Gum Arabic is very useful to have if you enjoy playing around with a dip pen and inks.

It is used to thicken up thin inks (such as fountain pen inks) so they are less watery and adhere better to a dip pen nib. (But don’t use ink with gum arabic added in your fountain pen as it can damage the pen!) You can also mix it with watercolours and gouache to make your own dip pen inks.

My preference is for the powdered form, because it is easier to add in small increments to achieve the desired consistency, it lasts longer than liquid form and you need less. I also wanted to offer it in a small jar that is ideal to experiment with, as it is generally sold in larger, pricier quantities - which even a professional calligrapher would struggle to get through!

It works very well mixed with the Diamine inks, meaning you can achieve that translucent, watercolour-style, multi tonal ink appearance you get with these thinner inks, but without having to dip so often, and without the bleed.

DIRECTIONS: You only need a very small amount, and it’s best to separate some ink into a small jar. Slowly add the gum arabic with the end of the spatula, mixing well with a spoon or stirrer. Test frequently until the desired consistency is achieved.

NOTE: Gum Arabic is a natural binder, and does not react well with inks and paints that have shellac or acrylic as a binder, so do check. For example, it does not mix well with the Windsor and Newton drawing inks as they contain shellac.