Does Anyone Know What Genre This Ballpoint Pen Art Would Be In?

bhogden · July 25th, 2011, 04:23 PM

I came across this site in a 'ballpoint pen art' search recently:

http://www.danielehopkins.com/

Interesting technique. I was curious if you guys had any idea what this kind of art would be classified as? I have personally done my own form of ballpoint pen creature-art before and found it best categorized as fantasy illustration, but I find this specific blend between somewhat realistic shading and the finite nature of the ballpoint pen categorically confusing, i.e., feels neither fantasy-like nor specifically illustrative, yet not necessarily surrealism. Or is it?

John · July 25th, 2011, 06:49 PM

Taken together with the other drawings on the website, I would personally call it Surrealism. There's also a concept in art of a "Grotesque", and IMO these drawings could qualify as that as well.

bhogden · July 25th, 2011, 07:34 PM

On the website it says Surrealism and "Biomorphism" - do you guys know much about that? There really isn't much online about Biomorphism in terms of non-sculptural art.

I kind of know what you mean about "grotesque," but I feel like that category usually contains a bit more graphic bodily stuff

I was also wondering if you'd classify these as illustrations? I apologize, I don't have my own art online and I'm trying to place my own style by feeling out the boundaries of illustration and these genres.

John · July 25th, 2011, 09:46 PM

Re biomorphism: See H.R. Giger, Jim Woodring and Hieronymus Bosch for some very different examples of what you might call bio-surrealism.

As for whether they are illustrations, that's hard to pin down. "Illustration" is kind of a dirty word in the art world, and the artist may not want to have that label stuck on his work. As I see it, it's dependent upon the purpose of the artwork, the reason it was created. If they are standalone works of art, then it probably does not really apply. OTOH, if they serve to illustrate or convey a concept or interior worldview, that is to say if they fit together within some logical framework, then IMO "illustration" is an appropriate label.

July 25th, 2011, 04:23 PM	#1
bhogden Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 2	Does Anyone Know What Genre This Ballpoint Pen Art Would Be In? I came across this site in a 'ballpoint pen art' search recently: http://www.danielehopkins.com/ Interesting technique. I was curious if you guys had any idea what this kind of art would be classified as? I have personally done my own form of ballpoint pen creature-art before and found it best categorized as fantasy illustration, but I find this specific blend between somewhat realistic shading and the finite nature of the ballpoint pen categorically confusing, i.e., feels neither fantasy-like nor specifically illustrative, yet not necessarily surrealism. Or is it?

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July 25th, 2011, 06:49 PM	#2
John John Malyon, host Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3,433	Taken together with the other drawings on the website, I would personally call it Surrealism. There's also a concept in art of a "Grotesque", and IMO these drawings could qualify as that as well.

July 25th, 2011, 07:34 PM	#3
bhogden Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 2	On the website it says Surrealism and "Biomorphism" - do you guys know much about that? There really isn't much online about Biomorphism in terms of non-sculptural art. I kind of know what you mean about "grotesque," but I feel like that category usually contains a bit more graphic bodily stuff I was also wondering if you'd classify these as illustrations? I apologize, I don't have my own art online and I'm trying to place my own style by feeling out the boundaries of illustration and these genres.

July 25th, 2011, 09:46 PM	#4
John John Malyon, host Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3,433	Re biomorphism: See H.R. Giger, Jim Woodring and Hieronymus Bosch for some very different examples of what you might call bio-surrealism. As for whether they are illustrations, that's hard to pin down. "Illustration" is kind of a dirty word in the art world, and the artist may not want to have that label stuck on his work. As I see it, it's dependent upon the purpose of the artwork, the reason it was created. If they are standalone works of art, then it probably does not really apply. OTOH, if they serve to illustrate or convey a concept or interior worldview, that is to say if they fit together within some logical framework, then IMO "illustration" is an appropriate label.