Product Review: Diamine Sargasso Sea

4/17/14 Diamine Sargasso Sea ink, Zig marker, Canson XL 140 lb. paper

The ongoing drizzle today drove me to Zoka Coffee for an Americano and to try out a new ink sample: Diamine Sargasso Sea. When I was scribbling with it at home, the intense shade of blue – which looks nearly purple when wet – really appealed to me. But under all the soft natural light streaming in through Zoka’s high windows and against white watercolor paper, it was almost too bright.

I’ve found all Diamine inks to be beautifully wet-flowing, and Sargasso Sea is no exception. Coupled with my smooth Metropolitan, I get a consistently rich, bold line. I do like how easily it shades with just a touch of my waterbrush, but by the same token, it’s more difficult to control the ink’s intensity when I want more subtle shading, like on faces.

4/17/14 Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink, Zig marker, Sailor pen, Canson XL

For comparison’s sake, I did my second sketch using Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink, which is easier to get soft washes with. Still, in looking at the two together, Sargasso Sea’s intensity gives the sketch a morning daylight glow, while Take-Sumi has a late-afternoon look. They definitely suggest different moods. (All the more reason to carry multiple inks at any given time: You never know what mood you want to sketch until you get there.)