Ink

Traditional black drawing ink, which originated in Asia and is therefore often referred to as India ink or Chinese ink, consists of very fine particles of carbon pigment, usually lampblack (soot), dispersed in an aqueous solution with a glue or gum binder. Modern liquid India ink has a resinous shellac binder and may also include dye-based colorants. Sold in bottles it can be applied with a nib pen or in washes with a brush. Once dry, India ink is opaque and indelible. Brown inks such as bister and sepia were made from wood tar and cuttlefish ink, respectively.