I frequently recommend to people interested in calligraphy, to learn how to prepare their own iron-gall ink. This is one of the most important old formulas and it was used all over Europe for manuscripts and art works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_gall_inkUsing a good calligraphic ink is a must if you want to reproduce the finer details that can be seen in the work of the old masters. There are several formulas and it worth experimenting a bit. In this site sponsored by the Dutch government you can get a lot of informations and several recipes:
http://ink-corrosion.org/make-ink/recipes-and-instructionsMy experience with it (in spanish):
http://www.re-type.com/notaweblog/?p=89Good luck!
Comments
Carbon based inks (ie Chinese or "india") are generally non-corrosive, but are rather dependent on the binding medium (resin or gum) to be permanent, since the carbon does not stain the medium like gall inks. Without a binder, the carbon may eventually rub away.
Walnut ink is excellent for fine-line drawing.