Very early in this blog’s life in 2017 I made wrote Colour Palette No. 1. I liked the idea of a fun simple post that groups inks together. The first Colour Palette, however, never sat right with me. There was no theme and it was just a bunch of random coloured inks that look generally OK together. I wanted to do more and I’ve been thinking about continuing the colour palette posts ever since but whenever I started thinking about themes I got caught up in the minutiae of it all rather than just doing it. Today I’m just doing it. Starting off with a Valentine’s Day theme for Sunday coming up!

I’ll always try to use my own photos!

I raided my Lightroom catalogue to find some photos that vaguely represent either the inks or the theme of Valentine’s Day.

Starting off with five inks that are themselves themed similarly to what Valentine’s Day is (ideally) meant to represent. These are all my inks with love in the title and they present a nice softer palette. There are no vibrant colours but a nice range of warm to cool hues. Papier Plume presents much more brown on this paper (and similarly on Tomoe River) but is certainly more red on Rhodia. Montblanc Love You, an old L.E. is a flat pink (minireview here on Tomoe River) and Montblanc Ink of Love is a warmer orange red (minireview here). Sailor made Usagiya Love George is starting to get cooler in colour (I have to admit I don’t understand the reference of “Love George”…). Also Sailor-made Bungubox L’Amant, which seems to mean “The Lover” is a very cool but also the most vibrant and darkest of the whole set! Easily my personal favourite though.

The second set of five inks represent more of a progression throughout the day and evening. Diamine Velvet Rose for some Roses, very appropriately, Bungubox Valentine’s Choco Brown for some Chocolates and then De Atrementis Merlot for some Wine. Bungubox Sakanamachi Horoyoi Gray is mean to represent the feeling of tipsiness (I wouldn’t know) and finally we have Jacque Herbin’s dubiously named “Nude”… no comment on what this might represent!

I look forward to doing more of these - as I said I’ve been wanting to for almost four years now! I think I want to do some where I match the inks to certain colours in a photo too.

Bungubox inks are sometimes available from Pen Chalet and Desk Bandit also have some stock. Bookbinders Design Australia and La Couronne du Comte have Jacque Herbin. Pen Classics NZ also have some Papier Plume as well as some De Atrementis inks (as do LCdC). LCdC also have lots of Diamine.