[Scriptoris] Telling white from white

[g_r.cathan@att.net]

-------------- Original message from "Elaine Crittenden" <letebts at earthlink.net>: -------------- 


> A solicitation for information from the wise council of the amassed gentles 
> (and lurkers) from Lete Bithespring... 
> 
> I would like to get some things straight in my notes about the different 
> modern whites that are out there. 

I have worked happily with two white paints; Winsor & Newton Designers' Gouache "Permanent White" and "Zinc White." 

 Permanent White is for white spaces and white lines. It could contain either titanium dioxide or Blanc Fixe.Years ago I read that using this in combination with other colors could effect their permanence rating.

 Zinc White is for tinting. Years ago the label included the words "For Tinting," which helped many of us avoid mistakes. In The Calligrapher's Dictionary it is written, "zinc white: Synonym of Chinese White." 

As for "Inkable White" you might try writing the manufacturer or experimenting. Try adding a drop of two of Gum Arabic to your Permanent White to see if that changes the surface and allows more control when inking it. On a slightly different topic I have noticed that when re-inking painted surfaces in illuminations the ink spreads out more than on unpainted surfaces. For that reason I save my smaller technical pen nibs for re-inking.

Hope these comments help.

Rose Cathan