James Robert Mylne

Random Info:

• Most recent exhibition was a pop up solo show called “Underground Chic”, where a car was surprisingly unveiled as the center piece of the show, see Exhibition Page here.

• James wrote the preface for a new book about Ballpoint Art. For more information, see this page here.

• One drawing on average takes between 120 – 250 hours to complete. The longest ever taken was a recent artwork from 2021 that took exactly 495 hours!- more info on it here.

• “At art college (2002-2007) my tutors  were not too keen on my drawings, viewing them as just pretty pictures, and repeatedly tried to avert my use of ballpoints. Now I’m the only professional artist from that course and ballpoint drawing has grown in popularity, becoming an accepted medium within the Contemporary Art scene… globally.”

• James’s first solo exhibition was at The Conningsby Gallery, London in 2008. It was the first ever exhibition in Europe showcasing photo realistic ballpoint artwork.

• Born & based in London, with art shown internationally such as New York (2016), LA, Milan, Paris, Ibiza and recently at a solo exhibition held in Portugal (2021).

• When he did a project for Bic (maker of the ballpoint pens) a video was published of him drawing “The Girl With The Pearl Earring” that now has had about 750,000 views on YouTube. See the video here. The artwork also made it onto UK News shows and print & online newspapers.

• He also did a project for Microsoft Surface, creating drawings on their Surpface Pro tablet using the digital pen. The ‘reveal’ was in the Masters section of The National Portrait Gallery, more info & video here.

• He’s collaborated with famous photographers such as Terry o’Neill, Ex Rolling Stones guitarist Bill Wyman, Roger Eaton, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What made you start creating artworks with ballpoint?
As a teen I discovered the benefits of using ballpoint pens over pencil for creating photo realistic artworks. It has a more graphic outcome, a true Black compared to pencil or charcoal. The point used well is ideal for technical detail, and unlike a pencil never needs sharpening.

I heard ballpoint ink can fade, How do you deal with sensitivity to the light etc?
I have drawings I did in the early 1990s in ballpoint pen that still look exactly the same now as when I created them. I’ve recently seen photos of drawings I sold to clients 15 years ago that still look perfect. Sometimes one or two would fade at the beginning when I started drawing properly. I quickly worked out why. Its about the paper, UV light, and skin contact.
It’s important for the ballpointer to work on acid-free paper. I always frame work in art UV protective glass in sealed frames protected from moisture. Drawings are now also sprayed with several layers of fixative to help ensure long lasting protection.  Clients are still advised to keep artworks away from direct sumlight. Everything fades when exposed to sunlight long enough. Also it’s the grease and oil in our skin which reacts with ballpoint ink that can create discolouration and fading – so I never touch the paper I am drawing on before, during or after. Always use other bits of paper to lean on etc. Following these common sense rules ensures their longevity.

What is the hardest aspect of using ball-point pens to create art?
Well you can’t make any mistakes. It’s not just permanent, you can’t go over mistakes like you can in paint. You can only make things darker. This demands serious focus and careful control which adds to the time consuming aspect of working with it too.

Why do you favour the BIC biro?

To be honest I haven’t tried many other types of ballpoint but the ones I have, have never out performed the Bic. Mostly because I find the grip a Bic has on the ball is a little looser than other brands which allows a slightly higher degree of versatility for fine control and allowing a regular flow of ink out of the pen. Obvioulsy I have to take measures to ensure that flow doesn’t result in a big blob (by regular wiping and other stuff)

Public Exhibitions

2008 – solo show – Coningsby Gallery, West London
2008 – group show – Black Rat Press, Shoreditch, East London
2009 – solo show – “Piece of No-Mind”, Maverik Showroom, Shoreditch, London
2010 – solo show – Canvas Gallery, Wimbledon, London
2010 – group show – Stolen Space Gallery, East London
2011 – solo show – Good Human Studios, Camden, London
2011 – group show – Stolen Space Gallery, Shoreditch, London
2012 – group show – Rook & Raven gallery, Fitzrovia, London
2012 – solo show – “Vintage Vogue”, Rook & Raven gallery, Fitzrovia, London
2013 – group show – “Terry O’Neil: Reworked”, Rook & Raven gallery, Fitzrovia, London
2014 – group show – Thompson’s Contemporary, Chelsea, London (now closed)
2014 – group show – “The Collective”, West Bank Gallery, Notting Hill, London
2014 – solo show – “Something More”, Pop up space, Kings rd, London
2015 – group show – “Beyond The Hype”, Darren Baker Gallery, Fitzrovia, London
2015 – group show – “The Collective”, West Bank Gallery, Notting Hill, London
2015 – group show – “Urban In Ibiza 7”, Atzaro, Ibiza, Spain
2015 – group show – “The Other Art Fair”, Truman Brewery, Shoreditch, London
2016 – group show – “MIX3”, The Underdog Gallery, London Bridge, London
2016 – group show – “RCA Secret”, RCA Gulbenkian Gallery, Kensington, London
2016 – solo show – “Grandly Grimey”, Westbank Gallery, Notting Hill, London
2016 – group show – “London Ibiza Collective”, Soho Art Space Gallery, Little Italy, New York
2017 – group show – “Art Below LA”, Grand Union Station LA & Sur la Mur Gallery, Hollywood, Los Angeles
2017 – solo show -Resident artist at Coya members club and restaurant, Mayfair, London
2017 – group show – “Buy Art Fair”, Glossop Gasworks, Manchester
2017 – group show – ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
2017 – group show – “Art Wars Miami”, Red Dot Art Fair, Miami
2019 – solo show – “A Decade of Shady Business”, Fitzrovia Gallery, London
2020 – group show – Affordable Art Fair, Battersea , London
2021 – solo show – Art Catto Gallery, Algarve, Portugal
2022 – solo show – “Triple S”, Blenehim Crescent, Notting Hill, London
2022 – group show – “Art Save The Queen”, OXO Gallery, London
2023 – group show – Affordable Art Fair, Battersea , London
2023 – group show – The Lost Warhols, AdLib Gallery, Wimbledon, London
2023 – solo show – “Underground Chic”, Atelier Auto Art, Westfields, London