Dr. Ph. Martin'sBombay India Ink, 0.5 oz, Set 2 Colors

I don't know why so many people waste so much money on disposable and refillable markers, when this stuff is available. Advantages: Its REAL ink, India ink, to be specific. Colors sets are available that mimic those in basic oil color sets. This is a good thing, as it allows for an infinite range of tones and values that can be created, and done so with a degree of precision, since you can actually measure color ratios for mixing. They are PERMANENT. For real. They mix wonderfully, just as one might expect from such a set. I have also used the Bombay black India ink for many years. Superior products. NOT student grade. A little goes a looooong way. Spring for the set, if you can afford it. If you have good reason to consider it, I doubt you will be disappointed.

I got both Set 1 and Set 2 and reorganized them. Some colors in the magenta and teal ranges are very similar but not identical. I used a pen with a glass nib. The shellac in this makes it waterproof when dry, so you can do a line drawing in any color and then watercolor on top without the lines running. But when I did a test square and put a dot on top it just sat there without absorbing (like if you put a drop of ink on a piece of plastic). So although you can dilute these inks with water they behave very differently from water colors. There is no pigment info provided. The two earth colors, yellow ochre and terra cotta, did not flow from the pen like the other colors. The ink dried pretty hard on my glass nib but I was able to clean it with a toothbrush. When I wanted the color more diluted I first laid down some water and then inked into it. The swatch samples attached to this review has first the undiluted ink, then a diluted strip I did by first wetting a rectangle. I then painted diluted inks layered on top of squares with undiluted dots on top. I took the photo before these dried.

These are fantastic. I was looking for a new medium with vibrant colors and really enjoy these. I bought both sets for the full range of 24 colors. I transferred theink to needle-tipped bottles so I could measure by the drop and mix colors consistently then got to work making basic color charts and swatches. I tried making them with 100% ink at first and it was pretty streaky and goopy, so I experimented with diluting them with water first and found that 1 part water with 2 parts ink really helped reduce that and only needs a few washes to get bright vibrant colors. Equal parts ink and water also provides a smooth even wash and gives the inks more of a watercolor effect. I eventually want to try the brand's watercolors.The color charts are on Bee Paper Company's Aquabee Watercolor paper. It isn't super expensive and you can often get the small pack cheap at craft stores with a coupon. The inks look fairly nice on that paper, and I have also ordered some Arches watercolor paper to see if I can use that for a smoother look. The painting I have posted here is on 100% cotton cardstock (111 lb / 300gsm - super white) which was still a little streaky, but looks pretty cool in real life. I'm hoping the higher quality watercolor paper will help give a smoother look, but it was good for messing around with brush application.

This is a great items. Dr. Ph. Martins inks are of good quality, the colors in this set are deep and rich. The bottle size is good even for travel, doesn't take much space on your work desk, and suits a dipping pen perfectly. That said, I would consider using a bottle holder of some sorts as the bottles tend to fall...Very recommended for inkers of all sorts. I bought this set along with the complementary set, great buy. You won't regret it.A word on Amazon customer service: one of the bottles in this set was probably not properly sealed and spilled. just one bottle, but when I spoke t to Amazon about it, They refunded the whole set+shipping. These people care about the customer!

These paints are awesome, they are not your watercolor paint alternatives which are a lot more expensive. These guys dry extremely quickly and when I put them on my palette, I have to wash it with acetone in order to remove the old paint before mixing new ones. I do use them in my watercolor paintings as I mix them with water and paint quickly and in small chunks. I use maybe a drop or two of the colors and mix them and it lasts because the colors are SOOOO vibrant and high quality. I love these and would absolutely love to try other products in the future.

great colors, easy to use, they are permanent once dried. fun to mix into a water color, where you dont want the colors to blend later or come off. you can use them for a pen ink or with a brush or any other application you would use for a liquid paint or ink. I have not run them through the airbrush yet. they dont have a dropper in them so you need to have those on hand if you dont want to work out of the bottle. but droppers tend to not last long in ink bottles anyway.

I bought this thinking I was buying the Dr Ph Martin Hydrus Watercolor. Because I was shopping on my phone, and the packaging are very similar when looking at a small image, I've mistakenly selected the Bombay India ink instead. Even though it is ink I used it as watercolor. I can do all the technique of a watercolor paint, wash, dry/wet technique and it works. Plus more. The only difference since it is ink it will not re-act with water once the ink is dry. So it will permanently be on your palette and paper/canvas. The color is vivid and apply very smooth no pigment granulation. Happy to discover these and I end up buy the Hydrus and love those too.

These are so freaking amazing!! I was doing a graphic-style sort of project and was looking for something to color my work that would be extremely vibrant - and Wallah!! These did the trick. I was skeptical about using india ink because it was so hard to use in my art classes in school, but I was proven wrong. You do have to work fast, but the colors seemed to blend seamlessly as long as the ink stayed wet. You can also work in layers, which helps too. If you have the money, splurge on an iridescent ink - they are so beautiful and add a new life to your art.