Editing Ballpoint pen (section)

==As an art medium==
{{Main|Ballpoint pen artwork}}
[[File:McQueen ballpoint biro drawing art.jpg|thumb|Example of a ballpoint pen work-in-progress – rendering of actor [[Steve McQueen]] by artist James Mylne]]
[[File:Lennie Mace "Uchuu Neko Parade" 2005 Tokyo, ballpoint "Penting" 130x92cm.jpg|thumb|Ballpoint "''PENting''" by [[Lennie Mace]], Uchuu Neko Parade (2005) ballpoint pen and hardware on paper]]

The ballpoint pen has proven to be a versatile [[art medium]] for both professional artists and amateur [[doodle]]rs.<ref name="NYT"/> Low cost, availability, and portability are cited by practitioners as qualities which make this common writing tool a convenient art supply.<ref name="Oddity"/> Some artists use them within [[mixed-media]] works, while others use them solely as their medium-of-choice.<ref name="Tricks"/>

Effects not generally associated with ballpoint pens can be achieved.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Traditional [[pen|pen-and-ink]] techniques such as [[stipple|stippling]] and [[cross-hatching]] can be used to create half-tones<ref name="Mylne"/> or the illusion of form and volume.<ref name="Art of Sketching"/> For artists whose interests necessitate precision line-work, ballpoints are an obvious attraction; ballpoint pens allow for sharp lines not as effectively executed using a brush.<ref name="Japan Times"/> Finely applied, the resulting imagery has been mistaken for airbrushed artwork<ref name="Tokyo Journal"/> and photography,<ref name="Telegraph"/> causing reactions of disbelief which ballpoint artist [[Lennie Mace]] refers to as the "Wow Factor".<ref name="Japan Times"/><ref name="Tokyo Journal"/>

Famous 20th-century artists including [[Andy Warhol]], have utilized the ballpoint pen during their careers.<ref name="Warhol BPP"/> Ballpoint pen artwork continues to attract interest in the 21st century, with many [[contemporary artist]]s gaining recognition for their specific use of ballpoint pens as a medium. Korean-American artist [[Il Lee]] has been creating large-scale, abstract artwork since the late 1970s solely with ballpoint pens.<ref name="NYT"/> Since the 1980s, [[Lennie Mace]] creates imaginative, ballpoint-only artwork of varying content and complexity, applied to unconventional surfaces including wood and denim.<ref name="Gekkan"/> The artist coined terms such as "PENtings" and "Media Graffiti" to describe his varied output.<ref name="Japan Times"/> British artist [[James Mylne (artist)|James Mylne]] has been creating photo-realistic artwork using mostly black ballpoints, sometimes with minimal mixed-media color.<ref name="Telegraph"/>

The ballpoint pen has several limitations as an art medium. Color availability and sensitivity of ink to light are among concerns of ballpoint pen artists.<ref name="Care"/> As a tool that uses ink, marks made with a ballpoint pen can generally not be erased.<ref name="Japan Times"/> Additionally, "blobbing" ink on the drawing surface and "skipping" ink-flow require consideration when drawing with a ballpoint pen.<ref name="Tricks"/> Although the mechanics of ballpoint pens remain relatively unchanged, ink composition has evolved to solve certain problems over the years, resulting in unpredictable sensitivity to light and some extent of fading.<ref name="Care"/>