Ballpoint pen drawing

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It has been proposed that Ballpoint pen drawing be renamed and moved (Discuss).

Over the years since its invention, the ballpoint pen has become a popular medium for professional and amateur artists. Their low cost, availability, and portability make them a reasonable alternative to expensive, cumbersome artistic mediums.

Unlike a fountain pen or felt tip pen the ink of a ballpoint pen is more viscous and does not bleed as much, which helps manage ink distribution more efficiently. Little or no preparation is required, and various point-sizes, colors, and ink characteristics such as oil-based, water-based or gels are available.

Fine shading can be achieved, creating half-tones through techniques that are very similar to drawing with a pencil, such as cross-hatching, although with more permanent results. Not merely limited to doodling or sketching, intricate pictures can be drawn and, indeed, subject matter has run the full spectrum of artistic output including portraits, still-life, landscapes, and abstracts.

Ballpoint pen artwork has gained increasing interest into the 21st Century, with artists' work receiving media attention^[1] and appearing in art galleries worldwide.^[2] Artists such as Jerry Stith also use the internet to promote their own creations as well as those of others, and disseminate information of the usage of ballpoint pen as an artistic medium. ^[3]

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