Ink

Ink is an ancient medium for writing and drawing in liquid or paste form, traditionally black or brown, though it may also contain coloured dyes or pigments. Historically common types include carbon (soot) ink, iron-gall inks based on tannins and natural sepia. Artists apply ink with a pen, brush or reed, and when diluted with water it yields transparent washes, whereas undiluted it gives a rich, deep black. This flexibility suits ink both to crisp line and to soft tonal washes. Ink holds a central place in many traditions: in East Asian brush-and-ink painting, in European pen drawing of the Renaissance and Baroque, and in calligraphy and book graphics. Ukrainian graphic artists used ink in easel drawing, book illustration and the ex-libris, achieving an expressive linear language. In the twentieth century ink remained the basis of line art for print, comics and illustration. Owing to its simplicity, durability and expressiveness it is still widely used by artists today, alongside new liquid acrylic inks.