10″ x 14″, ballpoint ink on Khadi watercolor paper

I completed a small pencil sketch of this same scene a few months ago, and I kept it in the back of my mind that I’d like to do a larger piece. So, I did. Although I really like using a simple ballpoint pen, I have some concerns about the ink fading, absorbing into the paper, or containing strange, acidic ingredients. I’ll probably call it a fad and return to fountain pens, but it was awfully nice to create such a nice, inky-dark drawing with one simple tool. Well, I also used a water brush to lightly dilute some of the ink, which was mildly water soluble. I like that little bit of shading it creates.