Joer_B's Uploads

Salama wearing a floral crown arrangement.

Drawing Prompt Submission

Meadhbh massaging her neck kink after posing. Bic4 Ballpoint Pen on Archival 9” x 12” paper. Model: Meadhbh (Maeve).

Sketchbook work. Hands convey a surprising amount of emotion, which is the reason I love drawing them.

A drawing that turned out better than I expected. Two hour seated pose. Pencil, Charcoal Pencil, Pastel Pencils on some weird pad of paper I found in my closet.

Drawing Prompt Submission

Meadhbh standing in front of a green wall. Simplified her hair and the leaves in the background a bit. Charcoal and pastel pencils on 9” x 12” Strathmore archival sketchbook paper, scanned into Photoshop. Model: Meadhbh

Natasha Hair Down. Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Sanrio Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on Archival 8.5" x 11" paper

Taken me a while to finish this one - not feeling very focused lately. Also, I restricted myself to using Bic’s yellow ink, which is way more vibrant than the cheap 10-colour ink click pens that I usually use.

Sitting around and sketching Natasha on a slow afternoon. Red Bic pen in Moleskine sketchbook.

Naomi grooving and swaying to some classic blues by Johny Hartman. Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on Archival 9" x 12" paper

Finally finished this one. 2021, Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on 9” x 12” Archival paper. Model: Malik_E

Meadhbh sitting on a bar stool and twisting to her right. Bic4 Ballpoint Pen on Archival 9” x 12” paper. Model: Meadhbh (Maeve).

I’m often asked about my Bic pen drawings and how I do them. It starts with a good foundational drawing, the ballpoint pen part is just trying to colour within the lines. I try to do my best to explain the process, but the best way to show my progress is by posting my efforts to master pen drawings over the span of 3 or so years. I have been doodling/drawing with ballpoint pens as far back as I can remember - they were cheap, readily available and always lying around the house. It wasn’t until I was bored during a particularly long team meeting-conference call (around 2016-17) that I started to think about the possibilities of ballpoint pens as serious portrait illustration tools. My first experiments with full colour ink portrait drawings were rather crude, but that’s the point of learning new techniques—as long as the curiosity and the love of drawing is there, you can transfer that skill and passion into any medium. Remember, the most exquisite drawings and paintings you see didn’t materialise fully formed, they started out as failed experiments. Failure after failure after failure. It’s important to remember this when you get discouraged (I've failed spectacularly over the years). The only difference between the accomplished artist and the beginner is hundreds of hours of practice. Talent can only get you so far. It’s the hard work that you do behind the scenes that makes your work look effortless. Keep doodling. Keep learning. Stay curious.

Hand pose 8 with one detail and work progression shots - started with the red pen layer, then green and finally the yellow ink (feature image).

I was too late and missed the entry deadline…eating too much ProCrastinate?? lol. Anyways, couldn’t resist and fired up Adobe Dimensions, Illustrator and Photoshop for this quick and dirty advert.

The lovely Ms. Taylor Hill channeling an Audrey Hepburn vibe. Reference photo from the Vanity Fair 2018 Oscars after party (Getty Images).

Model: Meadhbh (Maeve). Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on Archival 9” x 12” paper

Pastel pencil study of the intertwined hands of the Ambrogio Borghi sculpture, Chioma di Berenice. Faber Castell pastel pencils, Black and White Generals charcoal pencils on 9” x 12” Strathmore Toned Grey sketchbook paper.

From a wonderful photograph by Mr. Georges Courreges.