Ballpoint doodle

I began this sketch yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by how it evolved. I tend to use multiple sources of reference imagery when I draw and paint to capture subtle lighting effects and maintain accurate body structure; but this time I just flowed. It was quite relaxing. I probably have mentioned this before, but I love using ballpoint. Not the fancy ones that spew black ink effortlessly, but the cheap ones that really make you push hard to get a deep solid line. It reminds me of drawing in my intaglio classes at Baylor, where you etch relief lines into a sheet of metal using a sharp tool and then you rub ink on it and run it through a press to print it. The ability to create both soft delicate lines and bold thunderous lines based on pressure, and the inability to erase really adds to the texture of the drawing. If you build up slowly your hatching and avoid the urge to apply a lot of pressure from the get go, you can maintain a lot of control and there isn't really any mistakes... just more texture and movement. Give it a try sometime and send me your pictures if you do. I'd love to post them.