Octopus Write and Draw Ink - Blue Chameleon

[yazeh]

Octopus Write and Draw Ink - Blue Chameleon 

 

After reviewing so many inks, it's rare that I get excited about an ink or a new brand. This is one of them. I’ve been tempted to procure a bottle. 

It's a gorgeous grey blurple, well lubricated that I enjoyed writing in all nibs but the Japanese Ef, Kakuno.  it transformed the needle tip of Osmiroid into a dream nib.

 

It's a pigment ink, light fast, waterproof and has all the ISO accreditation you would want. 

 

Please note like most pigment inks, it's best using it in a well sealed pen and preferably not your expensive pens. 

You can read more about it:

https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/

and the complete line of 38 inks:

https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/7331/write-and-draw-ink-set-waterproof-drawing-ink-for-fountain-pens-38-colours?c=4671

 

Let's start with the chroma:

 

Writing samples:

It doesn't like copy paper much:

 

photo of the Tome River page

 

A little calligraphic work done with thee Osmiroid Copperplate nib (Mnemosyne notebook)

 

Comparison:

 

 

 

Water test: (left side was held underwater for 10 seconds and the wiped with tissue paper)

 

And a tiny artwork to showcase the range of the ink (Paper is Talens mixed media)

 

 

 

  

 

· Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.9), Osmiroid copperplate  nib

· What I liked: Writing with, cushiony feel, intriguing, classy colour.

· What I did not like: Writing with Japanese Ef nib

· What some might not like: It doesn’t like copy paper

· Shading: Yes.

· Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper

· Bleed through: same as above.

· Flow Rate: Wet

· Lubrication: Excellent

· Nib Dry-out: Nope. 

· Start-up: No.

· Saturation: Yes. 

· Shading Potential: Elegant

· Sheen: Faint

· Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None.

· Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. 

· Staining (pen): Did not notice.

· Clogging: No. 

· Cleaning: Easy

· Water resistance: Excellent 

· Availability: 50 ml bottles.

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier  

[LizEF]

Very nice, @yazeh!  I think I like it.  Enough blue and nice and stormy!  Love the water-test drawing - Mr. Kitty ponders attacking Monsieur Chameleon while Mr. Mouse casually protects himself from falling ash.   And your little drawing of Monsieur Chameleon really shows off all the shades you can get from the ink.   Thank you for this review!  Onto the list it has gone!

[yazeh]

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Very nice, @yazeh!  I think I like it.  Enough blue and nice and stormy! 

I thought so 🙂

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Love the water-test drawing - Mr. Kitty ponders attacking Monsieur Chameleon while Mr. Mouse casually protects himself from falling ash.   And your little drawing of Monsieur Chameleon really shows off all the shades you can get from the ink.  

 

Glad you liked them. We need a bit levity in these times 😄

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thank you for this review!  Onto the list it has gone!

🙏😜

[Sailor Kenshin]

Lately I've been thinking about a waterproof ink that isn't Noodler's Baaaad Green Gator.  This one intrigues me.  I may need a sample, along with a sample of a sepia ink.

 

Love the sketches!  A stogie-smokin' chameleon.  An underwater excursion!  🤣

 

Thanks, @yazeh, for making me familiar with formerly-unknown inks.  👏🏻

[inkstainedruth]

@yazeh That's a really intriguing color.  Looks more blue on my screen on the Tomoe River paper, blue grey on the Rhodia paper, and a straight cool leaning grey on the Midori paper....

Like I REALLY need more ink....   Thanks for the review -- and, well, not.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

21 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Lately I've been thinking about a waterproof ink that isn't Noodler's Baaaad Green Gator.  This one intrigues me.  I may need a sample, along with a sample of a sepia ink.

They have 38 inks. So you can test and try several

 

21 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Love the sketches!  A stogie-smokin' chameleon.  An underwater excursion!  🤣

 🙏

21 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Thanks, @yazeh, for making me familiar with formerly-unknown inks.  👏🏻

🙏

[yazeh]

5 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

@yazeh That's a really intriguing color.  Looks more blue on my screen on the Tomoe River paper, blue grey on the Rhodia paper, and a straight cool leaning grey on the Midori paper....

It's aptly named 🙂

5 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Like I REALLY need more ink.

Same here 🙂

5 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

 

  Thanks for the review -- and, well, not.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Most welcome 😇🙂

[InesF]

Thank you, @yazeh, for continuing to review the Write & Draw inks! Blue Chameleon. This is a nice colour and the lines do not look that bad on copy paper - the ghosting and bleed is in the range of many other inks.

As always, I do scroll impatiently down to look at your graphical interpretation first and then read the review from start. I love how you managed to camouflage the chameleon into the background! 

[yazeh]

4 hours ago, InesF said:

Thank you, @yazeh, for continuing to review the Write & Draw inks! Blue Chameleon. This is a nice colour and the lines do not look that bad on copy paper - the ghosting and bleed is in the range of many other inks.

 🙏

 

4 hours ago, InesF said:

As always, I do scroll impatiently down to look at your graphical interpretation first and then read the review from start. I love how you managed to camouflage the chameleon into the background! 

Glad to know I'M not the only one. I do the same thing with @LizEF reviews. First the story, then the ink

 

[PithyProlix]

Now *this* is my kind of ink color! I also really like Green Squirrel from what you have showed us so far.

 

I'm really intrigued by a few colors in this series. But I don't practice very good pen/ink hygiene, so may I ask, please, have you had any issues with clogging after letting these Octopus pigment inks sit in a pen for an extended time? So far, I've had pretty good luck with the very few pigment inks I own - R&K Thea, PenBBS 391 Su Shi, and Sailor Seiboku & Souboku (though those Sailors seem to be well-proven inks so I'm not afraid to use them in relatively expensive pens).

 

Thanks for the great review. Sorry, I've mostly been very silent but I have been enjoying your reviews!

 

(Also glad to see you got a good match for your Osmiroid Copperplate nib!)

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

Glad to know I'M not the only one. I do the same thing with @LizEF reviews. First the story, then the ink

Thank you!

[yazeh]

42 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thank you!

[yazeh]

45 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

Now *this* is my kind of ink color! I also really like Green Squirrel from what you have showed us so far.

The inkmeisters of Octopus were really clever!

45 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

I'm really intrigued by a few colors in this series. But I don't practice very good pen/ink hygiene, so may I ask, please, have you had any issues with clogging after letting these Octopus pigment inks sit in a pen for an extended time? So far, I've had pretty good luck with the very few pigment inks I own - R&K Thea, PenBBS 391 Su Shi, and Sailor Seiboku & Souboku (though those Sailors seem to be well-proven inks so I'm not afraid to use them in relatively expensive pens).

I'm like you. I would say, if you have well sealed pen, you're fine, whatever ink you use. The inks I've reviewed are  in my "subjective" experience much better than sketchINKs in general. They are wet, well lubricated. They are even better than many De Atramentis inks, I've tested. However, I haven't tried their browns, reds which tend to be more problematic. 

 

I wouldn't put these inks in vintage pens, mostly because they are difficult to clean. 

 

45 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

Thanks for the great review.

🙏

45 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

Sorry, I've mostly been very silent but I have been enjoying your reviews!

That's more than enough, my fried!

45 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

(Also glad to see you got a good match for your Osmiroid Copperplate nib!)

Oh, yes. These inks seem to tame that nib

 

[PithyProlix]

18 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

I'm really intrigued by a few colors in this series. But I don't practice very good pen/ink hygiene, so may I ask, please, have you had any issues with clogging after letting these Octopus pigment inks sit in a pen for an extended time? So far, I've had pretty good luck with the very few pigment inks I own - R&K Thea, PenBBS 391 Su Shi, and Sailor Seiboku & Souboku (though those Sailors seem to be well-proven inks so I'm not afraid to use them in relatively expensive pens).

 

17 hours ago, yazeh said:

I'm like you. I would say, if you have well sealed pen, you're fine, whatever ink you use. The inks I've reviewed are  in my "subjective" experience much better than sketchINKs in general. They are wet, well lubricated. They are even better than many De Atramentis inks, I've tested. However, I haven't tried their browns, reds which tend to be more problematic. 

 

I wanted to take another look at the Write and Draw colors on their website and noticed they have a cleaner that is specific for these inks: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/7369/special-cleaner-for-write-and-draw-inks-and-pigmented-inks

 

That page gives a general warning about letting pigmented inks dry in a pen. But it also gives this caveat for the cleaner: "The fountain pen cleaner is not suitable for removing pigmented inks that have already dried up." [emphasis in the original] 

[yazeh]

6 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

 

 

I wanted to take another look at the Write and Draw colors on their website and noticed they have a cleaner that is specific for these inks: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/7369/special-cleaner-for-write-and-draw-inks-and-pigmented-inks

 

That page gives a general warning about letting pigmented inks dry in a pen. But it also gives this caveat for the cleaner: "The fountain pen cleaner is not suitable for removing pigmented inks that have already dried up." [emphasis in the original] 

I know. I think it's over dramatic. I had Kung Te Cheng in a Kaweco for 2 years, and it took me a day to clean it. But that's me

 

[amberleadavis]

🥰 here. Like others, I look at the pictures first. I know I am only going to buy it if the color speaks to me and after the hundreds of ink I own very few are unique, but your reviews are always unique and inspiring. Thank you for this wonderful contribution.

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

🥰 here. Like others, I look at the pictures first.

 

2 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

 

I know I am only going to buy it if the color speaks to me and after the hundreds of ink I own very few are unique, but your reviews are always unique and inspiring. Thank you for this wonderful contribution.

 🙏🙏🙏