Ink Art Is Among The First Arts
Little survives in art outside of metal or stone in art from ancient history. Among those that do survive Ink Art is among them.
Those few pieces which we are left with are beautiful and give so much insight to art history.
While predominately those works which have survived come from Asian and Greek culture these are not the only places it was used or could be found. The history of ink art is deep and can be traced back to the dawn of time.
The more interesting aspect of Ink Art is its cultivation across time in how it was used from paper to canvas. We will then reach beyond this to see how ink is used today.
Ancient Ink Art
The oldest surviving Ink Art would most likely be Greek in origin and is called “The Abduction of Briseis”. It dates to somewhere near 300 BC and was drawn on papyrus.
This though was not the beginning of this visual art, but rather the oldest found surviving. It is clear that Classical Art held great influence upon the future generations that would come.
In more primitive cultures soot was taken and mixed with water to form a very crude “ink” to paint stone with. In many ways the cave drawings from ancient times were made much in the same way as early inks were.
The first drawing ink made is known to be from China dating to near 3000 BC. While the Chinese may be the first recorded much of what survived came from later periods of history.
Egyptian culture began using more sophisticated inks dating to near 2500 BC. Their ink would be a combination of finely ground charcoal mixed with gum or glue.
This base would allow for the ink to be diluted as needed. It would not take long for color to be added but Egypt was not the first here.
The Chinese would create inks based upon plant dyes near the same time as the Egyptians began their use. The difference with this ink variation was the ability of alternative colors from the dye.
This development is believed to be somewhere near 2300 BC.
All of this leads to the realization that ink being used as art has existed for as long as mankind has sought to create. What is hard to really know is who was first, or if ink had a single point of origin. If it did perhaps it could spread due to migration or trade.
No matter what its origin may have been the most unfortunate part of its story is how too few works survived through history. Ultimately we are left with more permanent markers in time such as stone and metal.
Ink Art In The Renaissance
While there are many works of art which predate the Renaissance across many cultures from Europe to Asia, it would be this period that revolutionized art as a whole.
Ink Art also underwent changes that would broaden its use and impact. The use of ink would find its way into many styles of art. This included the more difficult works within naturalism.
Among the many revolutionary changes which the world saw was the fine metal point pen being used. Leonardo Da Vinci has works which are well known for the use of this tool. What becomes interesting is the ink used.
In Italy the ink made was known as iron gall. The key ingredients were gall nuts, water or wine, and then this would be strained.
Once complete iron sulfates were added. This was then combined with Arabic gum which acted as a binder.
The ink was permanent and could not be removed. The one drawback to the ink is that it would fade. The drawings we see today which appear brown were originally black.
One of the early issues with Ink Art was not the ink itself but the tool used to apply it. Large scale works were difficult to compose due to the quill or metal tip needing to be dipped repeatably. For this reason many works were not large.
Of course ink could be applied by brush and was often done. Yet this negated the desired influence of fine lines across a larger scale. One would become limited by what line a brush could produce in art.
What makes the Renaissance so unique when compared to other cultures of the world was its freedom in exploration. The artists sought to push the limits of what could be done with the resources and technology that they had.
Ink Art had its rise in popularity due to this exploration and also the ease of availability. With time its popularity would not decline. It would take an idea of creating a reservoir of ink in a pen that would begin to revolutionize the art once again.
Modern Ink Art
It would be in the 1800s that a new invention would take the world by storm. The fountain pen would allow for a reservoir of ink to be held within the pen.
Naturally this would immediately appeal to artists.
Few know the first ballpoint pen was created in 1888. Yet the innovation for ink art did not end here. What is equally important as the tool is the ink itself. The nature of how an ink is made, how it dries, and blends becomes imperative.
It would be advances in alcohol, acrylic, and watercolor inks that would ultimately allow these to be the most sought after by artists.
The benefits ranged widely in how their use allowed for greater bonding to the surfaces and range of colors that could be achieved.
Alcohol ink could be applied to slick surfaces and it would dry quickly. Yet it could also be applied to paper or canvas as long as it is non porous with the same efficiency. If the paper is porous the ink would blot and soak into the paper rendering art as an impossibility.
There was an additional hidden benefit to this alcohol variant. Once alcohol ink dried it could be “revived”. By applying more ink to the surface it would allow two colors to be blended or transformed if desired by the artist.
Additionally there are other specialty tools today which aid in this blending. Blending pens can be purchased but also other home made tools using alcohol are common to find.
Application Of Alcohol Ink Art
Application methods are not limited to pens alone. Nevertheless they do exist and can easily be had at any art store and even Amazon.
The days of dipping your quill are long behind us. Yet the creative nature of artists do not allow them to be confined to a little stick with ink.
One common application technique for alcohol Ink Art is with fine qtips. The ink an artists uses for this will come in a small bottle which is then mixed with medical rubbing alcohol.
Some prefer the 70% range while others prefer the highest purity that can be purchased.
Once the ink is mixed to the liking of the artist the qtip or other application method is used much like a brush. An advantage to this method is the ability to also custom blend color, value, hue, and also blend as desired.
Here the artist is not confined to the predefined colors which are found in pens from manufacturers. They also gain a wider choice in how the ink is applied for the artwork.
Acrylic Ink For Ink Art
Acrylic is another very popular ink used within Ink Art. Instead of alcohol the pigments are suspended in a polymer emulsion. There is a couple cool benefits to acrylic ink.
This ink can be used in spraying. Yeah thats pretty cool. I say spraying as in airbrushing. Yet it can also be used in stamping. One of the reasons for this ink being a favorite among artists is how it has a strong bond to the canvas used.
Paper, wood, stone, metal, or card stock this ink will bond and hold. There are some sacrifices which one surrenders when compared to alcohol. Among the sacrifices made is the blending of the colors after dried.
Watercolor Ink Art
The key differences to note here between watercolor ink and its acrylic counterpart is the vibrant colors. Watercolor ink wins the day in color.
This becomes important when one is taking a physical work and scanning or photographing art for digital use.
Another really cool thing about watercolor ink is that it can be thinned and used in a fountain pen. Not all of these “inks” can be used as easily in pens as odd as that may sound. Needless to say not all inks are equal.
As for other forms of application in Ink Art, one can expect to use many of the same tools as used in other arts such as brushes. The thickness of the ink can be adjusted as needed and will dry solidly to most surfaces.
It does not have the same bonding to alternative surfaces like Acrylic does.
India Ink Art
India ink is a bit unique from the others I have mentioned thus far. More commonly it is used in things such as calligraphy, outlining, or defining boundaries within art. Yet it does have many other cool uses.
Ink blots can be made then blown across a surface to create effects that are then allowed to dry. Water can also be placed on a surface and then ink added to watch it move through the canvass where the water was applied.
These are more special effects which can be made with this ink. It comes in primary colors and is limited in the scope of its use. Nevertheless for the function which it serves for Ink Art, there are few that can compare.
India Ink is sold as a liquid but also one can buy ink sticks. These sticks are mixed with the water which the artist can control how they desire the ink is to be blended.
Modern Ink Art Has No Limits
Periods of history were greatly limited by the chemistry of their day. Today within Ink Art there are limitless possibilities. There even exists something which is called “distressed ink” that is used for creating a faux distressed appearance.
The flexibility artists have today reaches to places before could not be imagined. In addition to the flexibility is the durability.
Additives, binders, and the chemistry of the ink itself allows for art to survive for an extended period of time.
Ink Art is common to find in mixed media formats due to how flexible it is with paints and the potential surfaces an artist may use. Without a doubt this medium is here to stay and has not diminished in popularity across time.
If you are seeking to explore the potential of ink art one can begin with tracing the art to paper. After this you can apply different inks and methods to the paper to see which feel and style you prefer.
Explore some of the common inks or pens, but also be willing to try more traditional methods. You may be surprised at what you like.
For The Hardcore Traditional Artist
I will not give the recipes here but there does exist the methods of reproducing ink from history. My reason for not detailing these recipes is more out of my lack of experience in them.
If a contributor comes along willing to fill in this gap I would be more than willing to add their work here.
Yet in not wishing to lead anyone astray due to my incompetence I will remain with what I do know.
These recipes are on the web and some methods will have slight variations. It is interesting to see how these inks are home made and brought back to life from history.
I bring this note forward for the purpose of art preservation and history. I am thankful that there are those who pursue the old ways across many of the arts.
Ink Art is something I would not have expected to find being remembered from older times.
Nevertheless this goes to show that there are people out there who are passionate about their work and the path they are on. We always need to keep our history and pass it forward to the next generation.
As for what I do know about these inks is little. They typically have a short shelf life and are meant to be used as it is made. Research carefully and follow instructions from those who are more qualified than me. Once done send me images and I will place them here.