Brown Inks

Callifolio Inca Sol
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

rich, soft, golden brown with slight shading. Nice color, but not a knockout.


De Artramentis Chocolate
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? Yes
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Rich reddish brown, shades to semi-sweet chocolate brown, light chocolate scent. I can’t decide between this, PR Copper Burst, and PR Chocolat – I love them all!


De Atramentis Amaretto
Color family: Browns
Sample? Yes | Scented? Yes
Shimmer? No
Comments:

I went on a bit of a ‘scented ink buyng spree’ recently, and this is one of the haul. It’s a really nice caramel-ish golden brown, something that will shine in a wetter, broader nib. It has a lovely rich amaretto scent that reminds me of almond cookies my grandmother made at Christmas.


De Atramentis Coffee
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? Yes
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Deep, deep, espresso brown, shades to a true dark roasted coffee brown, with a dark-roasted, espresso scent.


De Atramentic Ylang Ylang
Color family: Browns
Sample? Yes | Scented? Yes
Shimmer? No
Comments:

I grabbed a sample of this for the scent, and it’s lovely; sweet and rich with just a trace of the chemically undertone of ink. Interesting golden brown, too.


DeAtramentis Red-Brown
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Another one that’s touch to classify: red or brown? In any case, it hits that sweet spot I love between red, brown, and just a fiery hint of orange.


DeAtramentis Tobacco
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? Yes
Shimmer? No
Comments:

A gorgeous, richly shaded, warm, medium brown with a heady tobacco scent. It’s not at all a nasty cigarette type smell, but the sort of scent that evokes woolen vests, watch chains, oriental carpets, and well-loved upholstered chairs. Personally, it that took me back to my grandfather’s pipe tobacco. And it’s a really lovely and unique shade of brown, too. I love this ink.


DIamine Ancient Copper
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

A rich warm coppery brown, that shades wonderfully. Very much like a gently aged copper penny, but far from ancient; after all, wouldn’t that be verdigris green? Nevertheless, I love it!


Diamine Brandy Dazzle
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? Yes
Comments:

One of Diamine’s Shimmertastic line, a rich golden brown with gold shimmer. The photos don’t quite capture it, but it’s got a lovely bit of sparkle.


DIamine Burnt Sienna
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

A light orangey brown, lighter than I expected. Approaches what I would call a burnt sienna in its darkest shading, when lighter seems more like a café au lait (or maybe a chai latté!).


Diamine Monaco Red
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

A rich cinnamon red brown, saturated and fiery but not orangey. Shades beautifully, not as darkly as Oriental Red, but with nice depth. Another Opium red, and another favorite!


Diamine Oxblood
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

A deep, rusty red, heavy with shades of iron and burgundy. A perfect deep dried blood, but a lovely color nevertheless.


Diamine Saddle Brown
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Deep red-brown, similar to PR Chocolat, but lighter in its deep tones; for me it displays much less of a shading range, and its very lightest shades seem a little washed out.


J. Herbin Cacao Du Brisil
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Another deep espeesso, surprisingly not at all what I’d expect from a ‘cocoa.’ I am underwhelmed by this ink, much as I love browns.


J. Herbin Caffe Des Isles
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Lighter and softer than most of my browns, still has a richness and warmth I like. It’s a red-brown, to be sure, but more saturated than Lie d’The, or even the Diamine Saddle.


J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? Yes
Comments:

Another of Herbin’s 1670 Special edition shimmering inks, this one is a stunner; probably my second favorite of the line after the Rouge Hematite. It’s a rich, warm brown with a hint of red in its lighter tones, and a gold shimmer and a hint of green sheening around the edges. Overall (unlike some inks with both shimmer and sheen) the effect is a rich, cohesive effect, suggesting not just the carob pods for which ti’s named, but the warm jungles of Cyprus from which they came.


J. Herbin Lie d'The
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Soft sepia brown with a hint of a green cast. It shades well to a true walnut, but lighter tones don’t seem very saturated.


J.Herbin Terra de Feu
Color family:
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

One of the more saturated Herbins I’ve used, but still shades really well. Overall, for some reason, none of the Herbins really excite me. This is a eminently usable ink, though, and I like this one more than most.


Levenger Cocoa
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Levenger’s brown is a sweet rich brown that leans red, but on a cooler side of red. Not quite purpleish, but a defninite burgundy cast. Puts down a lovely rich brown line, and is a pretty well-behaved ink.


Monteverde Fire Opal
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

This is SUCH a magnificent color; I adore it! Sadly, however (at least my bottle), it does a weird crystallization thing, where it forms a bit of crusty stiff on then of most (not all) of the pens I’ve had it in. It seems harmless; more of an annoyance than a hazard, but still. I will probably try another bottle and see if it’s an issue with he color formula, or just a weird Bach. Watch this space….


Monteverde Canyon Rust
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

I love this ink. It’s a rich, warm, rusty, red-brown, so of course I do! It also has all the same ‘cleaning & lubricating’ aspects of all the MV inks, which makes it a very well-behaved, trouble free ink, reliable and a pleasure to use.


Noodler's Banker's Tan
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

A pleasing sort of pale sepia, a medium brown with h=just a hint of of greenish hue. And, as a bonus, it’s one of Noodler’s ‘bulletproof’ inks, meaning it’s waterproof. as well as temper-proof.


Noodler's Golden Brown
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

This is a lovely warm light golden brown with a bit of a reddish sheen/shift, that is also bulletproof (water- & tamper-proof).


Noodler's Tenament
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Clearly I have a thing for brown/red hybrids! This is another lovely one from Noodler’s.


Omas Sepia
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

If there is a color I like as much as the “Opium Reds,” it’s obviously brown. Here is Omas’ Sepia, a lovely warm brown, just in that range I like. Not too much shading, but very well behaved ink, in a fantastic octagonal bottle


Parker Penman Mocha
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

One of the infamous, ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ Penman inks. Gorgeous neutral brown, ranges from a dark walnut to a true brown, maybe a hint of a burgundy cast in some light. Discontinued, sadly. (I’m in the ‘love it’ camp!)


Pelikan Brilliant Brown
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

This is a lighter brown than many others I have, but it is vibrant and rich nonetheless. It shades well in a fairly wet pen, and is stunning from a bold, stub, or italic nib. In a drier writer or a fine nib it can end up looking a little weak. however.


Private Reserve Chocolat
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Rich chocolatey red brown, shades well to a deep reddish walnut. A favorite!


Private Reserve Copper Burst
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

Just a hair lighter & brighter than Chocolat, with a hint more red, shades to what I’d call Victorian Cherrywood. Has a similar feel to DA Chocolate, but a wider shade range.


Visconti Sepia
Color family: Browns
Sample? No | Scented? No
Shimmer? No
Comments:

I didn’t really need another warm brown, but I love the Visconti bottles, so here it is. Visconti makes a very high quality ink, and I’m sure it will get its regular place in my brown rotation.