How Ballpoints Became My Signature Tool
Hi there. How are you?
I had a phone call last week with a podcast host to discuss my upcoming appearance on her show. She asked me why I draw with ballpoints. (It’s far from a traditional art medium.) I’m thinking you might be wondering that too.
My journey to ballpoint is the topic of the introduction to my book. (Yes, I wrote a book!!!) “Me & My Ballpoint Pen” is available for pre-order now and will be out July, 8, 2025.
I thought it would be fun to share this excerpt from the book as it explains my journey to ballpoints.
The Introduction spread from my upcoming book, Me & My Ballpoint Pen. Click to learn more!
Book Excerpt: Why Ballpoints?
The ubiquitous ballpoint pen is a fantastic drawing tool. It’s inexpensive, ultra portable, and is available in a wide range of colors. With a pen, I can draw anywhere, any time (often on my couch with a cat nearby and the TV on in the background).
I really got hooked on drawing with ballpoints during my time as an art teacher.
While I was sitting in meetings, I’d often draw as I listened. After years of filling sketchbooks, I developed a series of marks and techniques that I came back to over and over again. With lots of time and space for experimentation and play, I developed a signature style all of my own.
Weirdly, the “finished work” I was making and selling at the time had nothing to do with my pen sketches. I was deep into mixed media collage and watercolor, with some technical pen work thrown in.
A mixed media floral collage made from magazine and black technical pen in 2006.
Eventually, my pen work and my mixed media work intertwined. I started using pen to shade in my illustrations, and over time, pen crept into every piece I made.
Mixed medial collage with vintage paper, rick-rack, and ballpoint pen on cradled hardboard, 2010.
For years, I drew chairs, birds, florals, and abstracts, all with a black pen, helping me to master the art of shading with a pen. Finally, I began to feel limited by only using black ink, and started experimenting with pens of every color, especially in my abstract work and never looked back.
One of the sketchbook drawings that went viral on Pinterest in 2016.
Around this time, my multicolor abstract pen sketches went viral on Pinterest. People were enamored with my work and I received hundreds of requests for instruction.
Jen + Ink is my signature ballpoint drawing course, where I share my ballpoint shading techniques through a series of up-close and personal video tutorials.
Enter the “Jen + Ink” ballpoint drawing courses, where I teach my abstract pen drawing techniques. I certainly hit a nerve with these, as they’ve been taken by thousands around the world.
For almost a decade now, ballpoint pens have been my primary drawing tool. I’m continually inspired and challenged by the humble pen and I foresee many more years of creative exploration with a pen in hand.
In this book, you will learn how to render both realistically and abstractly with a ballpoint pen. I’ll share all of my ballpoint drawing secrets that I’ve picked up over the years and show you how to use the humble ballpoint to create expressive, detailed art.
Ballpoint drawing is a slow, meditative process. I can spend hours over several days on one sketchbook spread, so don’t feel like you must complete the exercises in this book in one sitting. Take your time and enjoy the process.
My hope is that this book inspires you to explore ballpoint, learn the basics, and then make them your own. I’ve included detailed step-by-step instructions to get you going, as well as some more open-ended projects that you could take in any direction you please.
Psst…The full sample is only on the desktop version of the site.
Pre-Order on Bookshop.org
While, Me & My Ballpoint Pen is currently available for pre-order on several different platforms, if you’re in the US or UK, I’d encourage you to pre-order from Bookshop.org. Every purchase on the site supports independent bookstores and authors (like me!) I am a bookshop.org affiliate, and receive a 10% commission when someone purchases using my links.
Want a Signed Copy of My Book?
Signed and personalized copies of Me & My Ballpoint Pen will only be available to my mailing list subscribers.
I’ll be hosting a pre-order sale starting in June. When you pre-order directly from me, you’ll also receive a bonus video tutorial that won’t be available anywhere else! You’ll be first to know when pre-orders are available, promise.
That’s all for now.
Check back soon for more book updates and glimpses behind the scenes.
