James Mylne

James Mylne is a British contemporary artist known for his drawings in ballpoint pen. His technical abilities with the unorthodox art medium have earned Mylne recognition in Europe and the UK. The Ballpointer online journal called Mylne "Britain's premier ballpoint pen artist" in a 2015 feature article. The artist's photorealist likenesses of iconic celebrities attracted early media attention and continues to be one aspect of his output. Mylne also creates mixed-media works adding spray paint, magic markers and more to his ballpoint originals. Artwork expressing personal views and broader interests flourished throughout 2014. Art education James Mylne attended foundation courses at Chelsea Art College, London, in 2002. Studies there were followed by 3 years at Camberwell, where he received his BA in drawing in 2005 and his MA in 2006. College instructors were unsupportive of his ballpoint usage, and dismissed his work as "pretty pictures". Ballpoint usage As with many other bored students — artists or not — Mylne doodled in biro (as ballpoint pens are known in the UK) during secondary school. Although he has spoken of original aspirations to be a painter and was still painting at the age of 18, James had already begun giving ballpoint pens greater consideration as an art medium since he was 16, or "around 1996". By his college years, prior to widespread popularity of the internet, Mylne was still approaching his ballpoint pen usage as if he were the only one using them to create art, ignorant of anyone else using them. Of his choice of ballpoints as a preferred medium, Mylne credits the pen's capabilities of precision and distinct contrast. Such "technical" aspects of the medium have interested him most, in part fueling his desire "to master ballpoint photorealism". Mylne has said that biros appeal to him because of the concentration required. Separately, he adds, "you find them everywhere."