Feel the strength of a BIC in your hand. Let the pen be with you!
My BIC pen and I: Protagonists of my story
Things I've never told you about cartoons and my BIC.
After a long time abandoned, I have returned to write in this blog, and to take a pen Bic and draw with him, like when I was in high school and I was trying to make my first horrible caricatures, from teachers and peers.
The feeling of having a BIC in hand to draw, is always good, although it drags a little nostalgia from those years, from so much illusion and that great hope of one day becoming a painter and not a draftsman.
At that time, everything happened with "certain normality" within the circumstances that we had to live.
Risk cartoons
The military dictatorship imposed by the US and "local collaborators" marked our days, with news of "seditives" captured daily and NN (unidentified) bodies returning the sea to us.
So in a militarized institute, like everyone in the country, a caricature could be a sport of some risk, if the caricatured one was not chosen well.
Already in school I had had to delete some drawing (According to my mother there were much more than two), which "was not convenient"
Every so often the "religious" called my mother, to communicate to her, that she had drawn this or that thing, that it was not very appropriate for my school "Santa María de la Ayuda" or for the safety of my family.
I was never problematic, in the sense of misbehaving. But starting to draw was different, there I overturned everything I thought. So I was always credited with being offensive, disrespectful, rebellious, antisocial, misplaced, daring … was everything that bothered and much.
So when I drew my teachers "the model" had to be carefully "chosen, selected", for fear that the caricature would "transcend" further, than a small circle of classmates. Or that some adept of the regime, snitched, betrayed us.
Cartoon made with pen Camren Bicondova.
The unmatched, the essential grandparents BIC
Back then, with a BIC in his hand, he was "the king of the mambo", unstoppable, although at that time he was not aware of the technological wonder at hand. A BIC to draw.
Currently, they are held in high esteem, to draw cartoons and even realistic drawing, but before it was not so.
That's why I'll tell you some of his story, and how great that BIC that you may have right now in your hand can be, to make funny caricatures in great detail.
BIC pens: Its Appearance, Duration and Use in Drawing and Cartoons
BIC pens have left an indelible mark on the history of writing and art.
Simple, efficient and economical, it has made them an "essential reference" for both students and cartoonists looking for a spectacular tool to draw and make caricatures.
When did they show up? What is its origin? How long does a BIC pen last?, and why are they now so appreciated in the world of drawing, to make from portraits to caricatures?
History of the BIC pen
The BIC Cristal pen was launched on the market in 1950 by the French company Société BIC, founded by Marcel Bich. Inspired by the invention of the pen by László Bíró.
Ladislao José Bíró, a Hungarian-Argentine journalist and artist, was the one who invented the Birome (his original name)
Cartoon made with pen Sean Bean
The origin: How does the idea come about?
Bíró will observe that the ink used in newspapers dries quickly on paper and did not run, unlike the liquid ink of fountain pens. Together with his brother György Bíró, who was a chemist, he worked on the development of a thicker ink and a mechanism to distribute it evenly on paper.
The innovative mechanism
The great advance of Bíró was the incorporation of a small sphere at the tip of the pen, which was spinning.
Patent and marketing
In 1938, Bíró patented his invention in Hungary, but due to World War II, he emigrated to Argentina, where in 1943 he patented an improved version of the pen under the name of Birome
BIC's design was highlighted by its perfectly spherical ball tip and uniform ink flow, features that made it quickly popular around the world. Its affordability and durability have made it the best-selling pen in history.
How long does a BIC pen last?
One of the most impressive aspects of BIC pens is their incredible durability.
A single BIC Crystal pen can write approximately 2 km of ink, which is equivalent to 100,000 words.
Thanks to its low viscosity and quick-drying ink system, it prevents stains and allows a clean and continuous stroke, ideal for both writing and detailed illustrations.
Why are BIC pens ideal for drawing and making cartoons?
Artists and cartoonists have adopted BIC pens as an essential tool in their creations due to several reasons:
- Fluidity in stroke: Low viscosity ink allows for smooth and consistent lines.
- Variety of pressures and shading: Depending on the pressure applied, fine or thick lines can be achieved, which facilitates techniques such as cross-hatching (cross-scratching) and pointillism.
- Availability and low cost: Any artist can access a BIC pen without investing in expensive materials.
- Durability: It does not dry easily and its ink is resistant to water and the passage of time.
Cartoon made with pen: The Metal Jacket
The Grandparents of Cartoons
The BIC pen has not only revolutionized writing, but has also become an essential ally for artists, especially for cartoonists.
Its fluid ink, durability and accessibility make it a versatile tool that continues to inspire generations of creators.
If you are looking for a practical option to draw and create cartoons, a BIC pen is great.
Long runs with a pen
Also with the first caricatures, I knew what were the races in the background, long and medium distance, thanks to some other caricatured companion, who had not liked my drawing very much.
It's just that you had to practice.
This is where "The Misunderstood Artist" fits in.
That neither artist nor misunderstood, "It was the bastard who laughed at people with a BIC pen"
And so those years passed, full of hopes and illusions, making "various careers" (never better said) and with the strength and desire that give us the first times of pursuing and being persecuted, by a dream.
Sometimes, just for a moment, when I'm going to draw with my pen, everything disappears around me and I find myself sitting there, in the middle of the class, surrounded by my classmates, who are paying attention to the professor's explanations, while I find myself very busy, giving strokes, slappings of drowning, submerged in my piece of paper, which resists, trying to make the best caricature.
Because the best caricature will always be that one, which I haven't done yet, and which I can only get there, in that instant, in that moment.
There, where there is strength and illusion, hope and desire.
Where are they who helped me.
Where everything is, what I was losing over time.
Caricature of Angus Young Guitarist 's ACDC, Made with Boli BIC
English