Walnut drawing ink.

I don’t want to go back to the time when scribes had to whittle their own pens, skin their own goats and cook their own ink. Where reasonable substitutes exist, be reasonable.

Walnut ink used to be made from walnuts. Walnut Drawing Ink (by Tom Norton Designs) isn’t.

"A naturally derived walnut colored ink"
"A naturally derived walnut colored ink"

A “Walnut Drawing Stick” can be bought separately. I was curious enough to buy it. One end is a straightedge, the other tipped with stiff foam.

Walnut drawing stick, foam tip
Walnut drawing stick, foam tip

I first used it with a G nib, drawing loosely in a Mnemosyne notepad. Walnut Drawing Ink is waterproof and plays well with watercolor.

Blues and browns
Blues and browns

I tried the straightedge.

Not gothic, not italic
Not gothic, not italic

And the foam chisel.

Smooshing lines together
Smooshing lines together

Good for a change of pace, although not something I find will make it into regular use for me.

Lyrics, practice
Lyrics, practice

Dripping water onto a walnut wash lifts the stain and exposes the paper underneath. I like the effect, and I can see myself experimenting with it more.