That's not a photo?

http://todayentertainm​ent.today.com …e-with-ballpoint-pen?lite

incredible.. thx for the link, Rick

I saw it, and it looked like a rendering. The b&w image is very well done on his link called "Baby Cradled in Dad's Hands - Bic Ballpoint Pen" is awesome.

http://vianaarts.devia​ntart.com …c-Ballpoint-Pen-286451574

I can't imagine doing that with a ballpoint pen. That's amazing.

Wow.. absolutely amazing skill.

Awesome... he must have a lot of patience!

That shows amazing talent!

chrismarriott66 wrote in post #14920912
he must have a lot of patience!

And honestly, that's really all it takes. There was a looooong thread about this over on a digital site I help run, which eventually got a little out of hand due to all the strong opinions on the subject. At the end of the day, drawings like this can actually be done by anyone if they're patient enough, as copying photos is very easy and requires little artistic skill (this is because drawing from a photo is just a case of copying shapes, as no interpretation of form, dimension or perspective is required). It simply takes quite a lot of time and patience. It's also, in my opinion, creatively bankrupt as it shows an obsession with technique as opposed to imagination (sound familiar to photographers?), and, at the risk of sounding like a high art snob, it largely only impresses art beginners and non-artists. To me, these drawings are flat, lifeless and utterly fail to evoke any kind of emotional response in me.

I'm sure I'll get flack for this post, but I don't care. I find the coarse, loose brushwork of a master painter like Turner far more evocative and expressive than this anally retentive photo copying. There's so much more to art than this.

Looks to me like he drew over top of photos, only highlighting them. I doubt he could to the boka backgrounds with pen, and there is noise that I doubt he penned in.

onona wrote in post #14921279
At the end of the day, drawings like this can actually be done by anyone if they're patient enough, as copying photos is very easy and requires little artistic skill

I would have to disagree because I'm quite certain that no level of patience would allow me to re-create photos with a pen like what has been shown (I could never seem to even get the easy drawings in the "Learn to Draw" books that we had as kids).
Being able to translate a photograph into another medium does take a certain level of skill.

WOW.Time to sell my 7D & get a Bic pen.

jra wrote in post #14921306
I would have to disagree because I'm quite certain that no level of patience would allow me to re-create photos with a pen like what has been shown (I could never seem to even get the easy drawings in the "Learn to Draw" books that we had as kids).
Being able to translate a photograph into another medium does take a certain level of skill.

You'd be surprised. There's a pervasive notion in society that artistic skill is something that people are born with (indeed I myself was raised to believe this, as my sisters and I were all considered artistic from when we were young). But this is false. Anyone can learn to draw or paint if they put in the effort; the only reason why people like myself were perceived as being "gifted" at art is because my parents encouraged us all to draw from an early age. All this did was give us a head start. During my years in art school, I saw many students transform from being limited to stick figures, to being able to draw beautifully from life. Of course, I'm not claiming this happened in all cases, but I believe this is simply due to the fact that different people learn at different rates, and the ones that didn't manage to progress with their drawing were either not putting in the effort, or simply needed more time.

Anyone can learn to draw, and anyone, as in this case, can learn to copy, with the latter being far easier than the former. Yes, there's some technique involved, I'm not denying that, but it's not nearly as hard to master as people think it is. Put your mind to it, focus and practice and you'll find you can do it too. People just don't try, and assume they can't, or they try but then give up too quickly.

onona wrote in post #14921583
You'd be surprised. There's a pervasive notion in society that artistic skill is something that people are born with (indeed I myself was raised to believe this, as my sisters and I were all considered artistic from when we were young). But this is false. Anyone can learn to draw or paint if they put in the effort; the only reason why people like myself were perceived as being "gifted" at art is because my parents encouraged us all to draw from an early age. All this did was give us a head start. During my years in art school, I saw many students transform from being limited to stick figures, to being able to draw beautifully from life. Of course, I'm not claiming this happened in all cases, but I believe this is simply due to the fact that different people learn at different rates, and the ones that didn't manage to progress with their drawing were either not putting in the effort, or simply needed more time.

Anyone can learn to draw, and anyone, as in this case, can learn to copy, with the latter being far easier than the former. Yes, there's some technique involved, I'm not denying that, but it's not nearly as hard to master as people think it is. Put your mind to it, focus and practice and you'll find you can do it too. People just don't try, and assume they can't, or they try but then give up too quickly.

I agree with you here.....most things can be learned although some people learn certain things far easier than other people learn them. That said, my original point was that making those types of drawings (or copies) using a ball point pen would take some skill and know how.....I wouldn't even know where to begin if I were to sit down and make an attempt.....I would think that learning how to blend the colors properly would be the most difficult part (although I can't say for sure). IMO, I think the "art and creativity" in these copies is more in the actual drawing rendition itself and the ability to use and create color blends, gradients and stunning detail using nothing more than ball point pens.....whether it's easy or not really plays no part IMO.

Yes, you are correct in that the hardest part of this technique is the colour blending and shading. That takes a fair bit of practice, and a relatively good colour sensitivity (mixing colours is one of the first things you learn when you study painting, and it's something that can take some people years to fully master in an analogue medium). But ultimately that still boils down to patience and time practising.

Ballpoint pens are actually surprisingly nice to work with; in my years of life drawing at college we frequently used ballpoint, and when you use them carefully, they're surprisingly easy to create shading with. The trick lies in using a light touch. So this, combined with a decent eye for colour is what this guy is using for copying these photos.

My main issue with this type of work is that it's really just an exercise in technique (in addition to his pen technique, he's no doubt using a grid system for reproducing the lines, or possibly tracing) and not one in imagination, and as a lifelong art type, I guess I just find this kind of thing wanky and pointless from an artistic perspective because of the lack of imagination. It's like guitarists (Yngwie Malmsteen comes to mind) who just show off by playing as fast as possible - sure the technique is impressive in a way but the music lacks soul. And it happens in photography too - people obsess so much about getting the exposure perfect and all that, that they end up just taking photos that say nothing. This satisfies some people, yeah, but for me personally I need something more in art. Art, in my view, should provoke or evoke the viewer in some way.

onona wrote in post #14922225
Yes, you are correct in that the hardest part of this technique is the colour blending and shading. That takes a fair bit of practice, and a relatively good colour sensitivity (mixing colours is one of the first things you learn when you study painting, and it's something that can take some people years to fully master in an analogue medium). But ultimately that still boils down to patience and time practising.

Ballpoint pens are actually surprisingly nice to work with; in my years of life drawing at college we frequently used ballpoint, and when you use them carefully, they're surprisingly easy to create shading with. The trick lies in using a light touch. So this, combined with a decent eye for colour is what this guy is using for copying these photos.

My main issue with this type of work is that it's really just an exercise in technique (in addition to his pen technique, he's no doubt using a grid system for reproducing the lines, or possibly tracing) and not one in imagination, and as a lifelong art type, I guess I just find this kind of thing wanky and pointless from an artistic perspective because of the lack of imagination. It's like guitarists (Yngwie Malmsteen comes to mind) who just show off by playing as fast as possible - sure the technique is impressive in a way but the music lacks soul. And it happens in photography too - people obsess so much about getting the exposure perfect and all that, that they end up just taking photos that say nothing. This satisfies some people, yeah, but for me personally I need something more in art. Art, in my view, should provoke or evoke the viewer in some way.

Yeah, I know what impressed me most was that he was only using 8 colors, basically turning his hand into an inkjet printer. Kind of cool, and I'm certainly impressed, but agree with you that it's not necessarily something I consider true art. If I saw this in an art gallery, it would certainly catch my eye (assuming I knew it was a drawing and not a photograph), but it wouldn't be the piece that kept me coming back.

Anyway, thanks for sharing, Rick_reno, because I definitely found it pretty cool, especially for a guy who's certainly in the slow category when it comes to learning to draw or paint. . .though I did amaze myself with the very modest (and I'm not just being modest when I say that) accomplishments I did have with some proper instruction.