Gottfried Pott – A Look into the World of Calligraphy
I must, of course, also mention stick ink in this contest. I am always fascinated again with this unique material. This kind of ink is unsurpassed in its tonal scale from a deep opaque black to a transparent lightgrey tone. An ink stick with the addition of a little distilled water is being ground with circular movements in the indentation of an inkstone until the desired consistency is obtained. In Asian calligraphy, ink stick, stone, brush and paper are one unit. In Western calligraphy the brush in this quartet is being substituted by the pen. Stick ink does not withstand erasing. It would actually be a contradiction to want to violate this velvety layer of color. A substitute for stick ink is also available commercially under the term of Sumi-ink. But it cannot match the quality of ink made from ink stick.
Linotype
