India ink

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/india-ink

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic origin?East Asia (China, Japan, India)
2. What is the traditional composition?Carbon soot and animal glue binder
3. What is India ink and why is it so black?India ink is a special black paint made from tiny carbon particles (soot) mixed with a binder like animal glue. The carbon gives it a deep, opaque black color that stays bright on paper.
4. How do artists make India ink stick to paper?The ink is made into solid sticks that artists grind with water on a stone. The grinding mixes the soot and binder, creating liquid ink that flows smoothly and stays on the paper.

Soot: Finely divided carbon particles produced by incomplete combustion, serving as the pigment.
Inkstick: A solid, compressed form of ink, traditionally ground with water to create liquid ink for writing and painting.
Binder: A substance that adheres pigment particles together and to the substrate, influencing flow and permanence.
Calligraphy: The art of decorative handwriting, emphasizing form, rhythm, and composition.