Tono & Lims - Bedroom in Arles

Tono & Lims - Bedroom in Arles - Ink Drop

Today’s ink, Bedroom in Arles, is from Tono & Lims Respect collection. It’s part of the Crystal line, which consists of pigmented inks made for glass and dip pens. Please note: this ink is not appropriate for fountain pens!

Tono & Lims - Bedroom in Arles - Ink Swatch Card

This ink pays tribute to Van Gogh’s famous painting series Bedroom aka “Bedroom in Arles”. Various shades of murky yellow dominate the scene. According to the Van Gogh Gallery, Van Gogh “wanted the painting to put the viewer’s mind and imagination at rest”. As you can see, it matches the subtle colorations of the complex yellow in the painting. It’s a peaceful, restful yellow. In its purest form, it’s a dusty, saturated mustard yellow, that Tono & Lims calls “Butter”. Darker areas are a mysterious ebb and flow blend of powdery blues and greens, burnt caramels, and dark walnut browns. It’s a wonderful shading ink, with strokes brightening from the rich, muddy mustard, as if streaks of sunlight highlight patches and empower the yellow to rise above the sediment.

Bedroom (Bedroom in Arles) - Van Gogh

This ink is made for glass or dip pens, but in my tests, I used my usual writing papers. Bedroom in Arles performed well across all five papers, with limited or no feathering. This is partly because it’s a pigmented, waterproof ink. Best results were found on Rhodia, with crisp, clean stroke profiles, lovely shading, and a deep halo edge. Drying on Rhodia ranged from 30-40 seconds.

This is another fascinating ink from Tono & Lims! They are proving to be one of the most impressive, most innovative, and most prolific makers in the ink world today. Their catalogue is almost mind-numbing! It’s filled with an ever-changing array of beautiful, tempting possibilities. The artistically inclined will find enormous potential in the multifaceted beauty of Bedroom in Arles. I highly recommend giving it a try before it’s gone for good!