Best Drawing Inks of 2026
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Drawing inks are highly pigmented and versatile mediums that can be used for a variety of artistic purposes. These inks come in a range of colours and can be used for drawing, calligraphy, painting, and mixed media projects. They are typically water-resistant and can be used on a variety of surfaces including paper, canvas, and board. Drawing inks are ideal for creating bold, vibrant lines and washes, and can be layered to achieve depth and texture in artwork. Whether you're a professional artist or a beginner, drawing inks can add a new dimension to your creative projects.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Drawing Inks
Liquidraw Coloured Drawing Ink Set of 10
The Liquidraw Ink Set includes ten vibrant, waterproof India inks, perfect for all your artistic needs. Each 35ml bottle contains an assortment of colours such as black, blue, yellow, and more. These inks are particularly suited for calligraphy, allowing you to create beautiful lettering with ease. Whether you prefer using dip pens or brushes, this set provides the versatility needed for drafting and drawing. You’ll find these inks useful for a variety of projects, making your creative process enjoyable and efficient.
Winsor & Newton Black Indian Drawing Ink 14ml
The Winsor & Newton Drawing Ink is a versatile 14 ml bottle of black Indian ink that can be applied using a brush, dip pen, or airbrush. This fast-drying ink ensures that your artwork will adhere excellently to most surfaces, providing you with convenience and reliability in your creative projects. With its quick drying time, you can work efficiently without worrying about smudging. This product is perfect for artists looking to achieve precise lines and vibrant details in their drawings.
Liquidraw Waterproof Coloured Drawing Ink Set
The Liquidraw Drawing Ink Set features five vibrant, waterproof Indian inks in black, blue, yellow, red, and green, each contained in a convenient 35ml plastic bottle. These inks are perfect for calligraphy, allowing you to create beautiful lettering with dip pens or brushes. You can also use them for drafting and drawing, bringing your artistic visions to life with ease. Their versatility means you can experiment with various techniques, whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out.
Artway Black Indian Ink for Art Projects
The Artway Black Indian Ink is a versatile ink ideal for various artistic applications. You can use it with brushes, dip pens, and airbrushes, making it perfect for drawing, illustration, and calligraphy. Once dry, the ink is water-resistant, allowing you to layer watercolours or other soluble mediums on top without smudging your work. Additionally, this permanent ink can be diluted with water, enabling you to create lighter tones and a broader tonal range in your artwork, enhancing your creative possibilities.
Graff-City Black Indian Ink 300ml Bottle
The Graff-City Black Indian Ink is a versatile and highly pigmented ink that’s perfect for your creative projects. You can use it for writing, printing, or drawing, giving you a deep black colour that is both lightfast and permanent. This makes it ideal for professional use, whether you’re a designer or an illustrator. Additionally, the ink can be diluted with water, allowing you to create beautiful washes and subtle tones for your line and wash artwork. With its perfectly sized bottle, it’s convenient for any artist.
Mont Marte Acrylic Ink Premium 6 Colours Set
The Mont Marte Acrylic Ink offers six vibrant colours including White, Cadmium Yellow, Scarlet, Sap Green, Phthalo Blue, and Black, giving you a versatile palette for your creative projects. These inks blend easily, allowing you to mix colours smoothly and expand your colour range effortlessly. Once dry, the inks become permanent and water-resistant, so you can confidently layer other mediums without worrying about smudging. The pipette bottle design ensures precise and mess-free application, making it ideal for fine details and controlled use in various art styles.
Winsor & Newton 30ml Silver Drawing Ink
The Winsor & Newton Drawing Ink is a versatile 30ml bottle of silver ink that you can easily apply using a brush, dip pen, or airbrush. This flexibility allows you to choose the best tool for your drawing or creative project. The ink dries quickly, so you won’t have to wait long before continuing your work or adding layers. Additionally, it offers excellent adhesion, meaning it sticks well to most surfaces, giving your artwork a durable and neat finish.
ERCOrArt 26-Colour Alcohol Ink Set for Resin
The ERCOrArt Alcohol Ink Set offers 26 vibrant colours, including regular, white, and shimmering metallic inks, giving you a broad palette to create stunning effects in your artwork. Its leak-proof bottle design ensures mess-free use and easy control when applying the inks, making your creative process smoother. The inks are highly concentrated, fast drying, waterproof, and fade resistant, so your creations remain vivid and durable. This set is perfect for various crafts like resin art, petri dish making, and tumblers, allowing you to explore your creativity with ease and confidence.
Winsor & Newton 14ml Drawing Ink - Brilliant Green
The Winsor & Newton Drawing Ink is a versatile 14ml bottle of Brilliant Green ink that can be applied using a brush, dip pen, or airbrush. Its fast-drying formula ensures that your artwork stays vibrant without smudging. Additionally, the ink offers excellent adhesion on most surfaces, making it ideal for various materials. Being water-resistant and transparent, it allows for layering without losing the clarity of your designs, providing you with endless creative possibilities.
Royal Talens North America Drawing Ink Black
The Talens Drawing Ink is a professional-grade waterproof ink that is perfect for use with technical drawing pens and airbrushes. You will appreciate its ability to adhere to various surfaces, including paper, cardboard, and film, allowing you to explore different artistic mediums. The large 490ml package ensures you have plenty of ink for your projects, meaning fewer interruptions while you work. Additionally, it conforms to ASTM D 4236 standards, giving you peace of mind regarding its safety and quality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is drawing ink used for?
Drawing Ink is best used on paper and illustration board, but can also be used on most types of acetate, which can make it useful for animators and illustrators.
2. What are art inks?
Ink is an ancient writing and drawing medium in liquid or paste form, traditionally black or brown in colour – though it can also contain coloured dyes or pigments.
3. Is drawing ink permanent?
Drawings Inks are made from dyes and are very bright and transparent, but most of them fade over time. They are not lightfast (the lightfastness of a colour is how permanent it is or how unaffected by light it is).
4. Can you mix drawing ink with water?
The most common formula is mixing 2 parts ink to 1 part distilled water. Calligraphers using cartridge pens achieve this by injecting the little calligraphy ink cartridge with a carefully measured squirt of distilled water.
During our drawing ink research, we found 218 drawing ink products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 58,457 customer reviews through our big data system to write the drawing inks list. We found that most customers choose drawing inks with an average price of £12.63.
The drawing inks are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of drawing inks, including Liquidraw, Winsor & Newton, Artway, Graff-City, MONT MARTE.
Corey Philips is an electrician and lighting expert. He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering. Corey is a specialist contractor in lights. He sells and installs and recommends lights and lamp sheds, and other lights accessories. Aside from that, Corey is vast in installing and maintaining electrical appliances like air conditioners, water heaters, and the likes.