Van Dieman's Inks 2026 - Vampire

Vampire

October’s Ink of the Month emerges beneath a blood-red sky.

Vampire is a deep, atmospheric burgundy-red fountain pen ink, inspired by the enduring legends of the undead and the dark forests, moonlit nights and gothic imagery that surround them.

Its base colour moves through blood red, wine and deep burgundy, becoming considerably darker where the ink pools. Strong shading gives Vampire an appropriately brooding character, with brighter crimson and raspberry tones appearing through the lighter areas and rich near-black burgundy developing at its deepest.

Across the surface lies a generous silver shimmer. Under ordinary light it gives the ink a cool metallic lustre, but under direct light the effect becomes dramatically brighter, creating an almost moonlit silver finish across the darker red beneath. The contrast between the warm, blood-red base and cold metallic shimmer is particularly striking.

On wetter swatches, touches of olive-green sheen can also appear around heavily saturated edges, adding another unexpected dimension to the ink.

The original artwork by Belinda Rix depicts a great pale moon rising over a dark forest beneath a turbulent crimson sky, while bats sweep across the landscape. The artwork is reproduced across both the bottle and individually numbered presentation box.

Vampire is the October release in Van Dieman’s Ink’s 2026 Mythological Creatures Collection.

Ink Characteristics
Base Colour: Blood red to deep burgundy
Saturation: Medium to high
Shading: Strong
Shimmer: Silver
Sheen: Subtle olive-green in heavily saturated areas
Character: Dark, rich, metallic and highly atmospheric

Handmade in Tasmania.