08/10/2026
Here’s a swatch video of some of the Optimist ink colors. Today we’re swatching 🎒Federal Red, ☀️ Primary Yellow, 🫑 Seaweed, 🍇Red Violet and 🦕Prussian Blue.
Optimist inks are produced in-house by Federal Color . These are a highly pigmented, shellac-based ink that is lightfast and UV-resistant. They are waterproof when completely dry, which makes them excellent for layering. You can use them for drawing and painting using a dip pen or paint brush. 🖌️✒️
To thin the pigment, you can use their Colorless Medium. This ensures that the shellac-based ink retains its permanence and you can achieve transparent glazes.