Category Archives: review

Inky Thots: Birmingham’s NEW Electron

Posted on October 24, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I am finally getting to my new bottles of the new improved ink colors from Birmingham Pen Company, beginning with the stunning bright blue Birmingham Electron ink, made to commemorate the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, the first full-scale PWR nuclear … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #birminghamelectronink, #birminghaminks, #birminghampens, #blueink, #electronblueink, #inkpainting, #inkreview, #madeinusa, #notinktober, #pittsburgh, #pittsburghpennsylvania, #reviewink, art journal | 3 Comments

Inky Thots: Robert Oster Heart of Gold

Posted on September 19, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I am not a gold gurl (silver is my jam), not even a glitter gurl (well, sometimes…)… BUT I am loving Robert Oster’s line of shimmery golden inks. This review is for Robert Oster Shake N Shimmy Heart of Gold! … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #bronzeink, #fountainpenfriendly, #glittergurl, #glitterink, #goldink, #Hahnemühle, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #robertosterink, #shakenshimmy, #shimmerink | 3 Comments

Inky Thots: Robert Oster Aussie Liquid Gold

Posted on August 21, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I love Robert Oster Shake & Shimmer Heart of Gold ink, (shown for comparison), but the wow factor in Robert Oster Shake & Shimmer Aussie Liquid Gold ink, a clear bright yellow-gold is amazeballs (a technical term)! Above, you can … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #fountainpenfriendly, #glittergurl, #glitterink, #Hahnemühle, #inkpainting, #inkreview, #liquidgoldink, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #reviewink, #robertosterink, #shakenshimmy | 4 Comments

Tools: Robert Oster Glorious Inks

Posted on August 10, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

There is nothing like the gift of color! All that possibility wrapped in glorious juicy inks from Robert Oster Signature inks!! I will be playing with these soon, but had to at least share my newest bounty! A couple I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, journal, pen & ink, review, sketchbook | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #austrailianopalblueink, #chartreuse, #clayredink, #dragonsnightink, #envygreenink, #Hahnemühle, #middleofthenight, #ngspecial16ink, #nostalgiejournal, #peachink, #purpleink, #robertosterink, #verdederioink, art journal, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal | Leave a comment

Inky Thots: Robert Oster Midnight Sapphire

Posted on July 30, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

Robert Oster Midnight Sapphire might need to be renamed Blueberry, though it is a moody deep blue-purple perfect for skies! My blueberries ere built of of layers of darker color and a little linework at the end while the paper … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #architecturalsketching, #artjournal, #artjournaling, #austrailianink, #blueink, #inkpainting, #inkreview, #lovethestub, #midnightsapphireink, #purpleink, #reviewink, #robertosterink, #twsbilove, #ultraflexnib | 4 Comments

Inky Thots: Diamine Festive Cheer

Posted on July 21, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

From their website: “Manufacturers since 1864, Diamine Inks relocated to this state of the art factory in Liverpool in 1925, where they successfully carried on using the traditional methods and formulas for ink production. Over the years the company has … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, process, review, sketchbook, tools, watercolor, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #blueink, #diamineink, #festivecheerink, #Lamy, #lamyalstar, #lamystubnib, #lovethestub, #sheeningink, art journal | Leave a comment

Tools: WaterPROOF Inks

Posted on July 13, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I had someone get a bit heated with me for insisting that the right words be used for waterPROOF and water resistant. *I can take it* The reason the distinction is important is artists need to know waterPROOF in order … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, ink painting, painting, pen & ink, process, review, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleTonedWatercolourBook, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #waterproofinks, De Atramentis Document ink, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Platinum Carbon pen, Super5 ink | 5 Comments

Tools: Fineline Masking Fluid

Posted on May 29, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

A few years ago Tracey Fletcher King turned me onto Fineline Masking Fluid. I tried others and found them sticky and thick and messy; not what I wanted in the ways I wanted to use a masking fluid. Fineline’s masking … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, class, creativity, journal, painting, process, review, sketchbook, tools, watercolor, writing | Tagged #brightwatercolors, #cuppa, #danielsmithwatercolors, #finelinemaskingfluid, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleCezanne, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #HahnemühleWatercolourBook, #HahnemühleTonedWatercolourBook, #holbeinwatercolor, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, Fineline masking fluid, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, review, watercolor | 8 Comments

1584 by Hahnemühle Giveaway!

Posted on February 23, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

DRUM-ROLL…. And the TWO winners are: From this blog post pull: atoomre! Our winner on Instagram is stacy.hannon! CONGRATS! EMAILS ARE ON THEIR WAY! BTW, they can be purchased at Wet Paint Art and Hyatt! To hear about classes and … Continue reading →

Posted in calligraphy, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #fountainpenfriendly, #giveaway, #Hahnemühle, #Hahnemühle1584Journal, #jinhaoshark, #middleofthenight, #monteverdeink, Hahnemühle 1584 Journal | 2 Comments

1584 by Hahnemühle Giveaway!

Posted on February 15, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

The new 1584 Journal by Hahnemühle was sent to me for review by Hahnemühle. They also sent me two journals for giveaway! I added everything you need for your first day out with your journal! To enter, sign up below … Continue reading →

Inky Thots: Troublemaker’s Sea Glass!

Posted on February 4, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve been waiting to try Troublemaker Inks for a long time… My first bottle (there will be more) finally arrived from Cebu, a province of the Philippines after several weeks, and that after waiting to order for several months. Now … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #fountainpenfriendly, #Hahnemühle, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #PilotParallelpen, #troublemakerinks | 6 Comments

Inky Thots: Robert Oster Sterling Silver!

Posted on January 27, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve been asking Robert Oster to pleeeeze make a lovely silver… I am not a gold gurl, not even a glitter gurl, but I am a silver gurl… while I love Robert’s Heart of Gold (below) (and it is one … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #fountainpenfriendly, #glittergurl, #glitterink, #Hahnemühle, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #robertosterink, #shakenshimmy, #sterlingsilver | 7 Comments

Dingbats Journal, Review

Posted on January 21, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I have tried three of Dingbat’s journals, two of the Wildlife and one of the Earth series, left and right, above. A huge reason I chose them over others was their commitment to the environment, and their pretty covers. I … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, process, review, writing | Tagged #dingbatjournal, #fountainpenfriendly, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #robertosterink, dingbat, earth, Lamy Joy, Platinum Carbon pen, TWSBI ECO 1.1stub, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Inky Thots: Diamine Ancient Copper

Posted on August 23, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, process, review, sketchbook, tools, watercolor, writing | Tagged #ancientcopperink, #artjournal, #artjournaling, #diamineink, #Lamy, #lamyalstar, #lamystubnib, #lovethestub, #PilotMetropolitan, #platinumpreppypen, #urbansketching, art journal, buddha, echinacea, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, USk | Leave a comment

Tools: Sheaffer’s Skrip Red Ink 02

Posted on August 10, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

I found a great deal on a vintage ink, and have read that they often are still good. I bought it because the very cool jar it comes in has an inkwell to the side, and figured I could always … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, pen & ink, review, tools | Tagged #moonmandippen, #redink, #sheafferskripink, #vintageinks | 4 Comments

Inky Thots: Robert Oster Fire Engine Red

Posted on August 7, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

A couple of years ago I went on a hunt for a perfect red. Being a primary color, a “perfect red” needs to be neither leaning yellow-orange, nor to purple-blue… it needs to be that lovely middle color! My favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, review, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #diplomataero, #fireengineredink, #fountainpeninkreview, #inkpainting, #inkreview, #notredamecathedral, #redpeppers, #robertosterink, #theperfectred, #ultraflexnib, #valentinesday, art journal, posies | 6 Comments

Inks: SketchInks versus Super5

Posted on July 31, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

Just a quick review of SketchINKs versus Super5 inks… WATERPROOF! Not at all scientific as I’ve not bought ALL the SketchINKs and so cannot comment on them all… but in my limited experience with the two SketchINKs I have bought, … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, ink painting, pen & ink, review, sketchbook | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #australiaink, #dublinink, #emmaink, #marleneink, #sketchinks, #waterproofinks, Super5 ink | Leave a comment

Inky Thots: Robert Oster Melon Tea

Posted on July 22, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

I LOVE complex colors — Inks (or watercolors) that are just a little unpredictable in that they change and do their own thing when touched by water! Some all it shading, but it rarely happens except in wide nibbed pens. … Continue reading →