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Dictionary:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Pen-and-ink drawing

The term ink [Latin: "tincta [aqua]" = tinted water] refers to an intensely colored liquid with which (usually) thin lines can be drawn on paper with the aid of quill pens, brushes or fountain-pens. Ink dries quickly, leaving a highly visible trace so that ink is also well suited for writing on paper. The composition of ink varies widely. The term ink is not even protected by copyright. Basically, drawing ink (Indian ink or India ink) is a special form of ink notable for very strong staining properties. This is because it is colored by brilliant pigments and does not fade, even when exposed to light for a long time. Indian ink (drawing ink) dries more quickly than ink used for writing and is not suitable for use in fountain pens because the pigments in it stop up the cartridges through which the ink flows. Further, Indian ink often contains a binder that makes the pigments stick well to paper. This binder can be an aqueous solution of shellac or water-soluble artificial resins and borax. Indissoluble ink can also be made with shellac size. That means some Indian inks can be scraped off paper, for instance with a razor blade. Artists' drawing inks are often made of fine-particled lampblack (soot), water and binders. In Asian painting, Chinese and Japanese inks are often used that are moulded into sticks or cakes and then made soluble by being rubbed with water on what is known as an inkstone. Appealing works of art can be created by using Indian ink with a pen and a brush.