Playing at the Victoria Film Festival on Feb 4 (1pm) and 7 (9pm)
And coming to NFB.ca Summer 2023
Brian D. Johnson’s The Colour of Ink is a beautiful documentary to behold on the silver screen. Not only does it vividly render the pigmented products made by Jason Logan for us to behold, but also, we see Nicholas De Pencier‘s camerawork provide some beautiful juxtapositions. But there’s more to this work than meets the eye, pardoning the pun. To understand what ink is requires knowing its history with artistic expression. Whether it’s applied in aboriginal art, calligraphy, or tattooing, the creators often want that hue to stand out.
When it comes to inking comic books or digital products, sometimes the advances in technology overshadow what’s loved with the traditional process–those liquid textures or shapes formed by a brush are much more organic and alive! To let it bleed through and act according to its own fractual language is the message Johnson I believe wants to get across.
To hear what others think of Jason’s product is very insightful. After being raised by the sights and sounds that make up the natural beauty of Gambier Island, he became an artist himself. But to bring that essence to the canvas meant creating his own paints. These days, he lives in the big city, working as a graphic designer for big clients like The New Yorker, and managing the Toronto Ink Company, where he creates specialty inks in small batches for clients all over the world!
Continue reading “The Spotlight on The Colour of Ink is Sweetly Meditative”