Waterproof Bic Ballpoints? Do they exist?

[weissner]

I LOVE drawing with ballpoint for my sketches--there's just something about the line quality you can get out of them that is just...kind of nice. From very faint and light to severely dark. I was experimenting around with my trusty bic pen (you know the kind that are like $4 for a pack of 10+) and decided to lay some watercolor over it--not very heavy on the water. Much to my dismay, the water picks up and bleeds the blueblack color into every other color, making it look...extremely dirty. I'd really like to retain this sort of line quality with the use of color (since my prismacolor markers did the same thing...anything wet, basically, does this).


Pen in question (except in black): http://www.jackiereeve.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/bic.jpg

Random doodle WITH said pen without color for line example: http://weissner.starquakes.net/junk/2010_recliningguy.jpg


So what I need to know is this: IS there a pen that acts like this sort yet is waterproof? Or mostly waterproof?

[jhofferle]

You could try one of the pens made by Rite in the Rain (http://www.riteintherain.com/). They are designed for use in wet and dirty conditions. The ones I've used in the past were ball-point, not the gel or uniball that most of the waterproof pens seem to be.

They are a bit more expensive than 10 for $4 though: http://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rain-Weatherproof-Tactical-Clicker/dp/B000QBPZKS/

[RyerOrdStar]

I know that the Bic Crystal pens are waterproof. I know this because I did a drawing for a painting, then soaked the paper till it expanded, then matte mediumed it down. The lines didn't bleed or distort. They faded a little, but they weren't dark to begin with. It might have something to do with the paper, so try a heavier stock.

Also, let the pen dry sufficiently.

[bcarman]

There are plenty of ball point pens that are waterproof and have even better quality. Several Japanese pens, try JetPens, and Schneider or Parker are a few to try. Scheider also has light fast and goes down like butter.

Bill'sStudio (http://billcarman.blogspot.com)

[Jerry Stith]

Do any ballpoint pen artists use archival ballpoint pens or refills? Here's a list of archival ballpoint pens or refills I've found. Does anyone know of any colored archival ballpoint pens not on this list?

BallPoint Archival Oil Based Inks: DIN/ISO 12757-2
*Papermate Stick 2020 Fine Red P27325
DIN standard ink for high standards of performance
*Papermate Stick 2020 Fine Grn P27345
DIN standard ink for high standards of performance
*Papermate Stick 2020 Med Grn P27645
DIN standard ink for high standards of performance
*Papermate 2020 Blue 1.0 tip Stick
DIN standard ink for high standards of performance
*Stick Ball Pen Medium Red
forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2, line width M
*Stick Ball Pen Fine Blue
forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2
*Stick Ball Pen Medium Black
forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2
*Stick Ball Pen Fine Black
forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2
*Stick 2000 Pen Medium Blue
DIN standard ink for high standards of performance
*Stick Ball Pen Fine Red
forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2
*Staedtler Mars Multiple Casings or body designs, 430 Stick Medium,
Line width F, M, indelible ink conforming to ISO 12757-2
*Schneider SIMPLY FUNCTIONAL
*Giant refill EXPRESS 225 with wear resistant stainless steel tip
*Refill EXPRESS 75 with wear resistant stainless steel tip
interchangeable refill, waterproof ink ISO12757.2 A2
*Schneider: Express 740 ballpoint refill X20 Giant Refills ISO 12757-2H
*Stride Inc Schneider® Express 775 Permanent ink is ISO 12757-2H.
Medium point is 0.6mm. Fine point is 0.4mm.
*Stride Inc Schneider® Express 775 Permanent ink is ISO 12757-2H.
*07751 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLACK)
*07752 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (RED)
*07753 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLUE)
*07761 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (BLACK)
*07762 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (RED)
*07763 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (BLUE)
*07764 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (GREEN)
*Stride Inc Schneider® Express 785 Permanent ink is ISO 12757-2H.
*178601 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 785 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLACK)
*178603 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 785 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLUE)
*Stride Inc Schneider® Express 735 Medium point line width is 0.6mm. Fine point line width is 0.4mm. Ink is ISO 12757-2G2 waterproof.
*07351 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLACK)
*07352 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (RED)
*07353 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLUE)
*07361 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLACK)
*07362 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (RED)
*07363 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLUE)
*07364 - STI - (UPC: ) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (GREEN)
*Stdtler Retractable BallPen Tub10 42125S Retractable ballpoint pen
blue forgery-proof paste conf. to ISO 12757-2
*ZENO Ball Point Pen
permanent black ink conforming to DIN ISO 12757-2
Solid tip with HAUSER Ceramic Ball writing strokes SF (0.6mm)
writing capacity: 0.9g / 1,000M
*Parker Pen
*Parker makes archival quality refills conform to the ISO standard ISO12757-2
*Pelikan Perfect 237
colours: blue, red black With the permanent ink conforming to DIN ISO 12757-2.
Widths: F = fine (0.8 mm Ø), M = medium (1 mm Ø), B = broad (1.2 mm Ø)
Solid tip of stainless steel, tungsten carbide ball

The ballpoint pen companies new archival inks are being marketed as (security inks or pens)

Jerry Stith
http://jerrystith.multiply.com/

[Jerry Stith]

BallPoint Pen and Ink Art Movement (Biro)

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Jerry Stith and I’m a ballpoint pen artist for the past forty-one years. In the year 2000 I established an American folk art program called Ball Point Pen Art, Ballpoint Pen Art or Ballpointpenart. I did that by purchasing the domain names ballpointpenart.net, .com, org, and us. I actually invented the topic ballpoint pen art as a domain name plus started publishing sites, video’s, slide shows, message board post among other activities.

The inventor of the ballpoint pen was Mr. John J. Load a citizen of the United States, residing at Weymonth, in the county of Norfolk and Common Wealth of Massachusetts, patented the first ballpoint pen. The first patent on a ballpoint pen was issued on 30 October, 1888, to John J Loud, registration No. 392,046.

The pen had a rotating small steel ball bearing. As with modern ballpoint pens, the ball was held in place by a socket. It was fitted with a means for supplying heavy, sticky ink to the ball. The pen proved to be too coarse for letter writing, but it could be used to mark rough surfaces, especially leather.However, the patent was commercially unexploited and another ballpoint pen device was patented by Van Vechten Riesburg in 1916. The patent lapsed without improvement renewal.

Commercial models appeared in 1895, but the first satisfactory model of a ballpoint pen was designed by two Hungarian brothers living in Argentina: Lazlo, a journalist, and George Biro, a chemist. Lazlo noticed that the type of ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free. He decided to create a pen using quick-drying ink instead of India ink. The thicker ink, though, would not flow from an ordinary pen nib and Biro had to devise a new type of point. Lazlo put a tiny metal ball bearing in the tip of a pen, the success of the ballpoint pen is due to the accuracy in which the ball is ground.

A ballpoint pen can produce three unique lines that no other pen system in history have ever done. A long flowing line, dark rich colors and the subtlest camera ready art line in history. Introducing those qualities, artists and their ballpoint pen ink drawings to the world is what my American folk art program has done before one billion others worldwide. Today, I have 5,700 drawings, 153 video's completed by 800 ballpoint pen artists archived, documented, recorded and published and that is “News Worthy” or “Art History in the makings”!

The Bic Pen Company indicated that they along sold over one hundred billion ballpoint pens several years ago publicly. That makes me wonder how many ballpoint companies there are worldwide producing similar pens? It seems to me that a ballpoint pen is the greatest writing, drawing or carbon copy instrument in history. That indicates our Point Pen Art is the largest undeveloped art movement in history!

Billions of people throughout history have used a ballpoint pen yet none of their artworks are showing up in our worldwide galleries, museums, public buildings, publications or media. That Is why I Am publishing thousands of ballpoint pen drawings, illustrations, sketches, doodles, inklings, pictures or video’s by 800 International artists. Needless to say, I Am the greatest ballpoint pen publisher on the WWW or in history and I say, Let the Inks Flow plus Keep on Creating.

Ballpoint Pen virtues!
*Four thousand year pen and ink history
*Most sold art instrument in history
*Largest undeveloped art movement in history
*Longest flowing pen lines in history
*Brightest colored pen inks in history
*Subtlest camera-ready half tone lines in history
*Only oil based pen ink in history
*Strongest pen tips in history
*Best carbon copy producer in history
*Most reliable pen in history
*Produces half tone lines from a full tone ink

Some achievements I have accomplished as an artist and publisher via the WWW over the past forty-one years. I’ve completed many different styles, formats, techniques, media plus much research to advance the Ballpoint Pen & Ink art movement.

*Published 800 worldwide ballpoint pen artists
*Commercial ballpoint layouts
* Ballpoint Animation art
*Ballpoint Video's 153
*Ballpoint Slide shows
*Ballpoint Blog
*Ballpoint Sites
*Ballpoint Digital art
*Ballpoint Illustrations
*Ballpoint Cartoon/Comic
*Ballpoint Design/Interactive art
*Classical Realism ballpoint art
*Impressionism ballpoint art
*Abstracts ballpoint art
*Multi-colored ballpoint art
*Mono ballpoint art
*Ballpoint art, drawings, sketches, doodles & inklings (5,700)
*Black & White ballpoint art
*Ballpoint Domain Names
*ISO/DIN Archival Ink list
*Colored Pen and Refill list
*Steadfast Light test results
*Ballpoint Pen History information

Jerry Stith
http://jerrystith.multiply.com/

[QueenGwenevere]

OH GOD NO, the ballpoint movement is back... Look what you started!

[Elwell]

They say, if you say "ballpoint pen" three times while looking in a mirror, Jerry Stith will appear and bore you to death.

[bcarman]

But if you love the ballpoint he's the man. Just like if you love bees it's Candyman.

[Nightfalls]

But if you love the ballpoint he's the man. Just like if you love bees it's Candyman.

He might be slightly over the top and maybe he was hit in the head with the blunt end of a ballpoint as a kid, but his works are pretty rockin lol.

[Black Spot]

The inventor of the ballpoint pen was Mr. John J. Load a citizen of the United States, residing at Weymonth, in the county of Norfolk and Common Wealth of Massachusetts, patented the first ballpoint pen. The first patent on a ballpoint pen was issued on 30 October, 1888, to John J Loud, registration No. 392,046.

I thought Mr Biro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3_B%C3%ADr%C3%B3) invented the ballpoint.

So which ballpoints in that wall of text are waterproof. It might me more useful to the OP if you addressed his question more directly than shoving loads of text down our throats.

[weissner]

Wow almost thought this post was dead for a minute there...

You could try one of the pens made by Rite in the Rain (http://www.riteintherain.com/). They are designed for use in wet and dirty conditions. The ones I've used in the past were ball-point, not the gel or uniball that most of the waterproof pens seem to be.

They are a bit more expensive than 10 for $4 though: http://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rain-Weatherproof-Tactical-Clicker/dp/B000QBPZKS/

I'll peek into these and see if anything strikes my fancy as far as line quality goes, as well as scour prices. Thanks!

There are plenty of ball point pens that are waterproof and have even better quality. Several Japanese pens, try JetPens, and Schneider or Parker are a few to try. Scheider also has light fast and goes down like butter.

Bill'sStudio (http://billcarman.blogspot.com)

Huh, I didn't even think to look in japanese shops--I'll peek into those brands. Thank you!

OH GOD NO, the ballpoint movement is back... Look what you started!
They say, if you say "ballpoint pen" three times while looking in a mirror, Jerry Stith will appear and bore you to death.

lol no kiddin, right? Yikes... A nice list of pens but not really planning to do "art" art with it so much as color my sketchy drawings or do something a bit "grunge"

. . . .

[weissner]

I know that the Bic Crystal pens are waterproof. I know this because I did a drawing for a painting, then soaked the paper till it expanded, then matte mediumed it down. The lines didn't bleed or distort. They faded a little, but they weren't dark to begin with. It might have something to do with the paper, so try a heavier stock.

Also, let the pen dry sufficiently.

This sounds like exactly what I'm lookin' for.

[Jerry Stith]

I hope the archival ballpoint pen list helps those interested!

J.J. Load invented the first ballpoint pen in 1888 and the Biro brother retooled it, improved the inks and manufactured them worldwide in 1943!

The Bic Pen company bought the Biro patent and sold their first one hundred billionth ballpoint pen in 2005.

All ISO/DIN archival rated ballpoint pen inks are waterproof. All the pens on that list are archival rated that's why I posted them.

Bic security ballpoint pens are archival rated!

Ballpoint Pen Art is alive and expanding worldwide via the WWW. However it my not be popular at this locate!

Jerry Stith