Master the art of ballpoint

Most people associate ballpoint pens with writing rather than drawing, especially when it comes to ‘serious’ art. But this 162-page book highlights just what incredible work can be created with this humble tool.

17 stunning examples of ink drawings

Artist Matt Rota begins with a look back at the history of ballpoint drawing, then introduces some of today’s best ballpoint artists.

The book explores the various ways ballpoint illustrations can represent the world

We also meet some artists of contemporary realism, who are exploring a variety of ways of observing and representing the real world by utilising, and even inventing, new ways of looking.

For readers who want to have a go themselves, each chapter also includes exercises to help you develop your own technique, from line drawing to photo realism to mixed media. Buy the book here.

This article was originally published in Paint & Draw magazine issue 5. Buy it here.

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Tom May is an award-winning journalist specialising in art, design, photography and technology. His latest book, The 50 Greatest Designers (Arcturus Publishing), was published this June. He's also author of Great TED Talks: Creativity (Pavilion Books). Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine.