Just hit 27 distinct ink mixes using only the three basic Noodler's bulletproof colors. It's way more possible than people think.

I got bored last month and decided to see how many unique, usable writing inks I could make from just Noodler's Black, Navajo Turquoise, and Empire Red. I figured I'd get maybe 10. After hitting 27 confirmed, stable mixes in my swatch book, I'm convinced the 'you need a huge collection' mindset is holding people back. Most are just simple ratios, like 4:1 turquoise to red for a deep teal, or a 3:2:1 split of all three for a murky, interesting grey-green. The real trick was adding a single drop of distilled water to some blends to change the saturation without killing the permanence. Has anyone else done a deep dive with a severely limited starter palette? What was your count?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_coleman617d ago

Yeah, the water drop trick is a game changer for sure. I started logging my mixes in a cheap notebook, just a grid with ratios and a swatch, and it stopped me from forgetting that perfect grey I made. Found that a 5:1 black to red mix, with just a tiny bit of water, makes this really cool faded brick color that's nothing like the parts it came from.

seanh9112h ago

That water drop trick really is the secret weapon. Read a blog post a while back where someone called it "activating" the mix, which makes sense. It's like the difference between a thick paste and something that actually flows. Your faded brick color sounds awesome, makes me want to try a heavy black-to-turquoise mix next to see if I can get a stormy sea color.

the_olivia7d ago

Twenty-seven? That's insane. @kelly_coleman61 logging mixes in a notebook is smart, I'd forget everything.