Ballpoint Pen Portraits by Mark Powell

WORDS Mary Garner

Mark Powell is a London-based artist who creates detailed black ballpoint pen portraits on vintage stationery and maps.

Mark has been creating these thoughtful works for years and is inspired by artists like Jean Michel Basquiat, David Hockney and Richard Hamilton. His realistic portraits, which feature both famous and ordinary people alike, are embedded on top of faded magazine covers, city maps and old stationery.

The impact of the subjects’ lives appears to be etched onto their faces through the lines of the maps, referencing the journey each individual has travelled.

By making use of a simple ballpoint (biro) pen he exemplifies how intricate art can be made using uncomplicated tools. “I choose a biro because it is the most simple and readily available tool to hand,” he says on his website. “I want to show how easy it is to have the chance to create. I want it to inspire people to give it a go without feeling the need to spend money on arts and crafts.”

The drawings are available to purchase as originals and as limited edition and open edition prints.

For more information, visit markpowellartist.com.

(h/t) thisiscolossal.com