Pink, Meet Greens!

My ink rotation is looking a bit somber for the almost-spring weather with its blue skies and 65° of warmth. Tuesday’s snow has melted from the surrounding mountains. One neighbor’s gardener is whacking off tree limbs while the house across the street is getting demolished in favor of a boring, modern structure. It is far too noisy to hear the birds but they are around even if drowned out by the blare of machinery. Their chatter can be heard in the early morning before the sound of man takes over so with certainty they have returned. New growth is sparse yet, but that lack of color can be remedied by some vivid hues in my pens.

Rohrer & Klingner Solferino is my annual choice for the ink that announces the retreat of winter. To complement that jolt of pink, a green is in order. For comparison, I swabbed a few available options on a sheet of Strathmore Windpower Sketch paper. None of these inks look wrong but a few look more right than others. Which green would you choose?

• Diamine Emerald
• Diamine Kelly Green
• Diamine Sherwood
• Diamine Ultra Green
• Diamine Umber
• Diamine Woodland
• Iroshizuku shin-ryoku
• J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage
• J. Herbin Vert Empire
• Montblanc Racing Green
• Rohrer & Klingner Verdura
• Private Reserve Avacado
• Sailor Epinard

Pink, Meet Green Inks!