Our perfect Sepia
The ink sac of Sepia officinalis from the family of the Sepiidae supplies a brown dye called Sepia.
Whenever the Sepia (fish) feels threatened it releases the dark inky fluid. The complete ink sac can either be dried or the ink can be pressed out of the still living squid. The fluid then is dried and ground to powder.
Seydelmann (1750-1829) – a German painter – of Dresden is said to have been the first to extract the dye with potassium hydroxide, filter it, and precipitate it with hydrochloric acid, thereby achieving a higher concentration.
The pigment is mainly used for water-colors, because of its translucency. It may fade after two year’s exposure to light and air.
Sepia– The Ink (TU460)
The Sepia pigment is ground in shellac soap according to an historic recipe. The shellac soap makes the ink waterproof on drying.
Sepia is a very dark brown, almost black in full strength.
Nowadays many “Sepia”-products are made of synthetic material due to the fact that the genuine, natural Sepia is not very lightfast.
