click here to buy this drawing as a sticker

• Colour: An incredibly electric cobalt blue.
• Special Attributes:
  • Shade: Nothing to write home about, no. In big swatches there is some.
  • Sheen: Yes, on Tomoe River paper there is a dull red/gold sheen.
  • Shimmer: None.
• Watercolour Usage: I’m just as surprised as anyone that the ink with a reputation for staining everything it touches dries pretty immovably. That’s not to say that it’s waterproof, but it’s not too bad. Good for writing, bad for watercolour washes.
• Harkens to mind: The summer sky; the part in David Bowie’s “Sound and Vision” when he says “Blue, blue, electric blue, that’s the colour of my room where I will live.”; true primary blue.
• Similar to: I’ve been searching long and far for a similar colour. Diamine Blu Velvet and Cobalt Jazz are the closest I’ve found (but Cobalt Jazz is a shimmer ink).
• Expense (USD): $14/3oz as of 2024.
• Example: An unknown lady.

Verdict

I really love this colour. It is my favourite true blue ink. But we’ve all heard the horror stories about exposing it to UV light. I have written a lot in notebooks with this ink, and the Col-o-Ring swatch has sat out on my desk for a couple years and is as bright as ever.

I’m not bothered by the “staining” and, in fact, haven’t noticed it. But I’ve used it only with dip pens and a Conklin Victory.

I guess don’t leave writings out in the sun with this one? Or do! It could be an interesting bit of the ol’ magic.