Currently I’m doing an independent study in drawing, and I’m excited about what I’m working on at the moment. Drawing in regular ballpoint pen has always been my strong suit and sets me apart from a lot of other illustrators. For one drawing in pen is very clean and never smudges, but has the clarity of detail and softness of pencil. I can also crosshatch finely which can’t be done with pencil. I think the reason a lot of people never draw with ballpoint is because it isn’t a traditional pen for drawing, and most people prefer to draw in pencil because it isn’t permanent. Anyway, I’m doing some 24″x32″ drawings which are very time consuming, but I’ll be excited when it’s all done.
This first one is completed, and is of the public bath in Seoul. You can read about my first experience at a public bath in an earlier post. The drawing is not based on a specific place, but is kind of a generic sauna. This is the public area where men and women come to relax together on mats, drink 식혜 (shikhye- a traditional rice drink served at the sauna) and eat baked potatoes and cooked eggs. You can see the snack counter in the back and the various sauna rooms. I’m exceptionally proud of this drawing because it took me roughly 16 hours to complete. Here is the full-sized one and some details. Unfortunately I don’t have a large enough scanner, so these are just from photos:
The drawing I’m working on at the moment still needs another 8 or so hours of work at least, and is taking a bit longer, but I”m really excited about it. It’s based on a photograph and is of 두정역 (Dujeong Station) at the subway in the early morning. I’m happy about the lighting and the composition and hope it’ll be one of my strongest pieces when I finish. I’ve always drawn in ballpoint but haven’t done anything on this scale before which requires a lot of time and dedication.
