Making the Blue Ball Point Pen famous, one artist at a time

Fellow blogger friend Bénédicte of Carnet de Dessins has been inspired by my recent postings to begin drawing with the famous blue ball point pen!  She’s posted two drawings she made using the fabulous pen.

Perhaps I can persuade others to try drawing with a blue ball point pen, and I would recommend doing a test drawing something like the one above as a way of getting started — just to get the feel of the tool.  [FYI:  Shhh, we call it a “test” drawing so that other people who are wondering what we’re doing can get a satisfactory answer:  “Oh, I’m just testing out this new pen.”  While actually we’re really having a lot of fun.  However “mum’s the word.”]

I drew the fake rocks above using a Bic Cristal ball point pen, one of the world’s cheapest pens.  The “fake rocks” are kind of an ordinary, average sort of manufactured product too — rather like the pen.  To be more specific, I drew a foot mat that I’d purchased at Lowes’ and I didn’t even draw it from life, but instead from a photograph since the real mat is outside on the front porch where all the hungry mosquitoes like to hang out.

If you want to test your pen by drawing fake rocks and don’t have a doormat from Lowes — or do have a doormat but have the same mosquito problem that we’ve got, well feel free to use mine.  I give my photo to the world for the sake of art!

Also, as a full disclosure, I also use other brands of blue ball point pen.  I’m experimenting with blue Uni-ball roller pens, Bic “bold writing” Velocity pens, Bic’s “for Her” pens, and Pilot Bottle 2 Pens (made from recycled materials, save-the-planet while you write).  In addition I bought some  Sarasa “zebra” pens displayed at the check out counter at Staples and Pentel RSVP RT pens that were also sold individually at the front of the store.  I looked for as many varieties of blue ball point pens as I could find in the interest of getting slightly different shades of blue color as well as different qualities and textures of ink.

As to my motif, it’s too complicated to get into here but the fake rocks actually relate to imagery I’ve used in some of my paintings.  Nothing is too slight for art if it matters to someone in their heart of hearts.

And while you’re looking for your heart’s delight, give the pens a try.  You never know.