『StarryInk Lab Archives』 Vol.1 ｜雪中枝 Snow-Buried Branches
Welcome to the first chapter of our StarryInk Lab Archives. Each entry in this series will introduce one of the thousands custom inks we’ve created over the 9 years — not just as colors, but as intimate translations of personal inspiration. They’re personal collaborations: we match colors to the inspiration, while the name and emotional landscape always come from you — the creators, dreamers, writers, artists, and collectors who bring meaning to every shade. Today, we begin with a quiet, poetic ink: “雪中枝”(xuě zhōng zhī) — or in English, “Snow-Buried Branches”.
StarryInk Lab Ink-Report
Snow-Buried Branches is a blue-gray ink with richly layered chromatography and shading. On watercolor paper, the base tone leans slightly yellow, revealing a complex chromatography of blue, orange-red, and mossy green. On tracing paper, it shows rose-red sheen under concentrated strokes, while on Tomoe River paper, the base tone appears slightly cooler, revealing layered chromatography of blue-greens, blue-violets, and brick red.
Even when used with fine nibs, the chromatography is clearly visible — a rare trait among inks of this kind. It gently seeps through the lines, delicate yet undeniably present. Its most striking trait lies in its shading behavior: the color visibly transforms on contact, much like thin snow catching the last slant of sunlight at dusk, revealing a faint blush beneath the frost.
Inspiration
The ink was commissioned by 西瓜霜, who drew its name from a classical poem:
柳垂江上影，梅谢雪中枝。
Willows droop over river shadows, plum blossoms fade upon snow-buried branches.
She shared this reflection:
虽然名字取自于诗句，但试过雪中枝后，想到了之前读过的《济南的冬天》：“山尖全白了，给蓝天镶上一道银边。……等到快日落的时候，微黄的阳光斜射在山腰上，那点薄雪好像忽然害了羞，微微露出点粉色。”
Although the name was inspired by a classical poem, the moment Snow-Buried Branches touched the page, it brought to mind a passage from Winter in Jinan: "The mountain peaks had turned completely white, as if rimmed with silver against the blue sky. As the sun edged toward the horizon, a pale golden light slanted across the hillsides, and the thin snow, as if suddenly shy, revealed the faintest blush of pink."
Swatches and Works
Swipe to explore how Snow-Buried Branches reveals different characters on different papers.
✒️ Disclaimer: The Magic of Ink
Please note that the colors shown in photos may vary slightly depending on lighting, camera settings, screen displays, and editing. More importantly, this ink—like all our creations—is deeply responsive to its environment.
Different types of paper, coating, fiber density, and absorbency will bring out unique aspects of the ink’s color, sheen, and chromatography. The same ink may lean cooler on Tomoe River, warmer on watercolor paper, or reveal hidden undertones on tracing paper. We call this “Color Variance Across Papers” — or as we like to say: one ink, many voices
We wholeheartedly encourage you to try it on different papers, in different pens, under different skies. Let it surprise you. Let it become part of your story.
We can’t wait to see what colors come alive under your pen!