Ink Review: Clearwater Rain by Robert Oster

 

Clearwater Rain from Robert Oster. 

 

 

It flows fine, but doesn't shade much. 

 

Honestly? I was disappointed. "Clearwater Rain" sounds much more beautiful than this color actually is. It's fine, but there are way better blues out there.  5 out of 10. 

  

Ink Review: Morning Star by Colorverse

 

Morning Star by Colorverse. 

It's got a red penumbra that is neat. 

It flows fine. 

There is nothing wrong with this ink, I just don't think it thrills me enough for me to want to buy it. I go back and forth, but there are so many inks where my reaction is MUST BUY YES THANK YOU that I doubt I'll ever get to this one. 

5/10. 

Ink Review: Prussian Blue by Diamine

 

Prussian Blue, by Diamine. 

The ink flows well. It's Diamine. 

I like this subtle blue-grey. It's just powdery enough to be interesting and just blue enough to still be pretty. It doesn't make my heart leap. But it makes my heart sit in a calm space and read a book I've already read and know I love.  

Every time I try a new Diamine ink I am like "...why do we have all those other ink companies when Diamine is way cheaper and also better?"

Yet I buy the other inks anyway. 

6/10. 

Ink Review: Bluebell Brushstroke by Ferris Wheel Press

 

Bluebell Brushstroke, by Ferris Wheel Press. 

The ink is fine; it flows etc. 

The problem with this ink is just that it is an incredibly boring color. 

I guess I don't hate it. I just sort of never want to see it again, because it is a waste of my eyesight. 

2/10.

Ink Review: Henry David Thoreau - Organics Studios

One of the inks everyone has opinions about: Henry David Thoreau by Organics Studios. 

 

 It flows fine, no problems with it. It looks very different when it's starting to run out, fyi. 

[Additional photo of page to be inserted - somehow didn't take a pic of it.]

I have a bias here: I strongly dislike Thoreau. Like, the person. So smug, so navel-gazing, so absolutely supported entirely by his unnoticed mother. So it's hard for this ink not to kind of have a petulant-entitled-man-child aura about it for me. 

I admit though - it's a cool ink. I don't know how anyone could disagree with that. It is a serious mix of colors, they all shine separately, and it shades insanely. It's in a class of its own. 

I just don't... quite... like the color? I come very close to liking it sometimes, but I haven't bought an actual bottle of it, and I doubt I ever will. 

Now, of course, I want to. 

6/10.

Ribbiting pond ink review

The Ribbiting Pond, by Ferris Wheel Press. It's from the Frog Prince in their FerriTales series. 

The very first ink I swatched ❤️ (I’m using co-lo-ring.) 

Ok, look, it was a first effort.

This is Ribbiting Pond from Ferris Wheel Press. Ferris Wheel Press's Ferri Tales line of inks is just so pretty. And there are like five gorgeous-looking blues. This is the first one I bought. It was not an easy decision. 

Me: Michael, I can't pick a blue ink

Me: can you help  

Michael: *confidently* Sure

Michael: *looks at inks* 

Michael: wow, um

Me: I know right

It took days to decide.  

I GET BETTER AT  IT OK

Note - I try to always use broad nibs for example pages. I mean, I try to always use broad nibs in general, but sometimes I neglect to switch out a medium nib and mistakes are made. 

Verdict: 7/10. It is indeed gorgeous and sparkly, but more difficult to see and less variated in color than I was hoping for. I kinda wanted a little more green shading in there, to make it pond-y. Oh well. Really it was probably just that I had too high of expectations.