Kakimori Inks

I really enjoy the Kakimori nib that was released in 2022, so have been intending to try out the pigmented inks. 

I settled on buying two sampler sets so I could try the range without having to make a choice about which of these gorgeous bottles to buy!

The first set has a yellow, two reds, a blue and a green. The second has another blue, turquoises, a brown and a black.

The inks are pigmented, but are water-resistant, not completely waterproof. 

They are designed to work in the Kakimori fountain pens, and with the Kakimori nibs, but will not necessarily work with other brands of fountain pens. Pigmented inks need to be used constantly so they don't dry up in a fountain pen.

The names are charming; "each whimsical name tells an imaginative story". 

Kakimori Pigmented Inks - Po, Torori, Tototo, Karari, Kuran.

01 - Po means "A colour tucked away in our hearts. Po is the way we blush when falling in love; the warmth of a face admired from afar."
02 - Torori means "A perfect omelette reveals its deliciously soft centre. Torori is the colour of anticipation, describing a rich consistency overflowing with flavour."
03 - Tototo: "Tototo is the gentle melody of a special rosé poured in quiet company. A colour to elevate everyday life or celebrate a special occasion."
04 - Karari: "Fresh like an endlessly clear sky. Karari describes a bright, cloudless day. With this blue in hand, a break in the clouds is never far away."
05 - Kurun: "Kurun depicts the dance of a vine’s curling tendrils. A green that captures both vitality and a sense of calm."


The second sampler set has these colours.

Kakimori Pigmented Inks - Toppuri, Solo, Zabun, Mukuri, Koton.

06 - Topperi: "Look closely and you might see the stars in the night sky. Toppuridescribes the comforting darkness that arrives after nightfall. A gentle colour that inspires reflection."
07 - Soyo: "Soyo is like a breath of fresh air. A colour that evokes the feeling of a pleasant breeze."
08 - Zabun: "Zabun is the sound of the deep, blue ocean. Listen for the lapping waves as the ink flows across the paper, awakening precious memories."
09 - Mukuri: "Mukuri describes the state of awakening, like a bear emerging from hibernation to the warm red earth. The colour signals the arrival of a new season."
10 - Koton: "The silence of the night is punctuated by koton, the sound of an ink bottle being placed on the desk. A colour for quiet contemplation."

Inks can be ordered with wood caps or an aluminium cap, and in Japan, you can refill the ink bottles and create your own custom inks.

I haven't yet tried these in a fountain pen, but will explore the Torori in as an under drawing for a floral watercolour. Drawing in a golden-yellow ink can be gorgeous.

Have a look at the website here. See my YouTube exploration here.

Happy drawing, writing or inking!

De Atramentis Artist Inks

I've posted before about the lovely De Atramentis Document Inks, created in Germany in 2014. These were a game changer when they first came out and I still love sketching with them. Mostly I use the Brown, various variations of Grey, and the Black, but I have also made a lovely burnt sienna ink, a raw sienna ink and some fun oranges and greens to draw with over the years.

Here are my previous posts.

Mixing Document Inks November 2014, updated January 2015, which shows a number of two-colour and a few three-colour mixes, and their ratios. 

De Atramentis Inks - Mixing Document Greys  November 2014, updated January 2015. This was in answer to a question about how to mix greys using other colours. I tend to make them with Blue and Brown.

De Atramentis Inks mixed with Black  November 2014

De Atramentis Document Ink Mixes - Magenta, Blue and Yellow  December 2014, update January 2015. This explores many three-colour mixes using the Blue rather than Cyan as the primary blue.

De Atramentis Document Ink colours  January 2015

More Three-Colour Mixes with De Atramentis Inks January 2015. This explores a range of three-colour mixes.

Documented Inks Revisited October 2018 which shows the inks mixed with Black and with White.

They also appear in Fountain Pen Inks June 2018, Coloured Drawing Inks November 2014 and Packing inks and pens September 2015 and a few others, and whenever I talk about my sketching supplies. 

Over the years, the colour range has expanded and the bottles have changed size from 35ml to 50ml. The current bottles are larger rounded bottles but will shortly change to elegant square bottles with larger lids. I'll update with a photo once these are available.

The current range as shown on the De Atramentis website shows 17 colours. They are now called 'Artist Inks' but have the same properties as the original 'Document Inks'. They are nano-pigmented, waterproof and lightfast mixable inks designed for fountain pens. 

De Atramentis Artist Inks - White, Yellow, Orange, Red, Dark Red, Magenta.

De Atramentis Artist Inks - Violet, Blue, Dark Blue, Cyan, Turquoise, Dark Green.

De Atramentis Artist Inks - Green, Brown, Sepia, Grey, Black.

There is also a thinner available called Artist Ink Thinner so you can dilute the colours without changing the properties. 

The colours are the same as the original Document colours, apart from the Green, which is now brighter. The current Dark Green is similar to the original Document Green I used for my mixing experiments.

Treat the Blue as an ultramarine or warm blue for mixing purposes. Treat the Cyan as a phthalo or cool blue for mixing. The Red is the warm red and the Magenta is the cool red for mixing purposes. I still love the colours you can create exploring the triad of Blue, Magenta and Yellow.

There are many more pigmented inks available now than there were when these were first released, which is terrific for artists who want to sketch with colourful waterproof inks in our fountain pens. I've explored many of them in this post but have stuck with the De Atramentis inks in my own pens.

These inks are available directly from De Atramentis in Germany; from Goulet.com in the US, from LarryPost.com.au in Australia and many other places. 

Disclosure: I was kindly sent this range of inks by the manufacturer, but all opinions are my own.