Pssst! Want the TL;DR?

• My favorite, affordable ink brand is Dr. Ph Martin’s
• Feel free to use a variety of brushes (watercolor and “junk” brushes), not just bamboo brushes
• Nib pens, toothpicks, and paper towels are all excellent tools to add to your India ink toolkit

Hello, and welcome to the India Ink series, part two! 

I love talking about different art brands and supplies. Research rabbit holes are something I have a mildly unhealthy obsession with, so product comparison is my jam. 

I don’t sell any India ink products on my site (yet). But when you google India ink tips, not much comes up, at least not much on the way I like to use India ink. Thus, this series (read the first part here). 

Anyway, let’s get into my personal India Ink supply kit! 

The Ink: Dr. Ph Martin’s

Aside from a couple pots of no-name brand ink, Dr. Ph Martin’s is the only brand I’ve used. The set I have right now is their Bombay India Ink, Set 1. This set comes with 12 of their 24 colors of Bombay India ink, and they check all the boxes - lightfast, non-spreading, waterproof, and more. In case you couldn't tell, I like them. Plus, they’re pretty affordable!

The Brushes

 

My main brushes are these three, simple bamboo handle brushes. They hold a buttload of ink in them, and are very soft, which makes them great for washes and loose lines. Also, they look pretty. 

I also use some of my watercolor brushes a lot. This should be totally fine (unless you have fancy, expensive brushes) as long as you clean them really well before the ink dries. Like I said before, the ink is waterproof. Meaning: it’d be very difficult to clean it off of your brushes after it dries. I highly recommend buying some kind of pen cleaner so you can safely and thoroughly clean all your supplies. 

 

Then, like with pretty much any medium, there are junk brushes. Obviously, because I use them, they are not completely junk. But when you want to use as few watercolor brushes as possible, or need a weird size or texture, the bad brushes you don’t use anymore come in really handy. 

 

Of course, you can use your brushes however you like. But here’s some general guidelines I usually follow, if you’re curious:

• Bamboo brushes for washes, lighter tones, and gestures

• Watercolor brushes for controlled dark tones, small details, and hard lines

• Cheap brushes for everything in between

Miscellaneous Tools

Aside from brushes and ink, there are a few other odds and ends I like to use: 

• Nib tip pens: these are great for consistent, fine lines. I am terrible at calligraphy, and have no interest in getting better, but I do love using these nib tips for fine lines. They’re very helpful for adding wisps of hair, or maybe some eyelashes. I just use a cheap handle that came with a set of different tips.

 

 

• Toothpicks: Toothpicks work a lot like the nib pen, but the lines are less consistent and hold a lot less ink, so you need to refill them (dip them in the ink) frequently. This isn’t bad—it’s just how the toothpick works, and means you’ll probably need it for different situations than you would a nip pen. I like using toothpicks when I’m not concerned about details or realistic lines (which is most of the time with India ink). 

• Paper towels: Paper towels are your best friend. India ink is permanent. If you make a mistake, there’s no erasing it—you can, however, significantly lighten the mistake, if you’re quick. Immediately (gently) scrub water on it with a clean brush, and then soak up all the liquid with a paper towel. It’s like watercolor paint, but with only a seconds-long correction window. 

• Literally anything else: Like with any medium, the tools you use don’t matter that much. Masking fluid could be neat (I’ve never tried it), and so could an apple slice. A bamboo pen is probably fun, and so is a bubble wand. Experiment, and see what happens.

 

I hope this was a helpful list of India ink essentials for beginners. India ink is one of my favorite mediums of all time, and I’m excited I get to share it with you!

Until next time,

Lydia