Ancient cultures around the
world independently discovered and invented
ink for writing or drawing. Mostly, the ink they developed was used to
paint cave walls as a means of sending messages or recording important events. Today,
we have more sophisticated inks that can be used in almost any kind of medium.
The
past
Ink was discovered in Egypt and
China in 2500 B.C. Back then, carbon particles called lampblack were used
as colorant, and animal hair and feathers were used as brushes. These tools
allowed ancient painters and writers to illustrate a wide range of subjects
such as history, daily life and many others.
When the Renaissance
period came, new tools such as wooden styluses and metalpoints were
developed. These greatly enhanced the features afforded by ink, which encouraged
scholars such as Leonardo
da Vinci to use ink in their studies especially in figure drawings. Nicolas Poussin’s “Bacchanal” is a
good example of an artwork that exemplifies the precision possible with ink
drawings. During this era, other media were also used with ink to create drawings
such as chalk, watercolor, and pencil. Ink also became one of the media used
for block printing. A good example of this is Albrecht Durer’s “Apocalypse”,
which features woodblock printing.
For decades, ink has become
an important element of creating meticulous sketches and compositions. It has
helped advance literacy and promoted the language and arts.
The
future
Personal computers and
laptops have greatly revolutionized the development of ink. With the use of
high powered printers, images and letters can now be transferred to paper anytime
needed. Today, the ink industry is thriving despite predictions that the printing
industry is coming to an end. At least for now, the future of the industry
is secured as home printers still require ink for printing.
And what's also great is how the printing industry is innovating the substances used as ink in order not to pose harm to the environment.
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