Writing mediums ... inks and dyes

One of the first inks people used was Sepia.  Sepia ink is extracted from a small cuttlefish found in European coastal waters.  The cuttlefish squirts its inky liquid into the water when it feels threatened, much like a skunk sprays when it’s startled.  Sepia is a reddish brownish color that darkens when applied, then later fades with age.

People also tried soot mixed with oils and gums to make a dark writing fluid. 

There were color dyes and pigments made from plant materials that could also be used for painting or writing.

Calvatia Craniformis (Puffball mushroom) 

Used in Tibet for making ink.

Plant materials like the Puffball mushroom above had to be processed to make ink. These were burned, ground, then soaked in water with a little glue, pressed and left to dry into little ink cakes.   The Chinese were probably the first to make cakes or sticks.  There was a lot of experimentation with soot, plant materials, resins and glues to make a good ink.

Sometimes it would mold or fade or crumble.  Dry ink cakes and sticks can be stored and transported easily, then mixed with water to make the fluid medium when needed.  Ink sticks are often formed into beautiful art forms of their own like the two pictured at right.  

One of the first inks people used was Sepia.  Sepia ink is extracted from a small cuttlefish found in European coastal waters.  The cuttlefish squirts its inky liquid into the water when it feels threatened, much like a skunk sprays when it’s startled.  Sepia is a reddish brownish color that darkens when applied, then later fades with age.

People also tried soot mixed with oils and gums to make a dark writing fluid. 

There were color dyes and pigments made from plant materials that could also be used for painting or writing.

In China, the “four precious things of the library” are given much respect and attention to care.  They are the brush, ink, inkstone, and paper.  Above right is the inkstone used for liquifying the ink stick and loading the brush.  Ink sticks and brush are pictured to the left above.