Gold Inks: Our Most Popular Golden Ink Choices for Calligraphers
One color that calligraphers and other artists seem to like to use in their work is gold. It can definitely add a certain shimmer to any project and really make the lettering stand out. For this post, we wanted to take a look at some of our most popular inks and gouaches which feature a gold color and present some color charts to make the decision of which one is the right gold for your needs a bit easier.
Our Best Selling Gold Inks
Before getting to some of the top choices for gold calligraphy inks, we should mention that we sell 2 sampler sets of golds. Set #1 comes with six different gold inks in 1/2 oz. jars. While, Set #2 comes with five different selections. This way, you can try out a wide array of different shades, and find the one that’s best for your projects!
I27 Dr. Ph Martin’s Spectralite Ink– There are two different golds available from Dr. Martin’s Spectralite line of inks, the 14 karat and then the 18 karat gold. Spectralite is popular for pointed pen work. 1oz plastic dropper bottle.
Acrylic. Waterproof when dry. The 18 karat is far and away the most popular of the two and indeed probably the most popular gold of all. Take a look at the following color charts for more detail:
The (I27) Dr. Ph Martin’s Spectralite color chart
Here is another sample chart of these inks in action:
(I16) Dr. Ph. Martin’s Iridescent Calligraphy Ink– Another wildly popular option for gold ink is the Copperplate Gold in the Dr. Martin’s Iridescent Ink. These colors flow out of a broad edge pen like ink. 1oz glass bottles with dropper top. Colors can be mixed. Truly waterproof when dry. The manufacturer says they are lightfast.
(I56) W&N Gold Drawing Ink– Both Mike Kecseg and Valerie Weilmunster recommended this gold for decorating letters at their classes at IAMPETH. 1oz glass bottle.
(I13) FW Acrylic Artist’s Ink– There are two gold options available from FW Acrylic. These acrylic inks are for dip pen, brush, and technical pens (but not fountain pens). Pigmented, water-resistant. Lightfastness: either 3 (permanent) or 4 ( highly permanent) star rating. Fully intermixable. Can be thinned (with water) for washes which dry water-resistant and additional painting or lettering can be done on top without bleeding or intermixing of colors.
Here is the Color Chart for I13
As you can see from the chart, the Imitation Gold is more of a yellow gold than the Shimmering Gold is.
What’s the Best Gold Colored Gouache for Calligraphy?
Schmincke Gold Pearl is our best selling gouache. Other great choices are Holbein Brilliant Gold and Pearl Gold. We sell a Gold Gouache Sampler featuring the following selections:
- Schmincke Gold Pearl Gouache
- Holbein Pearl Gold Gouache
- Holbein Brilliant Gold Gouache
- Winsor & Newton Gold Gouache
- Talens Deep Gold Gouache
- Talens Light Gold Gouache
The sampler currently includes the six above types of gold colored gouaches. This allows you to test and try out all of our different golds, before committing to buying a full bottle! Each comes in a mini jar, ready for you to add water to and get started on finding your favorite shade.
