Kala - Sierra Mist

Kala - Sierra Mist - ink drop

Sierra Mist, is from Kala Ink’s Nostalgia Abstraction series of pigmented, water-resistant inks. Largely an exploration of greys, this is one of two in the series that lean green. When I think of reaching for a grey ink, or a water-resistant ink, my first thought is often to Kala.

Visually, I see a clear connection between the colors of this ink, and the name Sierra Mist. The ink is a combination of the deep greens of pine forests, and the creamy, nebulous veil of an early morning, misty mountain fog. As it shades, lights lean more towards the fog, and darks give you more of the greens of pine. As an alternate to more standard grey, black, or dark green, I think this palette works very well.

Kala - Sierra Mist - color range

As a writing ink, Sierra Mist largely performed as expected on premium papers. It was great on Rhodia and Kokuyo, and a very good on Mnemosyne and Apica, but really there were no complaints. Strokes were crisp and clean, and drying times ranged from 15-30 seconds. There was slightly more shading on Mnemosyne and Apica, but strokes were slightly darker and more pronounced on Rhodia and Kokuyo, giving them the higher rating. It didn’t perform as well on cheap office copy paper, and that seems to be fairly consistent across the line. There was more shading than on the premiums, but strokes were loose, and feathering was seen throughout. It’s usable, but not pretty. As with other inks in the series, water-resistance was very high. There was little to no deterioration or fade in my tests.

Kala - Sierra Mist - ink swatch card

I really like Kala inks. They consistently impress me. Like the other Nostalgia Abstraction inks that I’ve tried, I definitely recommend Sierra Mist. If you like a little green in your permanent grey, this is the ink for you!

November 2020