Muddy Dragon is my fourth review from the seven-ink MudPack collection from Robert Oster. I really like this ink, but good or bad, it's significantly less “muddy” than some of the others!

This is a very rich red. Compared to the others in the series, it’s bolder and brighter when wet, but dries to a fairly dark, drying-blood, scarlet red. It’s a good shader, and light areas show hints of pink and distant whispers of yellow (although none was seen in the chromatography). The splatter highlights the healthy ash black sheen seen in wetter areas. This is a lovely red that compares nicely to some other popular similars that I’ve shown.

In writing, Muddy Dragon is a pleasing performer. It’s wetter than many Robert Oster inks and flows very smoothly on the page. The black sheen creates a nice dark stroke edging that frames the redder stroke interiors, making it well-defined and clean on friendly papers. Drying ranged from average to slightly slow, but I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. This is a nice writing ink, and it should work well in both wetter and drier pens.

I’m happy to have this one and feel comfortable using it for any occasion. If you’re looking for a new scarlet red, you can’t go wrong with Robert Oster Muddy Dragon. Enjoy!