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outsidelogic — Sketching with Ballpoint on Toned Paper
#ballpointpen #penandink #people #sketch
Published: 2014-12-30 06:51:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 6151; Favourites: 39; Downloads: 17
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Description
This is what I do when I'm not working (or need a break from) a more formal drawing. Some toned paper, a black ballpoint, a white gel pen, and maybe a copic multiliner to add some extra darks. I don't use a pencil, so these are never perfect, but I find this more liberating than drawing with a pencil, where I'm always tempted to erase and make corrections.Originals done on 9x12 paper. Click to view at full size.
Clockwise from the upper left:
- reference is from a magazine ad for a health club;
- these are sketches from the L'Ecorché app for anatomy study. I need to do a journal post on this app because it's super cool;
- this is from a photograph of Uncle Somebody-or-other; it was part of a drawing prompt on a pen and ink forum I belong to;
- inspiration is from another one of 's amazing photographs. If you ever need to draw interesting people, just browse his gallery.
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Comments: 13
Your sketches are better then a lot of people's finished art, excellent work!
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Great collection. Interesting you use ballpoint pen? Myself I love steel point pen when drawing!
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Thanks. By "steel point pen", do you mean a traditional dip pen, or a fountain pen, or something else...? I like using ballpoint, because you can get a huge range of values, almost like a pencil...but I don't have to sharpen it or worry about smudging...
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Steel point pen - love Gillot 303 and 501 with indian ink!
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I love them: they are refreshing to look at and done very well 
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Thank you. The paper I'm using is nothing fancy: Strathmore "Toned Tan" 400 series. I think they also do pads in gray. And the white highlights are done with a cheap white gel pen (Gelly Roll). It's the best thing I've found for this, although I'm still experimenting with different types of white ink.
I was looking at your gallery, btw, and enjoying your skecthes (you have some very attractive friends 
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A critique 
I've struggled to really get a good white gel pen, the ones I find lack the control that I get with a conventional black pen. I'll check out your Gelly Roll and Toned Tan paper, thanks
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I find drawing in ballpoint pen liberating too. It's just you and a pen. Love it! These sketches are brilliant
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Thank you very much...nice to hear from a fellow pen doodler. I am way behind with my inbox. I have 20 of your drawings there waiting to be properly looked at!
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You're welcome! Yeah, the inbox can get a bit overwhelming. I'm the same though because sometimes I have to be in the mood to look at other peoples work and loads of work can be there for weeks before I look at it properly.
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Thank you. Well, it's a cool "high tech" app, but when it comes to drawing, I'm usually a pretty low tech person. Sometimes I think that's better...
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