Review: Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink

The Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink comes in a 28ml bottle that's similar in design to the Calli Calligraphy Ink.

This is quite a peculiar Indian ink in the sense that it's has palest black compared to all other black inks I've reviewed. It's even lighter than the 97% water-based Noodler's Bulletproof Black Ink. It's feels like someone has accidentally diluted the ink.

I don't even know if it's pigmented. It doesn't say on the bottle or on Daler Rowney's website.

Here are some tests.
Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink - 02

Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink - 03
Look at how the pencil lines behind are showing through so easily.

Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink - 04
Performance-wise, the ink flows well and dries fast and is resistant to erasing.

Daler Rowney says that the ink is water-resistant and not waterproof. From what I can see, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate it 9 as very waterproof. I wouldn't mind using it as a waterproof ink.

Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink - 05

Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink - 06
It can hold an edge well.

Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink - 07

Daler Rowney Kandahar Drawing Ink - 08


It's works well with pen and ink sketch if you don't require intensely dark ink. I like to use that when I want to show the lines beneath.


If you want the moody atmosphere, Kandahar is a good choice because it can produce patchy strokes. If you use ink like Black Star, you'll just get stark black.

Conclusion

I was shocked when I first used the Daler Rowney Kandahar. I've never used such a weak Indian ink before. I've made sure I shook the bottle for a long time but the result is still less-than-intense black.

This ink is probably more suitable for use diluted even further to create grey washes. But you can do that with other stronger inks as well.

I hope I did not get a bad copy, or expired ink.

Check out other black inks I've reviewed at https://www.parkablogs.com/picture/comparison-of-different-black-inks

Availability

Daler Rowney is a UK company. You can find the ink on Amazon UK at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daler-Rowney-Kandahar-28ml-Bottle/dp/B0023SGFII...

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