Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Inks - Set 1

(image from Amazon)

Additional Specs for Reference

Based on manufacturer and retailer information.

Color Gallery

Set 1 Color Details

Color	Swatch	Opacity
Magenta		Transparent
Red		Transparent
Bright Red		Transparent
Yellow		Transparent
Grass Green		Transparent
Green		Transparent
Teal		Transparent
Blue		Transparent
Violet		Transparent
Brown		Transparent
Black		Opaque
White		Opaque

Swatch Cards

Ohuhu Double-Sided Marker Paper

Canson XL Mixed Media Paper

Strathmore Toned Tan Mixed Media

Strathmore Toned Gray Mixed Media

Strathmore Toned Blue Mixed Media

Strathmore Black Mixed Media Paper

Media Tests

Media Tester Sketchbook

Test results using the Media Tester Sketchbook | Canson XL Mixed Media (160 GSM)

Gesso Bloom Tests

Picture	Media	Results
	Dry + Ink Base Layer: Raw paper. Top Effect: Black ink splattered and dropped draged.	What I expected, doesn’t move much, no bloom.
	Wet + Ink Base Layer: Water on raw paper. Top Effect: Black ink splattered and dropper dragged.	Love the bloom of the ink, acts a lot like great watercolors. Granulates well.
	Gesso + Wet + Ink Base Layer: Liquitex White Gesso, water added on top. Top Effect: Black ink splattered and dropper dragged.	No real bloom but ink seems to naturally spread through water, but the water just forms puddles.

Test Summary

More Thoughts on Blooms

I did a swatch card with all the inks I have and did so by wetting the paper and then dropping the ink right in the center to see how it blooms. This was using Meedan Watercolor Paper.

Results: India inks spread so well! Like some really good, granulating watercolors. The ink particles spread so well, some even appearing like fractals.

The India inks (left) bloom way better than the acrylic inks (right).

Common Media Bases

Test Goal: To see how India inks work on top of other media.

Methods

• Drew 8 rectangle grid.
• Painted 7 different media in 7 of the squares (white gesso, black gesso, clear gesso, tempura paint sticks, alcohol markers, acrylic markers, and acrylic ink. Allowed to fully dry.
  
• Blank one is the control.
• Three different colors:
  • Black ink for control, white gesso, clear gesso, tempura paint sticks, alcohol markers, and acrylic markers
  • White ink for black gesso and acrylic ink
  • Grass Green ink on all 8.
• Painted black ink or white ink (depending on base color) on left side and blue ink on right. Squiggled with dropper then some ink to spread with water brush…so there are 4 different marks on each square.

Bases & Boxes

Picture	Base Layer + Top Layer
	Base Layer: Raw paper. Top Layer: Black, Grass Green
	Base Layer: Liquitex White Gesso. Top Layer: Black, Grass Green
	Base Layer: Liquitex Black Gesso. Top Layer: White, Grass Green
	Base Layer: TCW Clear Gesso. Top Layer: Black, Grass Green
	Base Layer: Tempura paint sticks. Top Layer: White, Grass Green
	Base Layer: Alcohol markers. Top Layer: Black, Grass Green
	Base Layer: Acrylic markers. Top Layer: Black, Grass Green
	Base Layer: Acrylic ink. Top Layer: White, Grass Green

Test Summary

More Thoughts

• Other than the tempura paint sticks, I had no comments for each background because the India inks worked so well over all of them! It even worked on the acrylic markers and clear gesso. It all felt good.

Alcoholic Reactions

Test Goal: To see how acrylic inks react with alcohol in various forms.

Methods

• Drew 4 rectangle grid.
• Three different ink colors:
  • Bismuth yellow
  • Quinacridone Magenta
  • Cerulean Blue Hue
• Did various combinations of: Dry base, wet base, alcohol base and alcohol spray, drops of ink.

Bases and Boxes

Picture	Media	Results
	Wet + India Ink + Alcohol Spray Base Layer: Water as base, then drops of all three inks until entire section was covered. Top Effect: Alcohol sprayed at various times.	The wetter the ink, the less the alcohol works. But when it works, the ink resists the alcohol and forms bubbles. Note: The handwritten label says “dry” and that is a mistake. Base is wet.
	Dry + India Ink + Alcohol Spray Base Layer: No fluid base, ink dropped on top. Top Effect: Sprayed with alcohol.	Didn’t really react, ink was too pooled/wet.
	Alcohol Base Only Base Layer: Good layer of 99% isopropyl alcohol. Top Effect: Dropped inks on top.	Resited very strongly…ink sort of sat on top. But it did spread a little and created some interesting textures.
	Alcohol Base + Alcohol Spray Base Layer: Alcohol base, ink dropped on top. Top Effect: Alcohol spray.	Had most interest texture effect. Ink really separated in the alcohol.

Test Summary

More Thoughts

• Color combo was primary colors: Red, Blue, Yellow. The color combos created the more muted/deeper colors. When completely combined, they create black.
  
• Interesting granulating effect.
  
• Splatters with alcohol.
  

Overall Strengths & Weaknesses

Rating: 4.8 ★★★★★

What works well

• Works really well in dip pens.
• Blends well with itself.

What doesn't

• Very runny and messy, be careful!
• Alcohol as a base is terrible.

Tips

• Water base creates very nice blooms.
• Use for drawing Doodle Pattern Library.