INK MASHUP: SPRING COLOURS 2016

Time for another ink mashup! I managed to forget the winter edition, just like I did with last years' summer edition. I know, concistency isn't really my forte. 

After a cold, dull winter, spring is all about bright, punchy colors. So I came up with five neat colors that'll look great during this spring period (or any other time of year). In last years' mashup I possibly took those 'bright colors' a bit too serious, and ended up with a few inks that were almost unusable. This time, I think the selection is a bit more user-friendly, but of course that still depends on what you would consider usable, and what you want to use them for (No, I would not recommend signing that important document with a neon-orange ink!)

J,Herbin Lierre Sauvage

The first ink is one I honestly haven't really used that much yet. But right off the bat I'm really liking the color! J.Herbin Lierre sauvage is a well-saturated, slightly darker grass-green ink, and it has a noticeable amount of shading. It strikes a good balance between brightness and usability. If you feel like using a green ink, this would be one that works well in many situations. The only thing to keep in mind is that it doesn't like lesser quality paper, but on Rhodia paper it works just fine! A similar contender would have been Pelikan's Edelstein Aventurine, it's almost identical to this one.  I don't really have a preference between the two.

Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-Rin

Second on the list is another green. Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-Rin is a lighter green, so in terms of usability it's not that high on the list. But being an Iroshizuku ink means that it's well-behaved and has excellent properties. The bright green ink has a subtle olive green tone, noticeable enough to make it stand out from other bright green inks.

J.Herbin Gris Orage

Gris Orage is another one of those lighter inks, but it's actually quite nice for normal use. Gris Nuage is a well-behaved, light grey ink. The main reason I like this ink is the shading. It's very light when wet, but when it dries it gets a nice amount of darker grey shading, which helps in terms of legibility, but it also just looks really good. I'd suggest using this in combination with a wetter nib, which will benefit the shading!

Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin

So this is without a doubt the brightest ink in this selection. The first time I used it, I was stunned by how bright it is, almost as if you're writing with a highlighter! (In fact, that is something you could use it for if you want to) I don't see myself using it all the time, but it's just one of those inks that is a lot of fun to mess around with.

Pelikan Edelstein Aquamarine

Last but not least is a brand new ink, Pelikan's latest ink of the year: Edelstein Aquamarine. It's a lot darker and a bit less saturated than I expected (not at all as bright as the new Souveran M805 Vibrant Blue fountain pen, which I thought it would match) This is one I could see being used as a replacement for the 'standard' blue or blue-black ink! It has a good bit of shading to show off, as well as some red sheen that shows on the right paper (tomoe river, or alike will bring out that lovely sheen!). Of course it's a special edition ink, so if you're interested I wouldn't wait too long, it won't be around forever!

So those are the five inks for this spring mashup! Of course there are loads of other great inks around, but I think these will do a pretty good job getting the spring mood going...

Let me know what you think below! Suggestions for future Mashups are also welcome of course!