As promised, here is the next batch of 12 of the 79 Noodler’s fountain pen ink samples recently tested.

This whole project really started as a reaction against the overcomplication of visual art and design. In my opinion both traditional and digital art has become just so overworked with much of it contrived, uncomfortable and painful to look at. Many artists seem to have forgotten the basic principles of concept, composition and design. Less is more!

In essence what I’m doing is creating art by utilising the serendipity effect of chromatography. I’m trying to find a way back to something more simple, natural, honest and exciting through fountain pen inks! With 2 or 3 base dyes revealing themselves from one ink… what’s not to like?

This second batch I’ve called A Mix of Magic. There is a huge variety of behaviours and colour breakdowns and all of them have reacted with bleach. Each one in a different way – from neon golds, dull golds and bright yellows to purples, pinks and even black! Absolute magic, and I’ll say it again, who would have thought that all that colour and visual drama could come from just a couple of drops of ink? And that Rome Burning…

Inks tested: Violet, Purple Martin, Baystate Concord Grape, Purple Heart, Beaver, Operation Overlord Orange, Park Red, Rome Burning, Army Green, Burma Road Brown, Sequoia Green and Bernanke Black

All tests on Bockingford 200lb watercolour paper using a Desiderata Daedalus with titanium zebra G flex nib.

Many thanks to Brian and Rachel Goulet for the sample vials: https://www.gouletpens.com

Just for the record – I do this for myself, I receive no remuneration what-so-ever and I tell it exactly how I see it.