The Art of Ballpoint: Experimentation, Exploration, and Techniques in Ink

by Matt Rota

The Art of Ballpoint offers a historical perspective of the pen as an art medium and how it has evolved and grown in popularity. The book features several leading contemporary ballpoint artists who are creating complex and provocative masterpieces. They discuss their methods, the messages in their work, and their personal connections to the pen.

These fascinating pieces range from psychologically charged portraits to mutant animals to spectacular wall-sized abstractions. The chapters cover classical drawings, modern abstractions, graphic illustration, contemporary realism, and sketchbook styles.

Interspersed throughout the book, ballpoint techniques are demonstrated through stepped-out exercises that explore line drawing and crosshatching, shading and tone, photo-realism, drawing texture and pattern, working in layers, mixing other media with ballpoint, and more. Glide through this inspiring book and enjoy the intricate and impressive works created from an everyday tool.

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction, Design

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2015

About the author

Matt Rota is an illustrator living and working in Brooklyn New York, and is an instructor at the School of Visual Arts. His clients include The New York Times, The New Yorker, The LA Times, Fast Company, McSweeny's, Foreign Policy Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Chronicle Books, Medium, Pro Publica, The Center For Investigative Research, Columbia Journalism Review, GQ Italy, Vice, and more. He's received awards and recognition from the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, 3x3 Magazine, Spectrum, American Illustration, and Luerzer's Archive. His drawings have been displayed at galleries in New York, Paris and Los Angeles.

Matt is also the author of the forthcoming The Art of Ballpoint: Experimentation, Exploration, and Techniques in Ink, a collection of some of the best contemporary artists working in the ballpoint pen medium.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit odd - part history, part art review, part drawing practice book it tried to capture a lot and never quite pulled any of them off well. The artists it covered were interesting but it didn't blend well with the other two much smaller parts of the book. The drawing practice felt randomly thrown in to the book. There was very little history here either. It didn't have an ending.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was initially disappointed because this was not an instruction book and was not really the style of art I was expecting (Much more shading and tone than line work). But I decided to give it another shot and read it cover to cover. I enjoyed this little peek into the processes of the artists in this book.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is strange. It meanders and dabbles among expositions on featured artists’ style and practices, provides a reasonable history of ballpoint pens, and ballpoint exercises.
The exercises are not always special to ballpoint, so I question why some of them are there. There are several excellent sources on technical pens which might cover the same activity or style demonstrated. How to make a gradient is demonstrated with hatching and density of marks; not specific to ballpoint. The artists represented all are using sophisticated techniques and yet the exercise is so rudimentary. It’s all a bit confusing.
Regardless, I gleaned a few notes, thoughts, and perspectives for myself, so I’m appreciative for this addition to my read-list.

[Ietrio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waste one page (p. 9) to say the ballpoint is so known and everywhere. Later, waste another page (p. 19) with the history, that that is so known. Else, it proves to be not a manual of drawing with the ballpoint pen, but a gallery index of some artists that have employed ballpoint pens in their work. Acceptable, but not what I was expecting.

[Asna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrative kinda flowery than other artbooks I used to read, so I had hard time disgested the words since I'm not native, but I like it anyway as it features a wide range of ballpoints artwork and also its respective practice/ tutorial sessions.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three word review: diverse, instructive, informative

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good art work examples and exercises. It was well balanced between the two and fun to read.

[Kadri Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relly good book for techniques and inspiration from other artists.

[Mary Davidsaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was unexpectedly thoughtful in presenting the art created by an often overlooked utilitarian object. I had never considered the history of the ball point pen. Never deemed it worthy of much more than an occasional doodle. How wrong I was. This book and the artists it presented has given me a new appreciation. A great find at my local library.

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! As an aspiring artist myself, I loved this book and found it very inspiring as well as motivational. The detail and skill in these drawings are incredible

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting book on drawing with Ballpoint Pen and showcasing some amazing artists work, with their methods and personal connections to the pen. Inspiring :)