The Yasutomo Black Sumi Ink is a traditional liquid ink for calligraphy, sumi-e and ink painting. It is ready to use, providing the convenience of bottled sumi ink without the need to grind an ink stick or prepare the ink before painting.
Made from high-quality oil soot, it produces a deep, rich black with smooth and consistent flow. It dries to a matte finish while preserving clean lines and the expressive character of brushwork.
Use it undiluted for strong black lines, bold brushstrokes and dense areas, or dilute it with water to create grey tones, transparent washes and soft tonal transitions. By varying the amount of water, brush pressure and speed of movement, a wide range of effects can be achieved with a single ink.
It can be used with sumi and calligraphy brushes, bamboo pens, dip pens and other tools suitable for liquid ink. It is ideal for Japanese and Chinese calligraphy, sumi-e, monochrome landscapes, botanical studies, lettering, illustration and expressive black-and-white drawing.
It performs especially well on absorbent papers such as hanshi, washi and sumi-e paper, where the ink follows the fibres and highlights the movement of the brush. It can also be used on watercolor paper, drawing paper and selected mixed media surfaces.
👉 Features:
- Liquid black sumi ink by Yasutomo
- Product code: KY2
- Made from high-quality oil soot
- Ready to use
- Deep, rich black colour
- Smooth and consistent flow
- Dries to a matte finish
- Can be diluted with water for grey tones and tonal transitions
- Suitable for calligraphy brushes, sumi brushes, bamboo pens and dip pens
- AP non-toxic
- Conforms to ASTM D-4236
- Content: 59ml / 2oz
👍 Ideal for:
Sumi-e, Japanese calligraphy, Chinese calligraphy, ink painting, pen-and-ink drawing, bamboo pens, brush lettering, hand lettering, illustration, botanical painting, monochrome landscapes, expressive brushwork, art journaling and black-and-white compositions.
✨ Inspiration Tip:
Divide a small amount of ink between three containers and add a different amount of water to each one. Use the undiluted ink for the strongest lines, the medium dilution for shadows and the lightest mixture for atmospheric washes. This simple tonal palette is enough to create a complete landscape or botanical composition using only black ink and water.
