The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen.
Specs
Name: Alanine
Maker: Organics Studio
Color Family: Teal
Properties: Shading, Shimmering, Sheening
Purchased at: Goulet
What’s in a name?
Sadly, Organics Studio died. But this was part of their Elements series, comprised of the basics of chemistry as well as the basic colors of fountain pen ink. Alanine (symbol Ala or A) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Alanine is a nonessential amino acid, meaning it can be manufactured by the human body, and does not need to be obtained through the diet. It is one of the 20 amino acids encoded by the human genetic code.
Swatches
A large swatch of ink showcases the darkest this ink gets, as well as the maximum properties it has (when held at the right angle to show any shimmer or sheen). But what about when you’re writing a letter or notes with it?
The above was written on Tomoe River 68gsm paper, using a Jinhao Sharkie fountain pen with a Fine nib.
Of course, for maximum effect you want to see it in light and in motion. The following video shows the ink swatched on Skylab Letterpress 160gsm cards.
Thoughts
This is the first time I’ve tried putting a sheener in a Fine nib and I gotta say, I’m a fan. There was less shimmer, of course, but the sheen still came through (albeit subtly) and the letter didn’t take a generation to dry. Huzzah! I can’t say as I see much shading here, but it’s difficult to tell if some of what I read as sheen is truly just “darker hue from shading”. This is a true teal- yay!- and also very light on the shimmer. As in, I couldn’t find any with the F nib.
Despite being in a Fine nib pen (a Sharkie, which is only built to be a Fine nib, so the ink channel is relatively small), it didn’t clog once. In fact, it was a wet flow ink that behaved beautifully as I wrote. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but sometimes when I write my hand cramps up and changes the angle of the pen. Relaxing it sends the pen willy-nilly, so I try to find some nice loose grip/secure grip situation. But that changes the angle at which the nib makes contact with the paper. In my Blue Dew, which I’m selling, this can completely halt the flow of ink. In the Sharkie, with this ink, it makes zero difference.
So overall, I’d recommend this ink to any fan of sheeners and teal, who doesn’t mind a wet flowing ink. And clearly, it works in every size nib!
*All pics and vid were taken using a Samsung Galaxy S22 and color-adjusted to best reflect the hue of that ink.
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