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--- notes:ink [2025/05/26 01:40] – scumsuck
+++ notes:ink [2025/08/18 06:32] (current) – scumsuck
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 ====== Ink ======
+I use a Pentel Brush Pen and refill it with Platinum's Carbon Black ink with a small syringe.  One day I hope to do ink reviews.
-===== Walnut Ink =====
+===== Important =====
-By Shane
+  * Use fountain pen inks to refill your brush pen, since those are formulated NOT to clog
+  * Things that may clog: shellac (also adds sheen), stuff labeled as "india ink"
-. **Step 1: Gather nuts!** Black walnut trees are native to our area and tend to drop late summer into fall. We've had the most success using nuts collected around October. Nuts collected in Spring (fallen the previous fall) did not produce a dark enough pigment. Older walnuts that have already ripened are ideal. You don't want the green husk or the actual nut itself in your ink. You want the black shells only and the stinkier the better. The amount to gather depends on how much ink you want to produce, I made my first successful batch with enough nuts to fill a large cooking pot. It made approx. 24 bottles of ink.
-. **Step 2: Fermentation** This step has been experimentation for us. We recently tried fermenting by soaking walnut shells in water and then boiling, but that didn't create great pigment for one reason or another. I recommend fermenting in a pot with a lid WITHOUT water for up to a few weeks, and then boiling.
-. **Step 3: Boiling** Put your walnuts into a pot and fill with water. Simmering low and slow for 12+ hours extracted the most color on my first batch.
-. **Step 4: Straining, Preserving, and Bottling** Strain out all the husks, dirt, debris, etc using a strainer into another container. After cooling, you can return the boiled husks to nature! Since we add additives after the cooking process, the boiled husks are safe to compost or give back to the squirrels to munch on. Common additives to ink include binders (to allow the pigment to bind to the paper, essentially) and preservatives. We found binders unnecessary for walnut ink, as they are naturally high in tannins, but we experimented using honey and molasses. We did add rubbing alcohol, which helps preserve the ink but also helps it to dry quicker. We experimented using clove oil as a preservative as well, because the alcohol alone wasn't enough to prevent mold. Adding more alcohol may have been enough to prevent that but we like the scent of clove oil. ![😉](https://discord.com/assets/4742013cbe7dbca0.svg) Once the additives are mixed in, you can funnel into glass containers of your choosing.
-. **Step 5: Tips and Tricks** Walnut ink is very acidic and can eventually eat through plastic, so glass is recommended to store long term. Amber vials are ideal as well because they will prevent light from altering the ink over time. Mold forming on top of the ink is common and not harmful since you aren't consuming the ink (hopefully). You can just skim it off. If you want to prevent mold entirely, you can try sterilizing your storing bottles (like you would for canning fruits and vegetables), using filtered water instead of tap water, adding salt, and making sure you have enough of your preservative of choice. Speaking of mold, if you find molding shells outside on the ground, those produce the best ink! Experimentation is key when making ink. Make lots of notes and do lots of tests!
-. **Step 6: Draw!** Your ink is ready to use! Make some art, gift to friends, sell at farmer's markets.
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