Look through photos on social media platforms like Instagram and it won’t take long before you see the popularity of ink splat photos. There’s a good reason ink splats are so popular. They can show off all of the properties of ink, from shading to sheen, and usually represent the different colors you can expect to get from a given ink. If you’ve always wondered how to make an ink splat, I’ll show you a few different methods you can use.
How To Make An Ink Splat
The first thing you’ll need is some ink and paper. Ideally you’ll use a high-quality paper that will show any sheen that the ink might have. I do all of my splats inside a small plastic container so that ink doesn’t fly all over the place. While it is not required, it helps keep mess to a minimum and also makes cleanup much easier. Finally, you’ll need something to pull ink out of the bottle and transfer it onto the paper. This could be a pen, eyedropper, syringe, cotton swab or something else.
The Different Kinds Of Ink Splat
It might surprise you to hear that there are many different ways to make an ink splat. Each method will give different results, so feel free to try each one and see which you like the best. Also, these terms and definitions are all my own. They make sense to me, but if you don’t like what I call them, don’t get too hung up on the word and focus on the technique instead.
Splat – This is one of the two most popular types of splat and is what comes to mind when I think of the word “splat”. The body of the ink splat is fairly well contained, but still random enough to look different every time. To get this splat you’ll need a bit of pressure behind the ink, so I use a 1ml syringe (a larger one will work as well). I pull up the syringe about .05 ml to get some air into the barrel. I then put it into the ink and pull up another .05ml so the syringe is at .1ml… half ink, half air. I hold the tip of the needle about 1 inch over a piece of paper and quickly push down the plunger. This squirts the ink on to the paper, giving a nice sized splat. You’ll want to be careful that you don’t use too much ink, otherwise you’ll get more of a splash.




On this 1ml syringe, I fill it up with .05ml of ink and .05ml of air, which means the bottom of the syringe is at 0.1ml




To make an ink splash, you’ll want to hold the syringe about 1-inch from the paper and at a 45-degree angle.




To make an ink splatter, I hold the syringe about 4-inches from the surface of the paper and shoot the ink straight down.




Ink Drop – A simple circle of ink with scalloped edges. (Ink: Iroshizuku Yama-budo and Krishna Jungle Volcano)
Conclusion
Even if you’re an experienced ink splatter, hopefully you learned a new technique from this article. While writing or doodling is a great way to use your fountain pens, sometimes you just want to play with ink. That’s when making some ink splats can be really satisfying. If you want to get a little creative with your splats, try combining different ink colors or techniques on the same piece of paper and see what you get.
Comments 7
John – what causes the multi-coloured splats? For example, the Diamine Blue in a photo above. Where does the red come from? Indeed, any of your photos. The Krishna Jungle Volcano – how can all those colours come from one splat/splash of one ink?
Author
Noel, those different colors are caused by the sheen an ink has. While it won’t show up in every ink, many modern inks will have at least a little bit of sheen. You can read more about it here: http://fountainpenlove.com/fountain-pen-ink/what-is-sheen-in-fountain-pen-ink/
It’s amazing how I just needed to google once in order to find exactly what I was looking for – splats I had figured out myself, but making drops caused me some headache. Thank you for your advice, I shall go home and give it a go!
Author
That’s great, Milla! I hope your drops came out like you wanted!
John, I watched the Goulet video on this topic, and now I read your blog. Both complement each other. I had so much fun last night spattering!!
Author
Carol, I haven’t see that video yet. Glad you’re having fun with splats! I’ll have to check it out!
Or should I say “splattering”?
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