Mixing Colours　調色

In this lesson, we explore safe, practical colour mixing for writing and drawing practice. You will learn beginner-friendly ways to blend colours for brush work and watercolour-adjacent sketching, how to test swatches, what not to mix inside fountain pens, and simple colour harmony ideas for calligraphy and urban sketching. The aim is joyful experimentation with clear safety boundaries — so your Pierre Cardin Writing Instruments and I-WAY Academy tools stay healthy while your pages gain richer colour.

本課探索書寫與繪畫練習中安全、實用的混色。您將學習初學者友善的調色方法、不應在鋼筆內混甚麼、試色為何不可少，以及速寫與書法的簡單色彩和諧。

What “Mixing” Means Here　此處「混色」指甚麼

Colour mixing in this course includes:

本課程的混色包括：

• Blending on the palette or mixing tray (inks, watercolour-like brush work)
• Blending on the paper (wet-on-wet touches, gradients, layered washes)
• Optical mixing through hatching and neighbouring strokes (fineliner or pen lines that read as a new colour from a distance)
• Choosing harmonious colour pairs for lettering and sketches

• 在調色盤或混色碟上調和（墨、近似水彩的毛刷技法）
• 在紙上調和（濕疊濕觸感、漸變筆觸）
• 以清水稀釋做淡渲染

It does not mean pouring random bottled inks into a fountain pen converter and hoping for the best.

這並不是把隨機瓶裝墨倒進鋼筆上墨器然後碰運氣。

Safe Mixing Basics　安全混色基礎

1. Mix outside the pen first　1. 先在筆外混

For fountain and other precision pens, treat the pen as a delivery tool for one known ink at a time. Create custom colours in a clean dish, well, or on a ceramic tile, then:

對鋼筆及其他精密筆具，請把筆當作「一次只輸送一種已知墨」的工具。在清潔碟、墨碟或調色盤上做出自訂色，再以沾水工具塗上——或僅在每種成分都適合鋼筆時才灌入。

• Use a glass pen, dip nib, brush, or water brush to apply the mix, or
• Only refill a pen with a mix if every component is fountain-safe and you accept that homemade mixes are experiments (filter debris; label the bottle; clean sooner)

• 用玻璃筆、沾水筆尖、毛筆或貯水筆刷塗上混合物，或
• 僅當每種成分都適合鋼筆時，才把混合物灌入筆中

2. Start with compatible families　2. 從相容系列開始

• Water-based dye inks often blend with each other on a palette for dip/brush use
• Watercolour and water-brush techniques blend naturally with water
• Do not mix oil-based ball ink with water-based fountain ink — different systems
• Do not mix acrylic/craft paints into fountain pens

• 水性染料墨常可在調色盤上互相調和，供沾水／毛刷使用
• 水彩與貯水筆刷技法可與許多染料墨、部分顏料墨並用
• 勿假設油性原子筆墨能像水性墨一樣在碟上混

3. Add water thoughtfully　3. 慎加水

Diluting ink with clean water can create washes and pale washes for sketch shadows. Too much water on poor paper causes feathers and puddles. Test ratios on scrap.

用清水稀釋墨水可做出渲染與淡影，適合速寫陰影。劣質紙上加水過多會滲開與積水。請先試再用於成品。

4. Less is more　4. 少即是多

Two colours mixed with intention beat five colours muddied together. Begin with small drops.

兩色有意識地混合，勝過五色混成泥。請由小滴開始。

On-Paper Techniques (Brush / Water-Adjacent)　紙上技法（毛刷／近水）

These methods suit brush pens, water brushes, and wash-friendly sketch practice:

這些方法適合毛刷筆、貯水筆刷，以及可水渲染的速寫練習：

• Gradient stroke: Load colour A, make a stroke, then touch colour B at the end and pull back slightly for a transition
• Wet touch: Place a damp clean brush or water-brush tip on a still-wet ink line to soften edges
• Layer after dry: Let a base dry, then glaze a transparent wash on top for depth
• Limited palette sketch: Pick two or three colours for a whole urban scene (e.g. cool grey + warm accent)

• 漸變筆觸：蘸色 A 畫一筆，末端再蘸色 B 稍回拉做出過渡
• 濕疊濕：在未乾區塊輕觸第二色
• 渲染陰影：稀釋墨或淡色刷入陰影區

Always confirm whether your outline ink is water-resistant before wetting it.

加水前務必確認輪廓墨是否防水。

Swatch Testing — Non-Negotiable　試色——不可省略

Before a finished piece, make a quick swatch card:

成品前先做一張快捷試色卡：

1. Write or paint the pure colours
2. Mix intermediate steps (A, A+B, B)
3. Note paper type and dry time
4. Optional: brush a water line across dry samples to check bleed/resistance
5. Keep the card in your sketchbook for reference

• 寫或畫純色
• 混合中間步驟（A、A+B、B）
• 註明紙種與乾透時間
• 可選：在樣本上刷一條水線測試防水性

Swatches teach more in five minutes than guessing on a final page teaches in an hour of regret.

五分鐘試色，勝過在成品頁上猜一小時後才後悔。

What Not to Mix in Fountain Pens　不應在鋼筆內混甚麼

Protect feeds, nibs, and converters:

保護進墨芯、筆尖與上墨器：

• Do not blend shimmer + pigment + iron gall casually in one fill “to see what happens”
• Do not add acrylic ink, India ink, or opaque craft ink to fountain pens
• Do not mix leftover unidentified inks from multiple bottles without noting compatibility
• Do not shake shimmer ink into a foamy fury then immediately jam it into a fine nib without following maker guidance
• Do not leave experimental mixes sitting in a pen for weeks

• 勿隨意把閃粉＋顏料＋鐵膽灌在同一管「看看會怎樣」
• 勿把壓克力墨、印度墨或不明手工藝墨加入鋼筆
• 勿用未標明可混的化學清潔劑當「調色劑」

If you love custom colours for fountain use, dedicate one easy-to-clean pen to experiments, filter mixes if needed, label dated samples, and flush thoroughly between trials. For most learners, dip tools and brushes are the safer mixing studio.

若您喜愛為鋼筆調製自訂色，請專用一支易清洗的筆做實驗、必要時過濾混合物、為樣本標上日期，並徹底沖洗。

Colour Harmony for Sketching and Calligraphy　速寫與書法的色彩和諧

You do not need advanced colour theory to start well. Try these friendly approaches:

開始時無須高深色彩理論。可試試這些友善做法：

Complementary accents　互補色點綴

Colours opposite on a simple colour wheel (e.g. blue–orange, red–green) create lively contrast. Use one as the main tone and the other sparingly for highlights or titles.

簡單色環上相對的顏色（例如藍－橙、紅－綠）能造出生動對比。以一色為主調，另一色少量作高光或點綴。

Analogous calm　類似色的沉穩

Neighbours on the wheel (e.g. blue–teal–green) feel cohesive — excellent for peaceful lettering spreads and nature sketches.

色環上的鄰居（例如藍－青－綠）感覺協調——極適合平靜的美術字版面與自然速寫。

Warm / cool structure　暖／冷結構

Warm inks (reds, oranges, warm browns) advance; cool inks (blues, cool greys) recede. A cool shadow wash behind warm brush lettering makes words pop.

暖色墨（紅、橙、暖棕）向前跳；冷色墨（藍、冷灰）向後退。暖色毛刷字後方加一層冷影渲染，字會更跳。

Neutral + one hero colour　中性色＋一個主角色

Black/dark grey/sepia for structure, plus one bright ink for emphasis — a classic journal and sketchbook strategy.

黑／深灰／褐色打結構，再加一支明亮墨作強調——經典手帳與速寫策略。

Repeat colours deliberately　有意識地重複用色

In calligraphy layouts, repeating the same two colours in headings and flourishes looks intentional; introducing a third colour only at a focal point keeps the page clear.

書法版面中，標題與花體重複同一雙色會顯得有意圖；第三色只在焦點處引入。

Practice Exercises　練習作業

1. Three-swatch blend: Pick two inks; mix a middle tone; letter the same word in all three.
2. One-scene limit: Sketch a simple street corner using only two colours + paper white.
3. Wash test: Draw boxes with dye vs pigment outlines; add water; compare.
4. Harmony pair: Create a short quote with analogous colours, then redo with a complementary accent.

• 三格混色：選兩墨；調出中間調；同一字用三色各寫一次。
• 一景限色：速寫簡單場景，只用兩墨＋清水。

Care After Mixing Sessions　混色後的護理

• Rinse glass nibs, brushes, and trays before colours dry into crust
• Wipe bottle rims so caps seal cleanly
• Flush any fountain pen that held an experiment
• Store swatch cards dry and flat

• 玻璃尖、筆刷與碟子在顏色結痂前沖洗
• 擦淨瓶口以便蓋密封
• 徹底沖洗任何曾接觸混合物的鋼筆

Conclusion　結語

Mixing colours is where technical ink knowledge becomes creative voice. Mix on the palette or page, test swatches, respect fountain-pen limits, and use simple harmony ideas to guide calligraphy and sketching. With those habits, colour stays exciting instead of muddy — and your tools stay ready for the next lesson.

混色是把墨水技術知識化為創作聲音的地方。在調色盤或紙上混、做試色、尊重鋼筆界限，並用和諧令畫面說話。

In our next lesson, we move to Paper — how paper weight, texture, and sizing change ink behaviour, and how to choose sheets for writing, calligraphy, and sketching.

下一課我們進入《紙張》——紙重、紋理與施膠如何改變墨水表現，以及如何為書寫、書法與速寫選紙。