Ironwind Metal Inks (Formally Ral Partha Inks)

5/31/04 - Ral Partha Inks and now sold under the name Ironwind Metal Inks. The ink is the same, only the name is changed. While I rarely use washes these days, on occasion I still come across a painting situation where Ironwind Metal Inks are exactly what I need.

First, let me start out by saying that Ral Partha's new line of inks are not your typical kind of artist inks. Artist inks are thin as water and very intense in color. Ral Partha's inks are much thicker, something like slightly thinned white glue, and they're color is not as intense as I would expect with regular inks. These two traits caused me to toss them to the back of my painting cabinet, probably never to see the light of day again. They would of stayed if I was not working on some 15mm Egyptians and I needed a soft brown wash and I was having difficulties with my standard inks. Bingo! Ral Partha inks save the day.

The problem most people have with artist inks is them drying in patches all over the model or drying around the recesses instead of in them, forming rings of ink around your recesses. This is caused by the surface tension of the water used to thin you inks. There are ways to reduce the surface tension, but everyone, even myself, will get the occasional model where something goes wrong and you get patches of ink where you don't want them.

What Ral Partha has done is create an ink that does what ink should do: Settle in the recess of the model providing a quick, easy way to add shade. Sounds simple enough, but it is a revolutionary idea. The way they are produce eliminates the need for thinning, thus eliminating the ink from drying in patches. However they are not as intense in color was regular inks. Think of them as not as an ink, but as a clear binder with a tint of color. Additional coats will darken the areas being wash, but getting them as dark as you would using regular ink will not be possible. I don't think Ral Partha ink will replace regular inks, but they will find a nice home with a majority of miniature painters out there.

I highly recommend Ral Partha inks to beginning and experienced painters. Beginners will have less hassle working with washes and experienced painters will discover new and interesting uses for Ral Partha inks

Here's an example of my results with Ral Partha inks: