While the ballpoint pen itself is almost a hundred and thirty years old, only recently we started noticing some excitement and movement of this new independent direction. Before we knew it, simple ballpoint pen drawings turned into true works of art, captured the hearts of many around the world and the Ballpoint Pen Art direction was born. We all played a part in growth of this movement by doodling around with a simple pen and paper without even realizing our contribution to the overall success of this genre, allowing those who are truly skilled to shine and share their vision with us.
Sunny Day, 2016
A modern direction of Ballpoint Pen Art has truly taken internet by storm and just as any other direction in the competitive arena of art, it thrives and evolves claiming its rightful place as a worthy contender. Andrey Poletaev, is one of the founders and a visionary in the Ballpoint Pen Art. His love for cityscapes quickly set the tone in the area of Urban Landscapes. Unparalleled excellence and attention to detail, quality over quantity, this as the artist himself defines “is the definition and a stamp of exclusivity”. Rapidly, Poletaev Art has undoubtedly became its own brand in the direction of Ballpoint Pen Art, one glance at his work and you will immediately know that’s a “Poletaev”!
In some of his works Poletaev concentrates all of his attention on personally invented techniques mastered over the years showcasing true artistry of cross hatching, density and angles of the ink. In others he skillfully conceals the technical aspects of the composition and allows impressions and emotions come forth, encouraging the viewer to step inside the scene. The blend of complexity and simplicity of each scene is what sets this artist apart from everyone else.
What was once a childhood hobby, has grown into a never ending passion and dedication to the Urban theme. Poletaev worked in many different areas including oil, pencil, sculpture and other mediums, but drawing with a ballpoint pen is something that artist cherishes and truly loves.
“In each drawing I refine techniques and embed new ones” Andrey Poletaev declared. “I try to achieve the maximum effect of optical illusion. I apply many different layers of ink; layers of very light and long strokes, applied densely to each other; layers applied at other angles of the hatch to create uniform grey surfaces; layers applied with higher pressure on the pen. Variable density of strokes and the length and angle at which they are applied, sharp and smudged, creates a perception of differently textured surfaces. Some areas of the drawing carry stronger or more defined contrast and contours, and multiple layers of ink create the perception of depth” adds Poletaev.
