The thing about working with India Ink is that it teaches patience and attentiveness since a mistake usually spells the end for a drawing. Once in a great while, I do everything in ink as I did in this drawing for a Christmas card some years back.
Usually, start with a free form watercolor wash, then use the India Ink to add detail, as I did in this drawing (done as Muri and I were sitting around the pool in Maui). Besides, with a larger nib, I can use calligraphic effects in my drawings. There’s something romantic about using an old-fashioned pen that you dip in the familiar dropper-topped Higgins India Ink bottle. If you wander into your local Aaron Brothers store, you will find a variety of drawing pens with hard tips that are excellent for line drawings, but I still prefer the Speedball pens with interchangeable nibs. The ink is still used to prepare microscope slides, for drawing, especially cartoons and line drawings, and for calligraphy. Never use any other color than black though, because they’re typically gonna contain chemicals that’ll cause ink poisoning. Temporary Tattoos The Unexpected Customer Service About FLAX Store Locations FLAX Gift Cards. Higgins, Speedball, and Winsor and Newton can be used- I use Higgins personally- but make sure you’re buying the non-acrylic ink.
Q: Can Higgins Inks Be Mixed A: Higgins inks. These are all easily available on the internet. Q: Can Higgins Ink be Used for Tattoos A: We do not recommend using any of our Higgins inks for tattooing. These are all easily available on the internet. These days, those with Younger Eyes may not even have heard of India Ink unless they are an artist or microbiologist. Higgins Eternal Black Ink is a permanent. Tattoo ink is the best, but non toxic india ink (such as Higgins, Speedball or Winsor and Newton) works well also. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was the most popular ink for writing and printing in the West but was gradually replaced by more modern inks. It may have become known as India Ink because it was imported to Europe via the West Indies or because it was widely used in India for recording important documents. It was made in China thousands of years before the birth of Christ in the form of solid sticks that were moistened with water before using.
It is a simple black ink made from soot (or lampblack) mixed with one or more binding agents such as glue, shellac or gelatin. India Ink is perhaps the oldest medium for writing, printing and drawing.