Vinta - Violet Maskara
Vinta Inks - Violet Maskara - Ink drop
Vinta Inks is one of the most talked about producers on the market. This boutique ink maker in the Philippines excels at two very different styles of ink. They make a number of power-packed, heavily saturated sheening inks, and some lovely muted multi-chromatics.
Today’s ink, Violet (Maskara 1890) is a wonderful example of their Carnival series, which focus on delicate, pale, unsaturated inks. The name Violet Maskara 1890 commemorates two events. The annual Maskara (mask) Festival is held every October on Negros Island in central Philippines, and 1890 is the year that Spain divided the island into two provinces.
Violet Maskara is an ethereal masterpiece of contrasts. It’s both pale and muted, yet vibrant at the same time. Soft and wispy, yet punchy and aggressive, this multicolored pastel has a gentle violet foundation that quickly reveals powerful pink and blue undertones. Pinks swirl and dance with blues and aquas on a smoky violet stage to create a cloud-like magic. As seen in the splatter, areas of pooling are edged in a band of electric blue.
Vinta Inks - Violet Maskara - Ink Swatch Card
As a writing ink, there’s a lot to like here. It’s a beautiful shading ink with a sharp blue or dark violet halo. This gives the ink a strong, well-defined profile, and high readability. On Rhodia and Kokuyo papers, results were excellent, with no feather, a strong halo, and pronounced colors and shading. Drying times were 15-30 seconds. While there was a slight feathering on Mnemosyne, it performed well on most premiums. Performance was better than expected on office copy paper, with fast dry time, and an aqua halo, but feathering was a problem.
Overall, I highly recommend this multi-chromatic beauty! Of the papers that I tried, stick to Rhodia or Kokuyo. Medium or broader nibs best highlight the ink’s dance of colors. For each bottle sold, Vinta donates P25 (US52 cents) to Teach for the Philippines, a charity supporting access to childrens’ education. A great cause, and a great ink!