Drawing Inks have been used by illustrators since their introduction by Winsor & Newton in the 1890s, where the main requirement is brilliance of colour.

Today they are formulated from a series of soluble dyes in a superior shellac solution. These inks can be applied with brush, dip pen or airbrush and are widely used by designers, calligraphers and artists as well as illustrators.
The full range of 26 Drawing Ink colours are available in 14ml bottles, each with their own uniquely designed box. Blacks, Gold and Silver are available in 30ml bottles. Black Indian Ink (the spider design) is available in 30ml with a dropper lid and 250ml & 500ml bottles.All the colours are intermixable. Gold and Silver should be added to other inks in small quantities to avoid thickening. Mixtures of Gold and Silver together should not be stored due to adverse chemical reaction.

The colours can be easily diluted with water to reduce the strength of the colour or to increase its transparency. Distilled water must be used as tap water causes the dye to separate from the binder.