De Atramentis - Gladiolus Pearl Violet

De Atramentis Gladiolus Pearl Violet - ink drop

This is Gladiolus Pearl Violet from De Atramentis. “Violet” is part of the name, but this is a violet that is equal parts purple on many pages. It’s a peaceful, pleasing, aubergine violet/purple.

De Atramentis Bananas - swatch card and drying

On the splatter and swatch card, it has a beautifully dusty, faded tone. This gives it a very comfortable feeling, kind of like a favorite pair of jeans. It inspires a feeling of trust, like an old friend. In writing, particularly in wetter, broader nibs, and coated papers, strokes plunge to a deeper, darker purple. There isn’t a lot of shading, so for me, much of the violet magic is lost in the darker strokes. On uncoated papers, there’s more light, and more life to stroke coloration. In these cases, it’s more medium in tone than dark.

De Atramentis Gladiolus Pearl Violet - ink swatch card

De Atramentis Gladiolus Pearl Violet is a quick drying ink. It's generally well-behaved, too. However, there is a slight feathering on some papers, as you can see in the close-up picture. If you’re looking for a pleasant color in a more muted form, this may be an ink to consider.

August 2020