Insanely Cool Ballpoint Pen Illustrations
French artist Louis Gibiard makes some of the best ballpoint pen drawings that look like classic art. The vivid blue on the white paper calls to mind that of ancient Chinese pottery and the art on Victorian tea sets, which took the aesthetic from the former.
GIBIARD’s use of the pen is amazing and he even gives tutorials on how to use the tool properly to shade and outline.
How to shade:
-What I do is light cross hatching, your lines have to be close enough so they create a light value, but they shouldn’t be overlapping each other. Work by layers, to have the best shading possible, what works for me is that the 5 first layers should be done without any pressure applied, only cross hatching in the different directions. Then adapt the speed/angle/pressure to the part you’re working on. More speed=light shade because less ink has the time to reach the paper, heavy pressure=decreases the chances to have a smooth finish so use it at the very end. Work from light to dark, that way you’ll have more control over your values, it’s easy to darken, impossible to lighten.
