Susan May Pasadena, California
Ralvin Dizon Pampanga, Philippines
Aries Villaflor Quezon City, Philippines
PICK PIECES The Ballpointer staff choose the artwork and let the artist explain it in their own words Vol 3 No 2 posted March 3, 2016
Lennie Mace・Tokyo, Japan
Impression of a Purple Kinda Tree Jan 29, 2016 (012916) ・6.5 x 7'' (16 x 17cm) ・ballpoint & dry ballpoint pen on postcard stock
Alberto Repetti Genova, Italy
René Moncada Brooklyn, New York
Pepe Lozano・Cordoba, Spain
El Descansa del Alma
(The Rest of the Soul)・2016
70 x 100cm (28 x 40'') ballpoint pen on cardboard
Coleccion Angeles (Angel series)
''This work is dedicated to my son, who was killed in a motorcycle accident this past summer. Wings, in motorcycling, mean speed and livertad (freedom, independence). The soul is represented here without arms, only with wings, on cotton clouds illuminated by beams of eternal rest. I spent 350 hours of work on this artwork. It is on white cardboard, and I used seven blue Bic brand pens. This drawing is based on a composition of several photos to get it. It is part of a series which will consist of ten artworks'' ・
''Esta obra esta dedicada ami hijo que perdio la vida en un accidente de moto este pasado verano, las alas simbolo de la livertad en los grupos moteros, significan la velocidad y la livertad. El alma representada sin brazos solo con alas sobre nubes de algodon iluminados por rayos de luz de un descanso eterno. En este formato de 100x70 he utilizado 350 horas de trabajo, una cartulina blanca y 7 boligrafos marca bic azul. Este tipo de trabajo esta basado en una composicion de varias fotos para conseguirlo. La serie se compondra de diez obras'' ・
Contact: designlozano@gmail.com
Artwork © Pepe Lozano
Pepe Lozano will be the subject of a feature article
in the May 2016 edition of The Ballpointer.
Ross Kinkaid Kent, England
*As part of new article formatting, segments of artists' comments will be printed in their native language. Apologies to non-English contributors for whom this formatting was previously unavailable.The Ballpointerwill make some effort to revise/amend where possible.
Next in dark blue I darkened some of the light blue branch lines. I also lightly ran that pen over the light blue trunk and trunk shadow, which left some interesting patterns of light blue showing through; like tree bark or more shadows. Then came purple. These are all Bic 4-in-1 colors, by the way; purple & light blue from the newer fancy four colors, dark blue from the classic four. I used short, sharp strokes to form tree branch edges and a combo of light and heavy strokes over the blank lines I'd already drawn. Dragging the purple pen over the blank dry pen lines, more interesting things happen. Even with only light pressure, the purple ink built up at the facing edge of the "etched" dry lines forming new, textured lines; kind of ghost lines revealed. It gets pretty trippy while you're drawing; you have to kind of lose yourself. I've described this before as 'letting the pens do the drawing'; you're just literally 'on hand' to react. Drawing in "invisible ink" is like drawing with your eyes closed.
Within two hours, between sips of wine and layering of ink, I ended up nailing my image "in one take" ending up with maybe one of the most expressive drawings I've ever done — more like never done — even without looking anything like I intended. For now it's one of a kind; I just hope I can do it again if I want'' ・ Artwork © Lennie Mace/THE LAB
Visit: www.lenniemace.com official website
www.lenniemacemarket.com sells collectible goods
All but the keenest viewers may have missed the many ballpoint pen cameos on screens big and small over the years. Ballpoints are regulars in Hollywood productions, and not just as set dressing...
A Doodle to Wipe Ones A** With?
・50 First Dates 2004 Director: Peter Segal
After his sailboat suffers damage, Henry Roth (Adam Sandler, as the head veterinarian of a Hawaiian aquarium) ducks into the Hukilau Cafe and fatefully crosses paths with Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore, as a girl who suffers from ''Goldfield's Syndrome'', a fictional form of amnesia). Lucy is sitting in a booth alone making a house out of her waffles...
Peter Ross Hong Kong
Eric Seaholm Tokyo, Japan
Alexander Perandin Moreira Brazil
''Hi, I'm sorry to bother you but, you look like the sort of person who appreciates fine art, so, I wanted your opinion on something.'' Henry holds up his drawing which shows important aspects of Lucy's life he'd learned about her during their first meeting the day before. ''I drew this, it's a, uh, a picture of a father and son fishing off a fishing boat. There's a walrus right there who, uh...''
M.I. Shaikh Mumbai, India
Ryusei Ichimaru Tokyo, Japan
Scott Mackie Aberdeen, Scotland
Gareth Edwards Stourbridge, England
Dave Warshaw San Diego, California
Levey Rañin Carigari, Leyte, Philippines
A Year in The Pen The Ballpointer Nov 2014 - Nov 2015 PICKS of the Litter 2015
Nathan Lorenzana Guatemala City, Guatemala
Jhon Rich Compra Bohol, Philippines
Ler Huang Kaohsiung, Taiwan
''Here's a drawing that was never meant to be. Not that anything I draw is ever really meant to be, but... Mostly they just happen; I'm only an accomplice...
I'd been hiking through snowy mountains and the purplish patterns and bluish shadows formed by bare tree branches against the white snow-covered ground caught my eye and stuck in my head. It left an impression. With that in mind, I fiddled with a few straightforward sketches on paper, but none of them quite worked for me. Then it hit me that my dry ballpoint technique might give me what I was looking for. 'Impressions'! Perfect. Before attempting anything I'd consider serious, I pulled out a piece of scrap postcard stock I had on hand and started scratching out lines onto it, very lightly using light blue, just to lay down some basics; branches forming the basis of the tree, and the directions of the shadows.
Then came the dry pen, a medium point. I used it to outline some of the branches but also drew blank lines, some very randomly, mimicking the way branches radiate outward. The thickness of the card stock meant I could "etch" blank lines deeply into the surface. I also tapped into the surface with the dry pen to see if snowfall would appear in the end. It only shows faintly but in the end it didn't matter anyway.
Qualeasha Wood Long Branch, New Jersey
Arthur T. Cortez Calamba City, Philippines
It's love at first sight for Henry, who charms her by helping add a door to her waffle hut and is welcomed to join her. Lucy speaks lovingly of her father and brother; Henry speaks endearingly of... walrus penises. Love blossoms. They agree to meet there again the following day, but Lucy's amnesia is such that her memories are erased while sleeping; she remembers nothing except her life prior to the accident which caused her affliction. Unsuspecting Henry arrives the next day only to find that Lucy doesn't remember him at all.
Henry then goes through a series of desperate attempts to regain her interest. Leading into his second of several unsuccessful attempts, he is shown sitting at the counter of the Hukilau drawing onto a napkin in ballpoint pen. He then approaches Lucy in her booth to show his drawing...
View more PICK PIECES and read about these artworks in the artists' own words in The Ballpointer PICKPIECE archives. Click on the artwork to see their PICKPIECES.
Matt Rota Brooklyn, New York
Allan Barbeau Dublin, Ireland
Henry is cut off by Lucy, who feigns inability to speak English and repels him in Chinese. He retreats to his seat at the counter. A Japanese cafe regular who's been following Henry's antics asks him for his drawing, ''Can I have that? I need something to wipe my ass with.''
Henry is successful at winning Lucy's affections, but not that day, and only after several other unsuccessful attempts. Along the way we meet plenty of other characters. Supporting Sandler is fellow Saturday Night Live alumni Rob Schneider as Ula, a beach-bum-burnout who worships Henry's ways with women and provides laughs.
SNL royalty Dan Ackroyd also appears, as Dr. Keats, a specialist in memory disorders. A usual-cast-of-idiots from other Sandler movies are also allotted bit parts, including one as Ten Second Tom, who suffers from a more severe case of amnesia than Lucy suffers. Sandler, known for silly songwriting skills since his SNL days, also does a song on ukelele, Forgetful Lucy (''Who's got a nice caboosey'').
The ballpoint-on-napkin drawing Henry shows to Lucy appears again during end credit stills, with ballpoint notations presumably added later by Lucy, reminding herself ''Henry tried to pick me up with this drawing.'' Mahalo! ・
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