ink.

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Pelikan Edelstein Rose Quartz Mix*

Gorgeous color!   Well done!

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

1% Gum Arabic ... significantly intensified the shading

Don't say things like that!!  You'll have me experiment with adding this to all my inks!

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

USB-microscope images

Gorgeous!  Careful, you'll be breaking out the lab microscope and then the tipscope (or similar super-macro attachment / lens) and get yourself addicted to ink close-ups.

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

The inspiration quote for March is:

Good and Evil, Light and Shadow, the Bright and the Dark Side are always in balance, just as day and night are at the time of the equinox.

Hmm.  Contrast.  Shall have to ponder.  Hopefully March is better (than February).

[InesF]

Thank you, @LizEF, you are always welcome. No reason to apologise! Our goal is having fun with pens and inks, stress free.

 

On 3/2/2024 at 10:27 PM, LizEF said:

 

On 3/2/2024 at 8:42 PM, InesF said:

Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris

Exceptional choice!   There's something magical about this ink.

Yes, it is. From the green appearance in the bottle to the blue colour of the wet line and when rinsing the pen towards the petrol-black of the dry line.

 

On 3/2/2024 at 10:27 PM, LizEF said:

Don't say things like that!!  You'll have me experiment with adding this to all my inks!

Hmmm. I like to repeat: Gum Arabic is way less dangerous than any permanent or document ink. You see, I use it in the unobtanium LE Montblanc Virginia Woolf, which I adore and do not want to damage and which is a nightmare to clean. Do not let G.A. dry in your pen - but if it happens, you will be able to regenerate the pen. That's the difference to permanent inks.

 

On 3/2/2024 at 10:27 PM, LizEF said:

Gorgeous!  Careful, you'll be breaking out the lab microscope and then the tipscope (or similar super-macro attachment / lens) and get yourself addicted to ink close-ups.

 This already happened in 2021 when I did the line width measurements for the ink wetness publication. The microscope shows many interesting details about ink behaviour on paper. You can almost see the surface tension of the ink ...   But you can also see if the nib of your pen is polished or rough or asymmetrical. 

Do I need to tell?: I love close observations and discovering hidden details! 🤷‍♀️👩‍🔬  

[LizEF]

5 hours ago, InesF said:

 This already happened in 2021 when I did the line width measurements for the ink wetness publication. The microscope shows many interesting details about ink behaviour on paper. You can almost see the surface tension of the ink ...   But you can also see if the nib of your pen is polished or rough or asymmetrical. 

Do I need to tell?: I love close observations and discovering hidden details! 🤷‍♀️👩‍🔬  

Some addictions are a good thing!

[InesF]

It's time for some results of the March Ink Challenge.

This time I focused more on possible interpretations of "Good and Evil" where I found some nice lyrics but not many other graphical expressions besides the obvious Yin-Yang.

 

Perplexity.ai provided me, again, with some nice findings.

Here a direct result: "Overall, the concept of balancing the dark side and the bright side emphasizes the importance of integrating all aspects of oneself or a situation to achieve harmony and authenticity. This balance is essential for personal growth, effective leadership, and overall well-being." There was more, but I think, that's the key message.

 

Here is a citation from Final Fantasy. It is lyrics from the song "Equilibrium" in FINAL FANTASY XIV, where the Goddess advises Sophia on maintaining balance. The lyrics convey the idea that balance is essential, even if it means extreme actions like self-sacrifice to restore equilibrium:

The sigh of the shifting sea
The kiss of the salt-sweet breeze
The white of her silken dress stained in red

A memory fading fast,
Her mother sits, eyes downcast
A torn uniform in hand, farewells unsaid

That once a certainty, lost in grief
A daughter's desperate cries, unheard pleas
Forsaken, beaten, tried, on her knees
A prayer passes from her lips
Into her soul the Goddess whispers:

"A heartbeat without harmony
Is moonlight without dark
The heart beat seeketh equilibrium
With balance will your worry part,

So still this broken melody
And therewith shoulder thee
One last step only leaving
An empty hearth dawn by the sea
An empty hearth dawn by the sea"

 

For my Challenge interpretation I choose a text part from the Manga Soul Eater:

(hmm, yes, I was too quick and didn't wait for the ink to dry! 😪 and I didn't like to do the drawing again 🙄)

 

So far for March 2024 from my side. I'm looking forward to your interpretations - all posts welcome!

 

Pens and inks for next month will come April 7^th, latest. Stay tuned, have a good time!