Starry Ink are an ink lab working out of Shanghai, China. Established in 2016 they currently have three collections of ink: Mood Tail, Cold Brew and Sodapop. In 2004 they won a Good Design Award for their Cold Brew Ink, an alternative series of six inks made from 100% natural botanical extracts.
Mood Tail and SODAPOP Season 3
Mood Tail (below) is a series of 3 fountain pen inks: Ankaa Tail, Narwhal Tail and Xenopeltis Tail, ‘that dance to the rhythm of your environment. Sensitive to the subtle shifts in temperature and humidity, these inks transform colours rapidly and reversibly, mirroring the changes in mood as effortlessly as a little animal’s tail.’
They are impressively packaged in cylindrical boxes (see hero image) and reveal some stunning chromatic behaviours. They remind me of the Troublemaker Inks standard ink series but Xenopeltis is a new experience for me. I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like this since swatch testing the Sailor Ink Studio collection. Stunning! And it reacts with bleach.
Cold Brew (above) are an alternative series of six inks made from 100% natural botanical extracts: Black Wolfberry, Calendula, Rose, Carmine, Red Radish and Green Grass. These don’t demonstrate any chromatic nor sheening behaviours and show a mixed reaction to bleach. They come packaged in cylindrical boxes (see hero image). Of the six, Red Radish stood out with its very distinctive smell and Green Grass for its pigment ink look and feel.
The SODAPOP collection (above) is available in boxes of four. These beautifully packaged and labelled mini bottles (see hero image) are distinguished by season. Silver and gold shimmer powders (with spoons) are also available should you wish to customise them.
Referencing the above image left to right, top to bottom:
Season 1: Vilot, Seasalt, Peach and Wine are lovely shading inks with fabulous chromatography. Great reaction to bleach.
Season 2: Olive, Maple Syrup, Cheese and Raspberry are more intense colours with less chromatography. Great reaction to bleach.
Season 3: Misty River, Vanity Land, Wildfires and Laputan are even more intense colours with gorgeous sheens. You’ll get a bleach reaction in the less saturated areas.
Season 4: Grapefruit, Lime, Mint and Watermelon are similar in behaviour to Season 2.
Many thanks to Starry Ink for sending me the samples to investigate. A lovely range of inks with plenty of character. For further information click here for their website.
HEY! If you’re interested to know more about how to use fountain pen inks in more creative ways – whether it’s simply to observe their chromatic behaviours, or, to recreate one of my swatch cards, or, to learn how to use them in watercolour painting, illustration and calligraphy, why not check out my online course?
FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART 