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Question asked 2023-02-05 14:28:59 ...
Most recent comment 2023-02-08 11:03:03
Pen
Ink
Egg Tempera
Drawing Materials
Hello,
Recently I started to use egg tempera (yolk+water and carbon black pigment) instead of pigmented indian ink to draw on paper. I draw in closed room now in winter and would like to avoid hydrocarbons in indian ink. The problem is that steel nib dip pen asks for frequent diping in egg tempera, so I think I will try to use fountain pen instead. On market there are ones with converter i.e, refilling option.
Is it possible to use fountain nib pen filled with egg tempera instead indian ink to draw on paper?
Anyone have experience, Koo?
Kind regards,
DamirP.
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Moderator Answer
(koo schadler)
Hi Damir,
I've tried egg tempera in a ruling pen, and if you get the consistency correct (neither too thick nor too thin) it works beautifully. I've never tried ET in a fountain pen. My guess is that, once the paint is properly tempered (correct ratio of egg to pigment) you could thin it substantially with water and use it in a pen. The trick would be to thoroughly wash out the pen immediately after use, as any ET left in the chamber would putrefy, and ET left in the nib would polymerize and clog it. Not sure what carbon black you are using, but my preference is Channel Black, which has an extremely small particle size. Guerra Paint in NYC sells it as a dispersion.
I am not an ink expert by any means, but my understanding is that India inks are not hydrocarbon-based. Traditionally I believe they have a binder of shellac (alcohol soluble); some "modern" versions use a synthetic polymer binder (water soluble). Perhaps one of those binders/dilutants would suit your purposes?
Koo
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Moderator Answer
(brian baade)
The binder in inks vary from manufacturer and lines. Waterproof vs
non-waterproof would also be a factor. The old Higgens waterproof ink was and
probably still is a shellac soap made water soluble by adding an alkali. It
becomes water insoluble after drying. In
addition to the binder, make sure that the ink is pigmented and not dye based.
Not only could the resultant lines be fugitive to light, but they may also
bleed through superimposed paint layers.
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Moderator Answer
(brian baade)
I have not seen alcohol included in recipes for shellac
soap. If it was included, yes it would completely evaporate from the ink.
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