 |
| 3/27/14 Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink, Strathmore 400 140 lb. paper |
Not unlike some human relationships, I have complicated,
ambivalent feelings about Pilot Iroshizuku inks. I wouldn’t go so far as to
call it a love/hate relationship – I definitely love most of them. The colors
are rich and vibrant, and they flow beautifully wet in every pen I’ve used them
with. Their price – $28 a bottle at GouletPens.com
and JetPens.com, a little less at
Amazon.com – causes some of my ambivalence (though when purchased as $2.50
samples from GouletPens, I’m quite happy).
Most of my ambivalence comes from wimpy washes I’ve seen
with some colors. A couple months ago I complained about Kiri-Same, and last December I was disappointed with Take-Sumi. But maybe it was my line work
that was wimpy and not the ink wash, because I’ve definitely had a change of
heart about Take-Sumi (Bamboo Charcoal).
To write and draw with, Take-Sumi is a nice, solid black,
but nothing special; with the pens I use, I’ve not seen any shading. It’s the application
of water, though, that makes it sing. If I lay down a fairly heavy line, the
wash I get with Take-Sumi is a complex mix of blue, gray and even some brown. (With
the right pen, I suppose you’d see this in the shading; let me know if you do.)
It’s become one of my favorite inks to use when sketching people because I can
achieve delicate shading on faces.
I’ve previously admitted to a blind love for Iroshizuku inks. But right now I have my eyes wide
open, and I’m back in love with Take-Sumi. (I may have to re-evaluate other
colors, in case I’ve misjudged them also.)
 |
| 11/6/13 Take-Sumi ink, Sketchbook Project sketchbok |
 |
| 4/2/13 Take-Sumi ink, Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook |
It does give you nice shading, but I don't see any touches of brown. I really like that top sketch...a perfect pose!
ReplyDelete