I am very excited about the new
De Atramentis Document White ink (DeA hereafter).
I use white inks from time to time, mostly in sketching, and have finally found
good white ink sketch pens: Faber-Castell PITT artist pen WHITE 101 (fat, pale white,
love it), and the Uniball Signo UM-153 (think brilliant white lines).
However, I love fountain pens, and also paint with inks in place of watercolors from
time to time. I want waterproof inks. I also don’t want to contribute,
however small, to the mounting plastic headed for the dump.
I began tests, playing on smooth paper, above, and Canson paper, rough, below.
On smooth paper (granted the paper is yellow but it is against the other inks) the ink doesn’t perform quite as well as on the more textured Canson papers.
I brushed the DeA ink and wrote with the Jinhao, below, on Canson papers:
Sometimes I test while making silly cards for Mitchell.
I also popped some Luma watercolors over the top to test the waterproof qualities.
Everything is excellent: crisp, brilliant, waterproof.


Conclusion, I LOVE IT!
I will keep my Pitt and Uniball Signo for travel, as I can leave them in for long periods of time without use — but the De Atramentis Document white ink is a keeper!
Bright Ideas multi-color journal and Canson Blue homemade folding journal; Jinhao pen (too fat and heavy for words) with De Atramentis Document white ink, and comparisons to the White Uniball Signo and fat Pitt white pen. Some Daniel Smith watercolors.
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I like how it gives you options to use colored backgrounds. I’m sure it’s not the only way, but it’s a stunning effect.
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That was fast on the draw (pun intended). A friend regularly uses white pens on grey sketch paper; I tend to use it mostly in the Bright Ideas journal.
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Hmm…. I have not had the courage yet to get into tinted paper, but Cathy Johnson uses it, and I am so impressed by her skill to paint/draw with whites! And you love the white, and make me want to jump at the idea…and get a bottle! Of ink, of course!! 😜
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The woman who has really inspired me to go back to colored paper for sketches is Pat Southern-Pearce. I love what she does and she uses white to pop drawings. Canson makes sketchbooks still, I think, in black and grey. I will eventually put it into a cheap Preppie pen to haul around with me.
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I love Pat so much!! She is my muse! ☺️
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For many of us!
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The DeA white looks like a keeper. I too have a Jinhao pen – orange – I was seduced by the colour and it’s a beast, only good to stay at home!
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Yes. I’d not buy another — I like big pens but this is HUMONGOUS — but the DEA White is excellent.
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