Antigua’s - Jacinto
I have to say, Antigua’s Jacinto is one of the prettier and more interesting blue aquamarine inks that I’ve tried. And I’ve tried quite a few! Jacinto immediately grabs your attention and puts a smile on your face.
Jacinto is bright and cheery, but there’s a restraint that keeps it comfortable on the eyes even in long writing sessions. In my opinion, it’s a true aquamarine blue, rather than a turquoise, and it has a sweet, clean visual feel. I think of a translucent, blue candy, much more than a piece of turquoise.
At a distance (or on creamy, off-white papers like Midori MD), you imagine a hint of yellow in the blue. When you look closely (or at the chromatography), you see that it’s pure aquamarine blue.
This is a strong shading ink. On coated papers, there are dramatic jumps from light to dark on almost every stroke. There’s also a nice stroke edging that adds strong definition. You don’t get the edging on uncoated papers, but there is shading variation, although it isn’t nearly as abrupt.
I didn’t have any problems with feathering, but there’s a bit of show-through on cheaper uncoated papers. Flow is wet and smooth, and drying was average or better on all papers tested.
Antigua’s inks all seem to perform consistently well, and that’s true for Jacinto. With wider distribution, I think this is a brand that we would all know well. The inks come in nice, 50 ml bottles for €11.99 each. You can find them at www.antiguas.es. (And good news! Starting in January 2024, full international shipping will be available!)
Special thanks to Miguel Angel at Antigua’s for gifting me with the inks, and to Maria at www.inksinspiration.com for sending them as a surprise! Check out both of their websites!