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Ballpoint Pen

In Tools by Amanda Whipp

The Challenges of The Ballpoint Pen Artist

After more than ten years and two published comic books, I consider myself at least halfway to becoming an industry professional. I have always tried to break barriers in my own not-so-subtle way… Which is why I still stubbornly cling to what is perhaps the cheapest implement at my disposal: the ballpoint pen.

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When I was fresh out of high school and living in a crappy little apartment in a run-down little town in Maryland, I could barely afford a roof over my head, much less the expensive Microns or Prismacolors that most artists use. While I was scraping away at my 9-5, I began planning my first graphic novel. It was ultimately a failed venture, but it did teach me one very important lesson: use what you have at your disposal. In my case, it was a pocketful of filched ballpoints from my job in retail.

Years later, at Denver Comic-Con, while working on one of my graphic novels (Night Crossing, now published), I met the rather crotchety Ben Templesmith, artist of Wormwood, 30 Days of Night, and other greats. When I showed him a few panels of Night Crossing, his first reaction was a scoff. He said: “You should get with the program and use REAL pens.” It made me feel a sense of shame and slink away. Then, as I reflected on the encounter, I got angry. What a ridiculous response!

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Ballpoint pen has a rather negative connotation in a lot of art circles. As though, by using them, you mark yourself as an illegitimate artist. I am here to tell you that is a bunch of baloney! When I started doing comics back in 2006, I got sucked into that fear mentality. That somehow what I was doing wasn’t real. I feared that I couldn’t afford to be a “real” artist, because of the expense of buying top-of-the-line supplies. So, for years I kept that first comic a secret. I still have 200 pages of it in a box somewhere. I may revisit it one day, probably not.

In my opinion, ballpoint pens are one of the loveliest and most versatile instruments at an artist’s disposal. I use them every day, on almost every project I have ever done. They have a kind of subtlety that the black-as-night Microns can’t hope to touch. I have thought a lot about my encounter with Mr. Templesmith, most recently at my Night Crossing release party just a few months ago. Since then, I have been commissioned to do pieces for people, specifically in ballpoint pen. I even won a contest that Bic held in 2014. Most, if not all, of my projects are done with Bics and I don’t regret a thing.

If you are comfortable working in a certain medium, don’t let anyone shame you into thinking that it is not real. Over the last few years, I have realized the damage that way of thinking can wreak. If I were less pig-headed, who knows? I may not have had the courage to stubbornly push through certain opinions and get my work out there.

At the risk of sounding like an after-school special: Blaze a trail! In my hand, nothing is more comfortable than a Bic. For you, it may be watercolor, or pastel, or perhaps a Crayola crayon.

Whatever it is, use it! The most important thing anyone can do is make the world a more beautiful place… And the next time you get the urge to draw, perhaps try a regular old pen. You’d be amazed at the kind of magic it can do!

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About The Author


Amanda Whipp

Ballpoint Pen Aritst
Creator of Night Crossing

Amanda is an award-winning comic book artist living in Colorado Springs, CO, USA. She is a horror artist who is still scared of the monsters under her bed! Night Crossing, her newest graphic novel, is out now.

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