『StarryInk Lab Archives』 Vol.4 ｜44次日落 44 Sunsets
Long time no see, and wishing you all a very Happy New Year.
As we stand at the threshold of 2026, we find ourselves looking back with immense gratitude. This year holds a profound significance for us, as this coming April marks StarryInk’s 10th birthday. A decade of color, a decade of stories. We are deeply thankful for every hand that has entrusted its stories to our ink, and every heart that has resonated with our hues. It is your enduring support that has allowed us to turn ten years of fleeting inspirations into a tangible history.
To begin this milestone year, we wanted to share a color that embodies a quiet, enduring kind of romance. Today, we invite you to step into the gentle philosophy of The Little Prince. Inspiration often comes from the grandest sights, but sometimes, it hides in the smallest, most melancholic moments. 44 Sunsets, or in Chinese 44次日落(sì shí sì cì rì luò), is a tribute to the delicate act of watching the day end. It captures that specific, tender magic of twilight, reminding us that even in solitude, there is a profound beauty to be found in the world around us.
StarryInk Lab Ink-Report
44 Sunsets is a soulful orange-pink ink with complex chromatographic depth. On Tomoe River paper, it leans toward a warm sunset orange, revealing gentle layers of soft pink, orange-red, and a subtle sepia halo at the edges. With finer nibs, the strokes exhibit high shading—beginning as a vibrant orange upon the page, then settling into a soft, nostalgic pink as it dries, like the sky cooling after a long day. On watercolor paper, the shade drifts toward a delicate pink base, unveiling distinct layers of orange-red and purple-pink undertones. On tracing paper, the color shines with remarkable clarity and lucid brightness.
The ink’s shifting hues evoke the sensation of twilight skies changing moment by moment. From orange to pink, from warm sepia to purple, every page becomes a reflection of those forty-four fleeting sunsets.
Inspiration
The inspiration for 44 Sunsets was shared by its commissioner:
一个人在孤独时就会爱上看日落，小王子严肃的说，有一天我看了44次日落。
One loves the sunset when one is so sad. "I watched the sunset forty-four times in one day," the Little Prince said gravely.
这是《小王子》里面一段我很喜欢的话，但是我一直觉得，不一定是非常孤独的时候才爱看日落。
This passage from The Little Prince has always lingered in my mind. Yet, I have always felt that one need not be profoundly lonely to cherish the sunset.
每一次下班回家我都会喜欢看一看每天的天空，并记录下来，一个人看日落有时候也是一件开心的事不是嘛。
Every day, after the noise of work fades, I like to look up and record the daily sky. In those quiet moments, watching the sunset alone can be a joy in itself, don't you think?
Swatches and Works
Swipe to explore how 44 Sunsets 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!