From Pixels to Ink: Pen Plotter Artwork Blog

Collaborative Pen Plot Art

October 17, 2023 / admin

Admittedly, collaboration is perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when using a drawing machine. The second prompt for the November 2023 Plot Party tackles using a drawing machine collaboratively. How have plotter artists collaborated when making pen plot art?

If you are thinking of picking up a NextDraw pen plotter (the successor to the AxiDraw pen plotter), you can take 5% off a NextDraw pen plotter or accessories with discount code DIRTALLEYDESIGN2024 when you buy directly from Bantam Tools.

Collaborating with Fellow Artists

Joel Cammarata and Adrian Hanft

Joel Cammarata appreciates being open when collaborating with a fellow artist and recommends not starting with any preconceived plan. Joel collaborated with Adrian Hanft to create these striking pieces plotted on thermal paper provided by Adrian. Joel was initially worried about the ink adhering to the sticker surface!

Pen Plot by Joel Cammarata (IG: @j.cammarata.art) and Adrian Hanft (IG: @ade3)

How to Pen Plot on Black Paper

October 11, 2023 / admin

An inky abyss, a deep void into darkness, the absence of light – is it even a color? The first prompt for the November 2023 Plot Party is Black Paper! There is nothing better for high contrast than experimenting with black paper, although the approach often calls for a more careful consideration of appropriate pens, the absorption of ink and a design that shines when “inverted.”

In light of these extra considerations, here are tips from 12 pen plotting pros on how to best use black paper with a pen plotter.

If you are thinking of picking up a NextDraw pen plotter (the successor to the AxiDraw pen plotter), you can take 5% off a NextDraw pen plotter or accessories with discount code DIRTALLEYDESIGN2024 when you buy directly from Bantam Tools.

Recommended Pens

Molotow Markers
Molotow Liquid Chrome
Posca Paint Markers
Rotring white ink
Sakura Gelly Roll white pens
Uni-ball Signo pens (broad line especially)

Artist Tips for Black Paper Pen Plots

Chris Bly

Artist Chris Bly uses Strathmore Mixed Media paper (300gsm weight).

Beyond the Pen: Plotter Art Made with Paint, Sand, & More!

November 6, 2021 / admin

The last prompt for next week’s Plot Party is “no pen.” Do you need a pen to draw artwork with a pen plotter? Definitely not, below are many different ways to create pen plots without pens!

Painting with Plotters

One of the first plotter artists that comes to mind when it comes to watercolor painting is Licia He.

Pen plot painting by Licia He (IG: blahblahpaperblah)

Licia’s colorful pen plot art are created with code and painted with an AxiDraw v3 using a custom program.

Small Pen Plot Art: Postcard Art for Plot Party!

November 4, 2021 / admin

The second to last prompt for next week’s Plot Party is postcard! This will also be an art exchange for everyone participating in Plot Party (more info to come!)

Time to scale things down, what kind of pen plot postcards can you make?!

Tobias Grothmann: Maze Postcards

How about these playful maze postcards by Tobias Grothmann?

Postcard pen plot by Tobias Grothmann (IG: tobias_grothmann)

The solution to the maze is revealed when hit with UV light!

Tobias also keeps things simple with black and white patterned postcards too.

Glitches: Embrace Mistakes as Part of the Pen Plot Process

October 29, 2021 / admin

“Glitches” is the third Plot Party prompt designed to inspire letting loose and embracing mistakes, errors, bugs and experimentation in the design and plotting process!

Enough talk, on to some example pen plots!

Line Misalignment: How About DON’T Register the Pens

Normally I would advise checking your pen registration when plotting with multiple pens. Of course, you could always NOT do that to wonderful effect, as in this work by Jeff and Evan of 90 Percent Art.

*Pen plot by* 90 Percent Art (also on Instagram @90percentart)

Mix Different Mediums and See What Happens

Most anything by Joel Cammarata involves glitchy mixed media experimentation including this pen plot on a thermal print by Adrian Hanft.

Example pen plot by Joel Cammarata (on Instagram @j.cammarata.art)

Or this unique pen plot “misprint!”

Multiple Line Widths: Example Pen Plot Art!

October 28, 2021 / admin

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Plot Party is coming up (Nov 8-12), and the second prompt for the five day pen plot art challenge is “multiple line widths!” What does that mean exactly?! Whether you use one pen or multiple pens to accomplish, let’s look at some inspiring examples from some of my favorite pen plot artists!

Pilot Parallel Pen: Varying Line Width With Just One Pen

The Pilot Parallel Pen is a unique italic calligraphy pen (refillable!) that can also be used for pen plotting.

Example artwork by Con Ryan (on Instagram @conryan.design)

This pen is different from most calligraphy pens in that the nib is made from two plates which allows ink to flow evenly across the entire length of the nib. That means you can create broad strokes, but you can also use the corner to create a thinner line.

For the multiple line widths prompt, that means you can create thin and thick sections in one line!

Example artwork by Targz (on Instagram @targz)

Targz advises running the Pilot Parallel pen slowly, and filling the ink cartridge with watercolor. Overlapping your lines with different colored inks when plotting can create additional colors where the inks overlap!

Weather as Art: Inspiring Pen Plot Art

October 27, 2021 / admin

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support! If you are thinking of picking up a NextDraw pen plotter (the successor to the AxiDraw pen plotter), you can take 5% off a NextDraw pen plotter or accessories with discount code DIRTALLEYDESIGN2024 when you buy directly from Bantam Tools.

The second ever Plot Party is around the corner (Nov 8-12), and the first prompt for the five day pen plot art challenge is “weather!” Question is, what kind of pen plots can you make that might relate to the theme of weather?

Local Weather as Art

If you are in need of local inspiration, you can use the actual literal weather, for starters! Daniela Krohnert did just that at the first ever Plot Party (held last July) by leaving out a sheet of paper for a few minutes during a Viennese summer rainstorm.

Work by Daniela Krohnert (also @daniela_kroehnert on IG!)

The paper dried curled, and created an uneven texture when plotting 42 straight lines with a Faber Castell Artist Pitt Pen with a soft brush tip.

How to Use Gelly Roll Pens with a Pen Plotter (AxiDraw)

October 15, 2021 / admin

One of my favorite pens to use with a pen plotter (such as an AxiDraw) are Sakura gelly roll pens! They come in many color flavors from classic white, and metallic gold, to even fluorescent options such as the Moonlight gelly rolls which will glow under UV light! They work great on dark paper (and white paper!)

Example Pen Plots Using Gelly Roll Pens: Black Paper Edition

Nothing beats white ink on black paper! The ink density that builds over time as pen lines overlap is quite lovely.

Example artwork by Michelle Chandra, drawn with a white gelly roll pen!

White gelly rolls create strong white lines on black paper as in this work by Diana (@di_diff_world on Instagram!)

Example artwork by Diana (@di_diff_world on Instagram!)

Metallic gelly rolls also really pop on black paper such as this generative work by Vernon Miller (@aldernero on Instagram!)

Example artwork by Vernon Miller (@aldernero on Instagram)

Mix metallic gelly rolls for a rainbow effect as in this work by Adam Spannbauer (@thespanningset on Instagram!)

Example artwork by Adam Spannbauer (@thespanningset on Instagram!)

Truchet tiles never looked better drawn with a white gelly roll on black paper – example art by Floris de Jonge (@dejongefloris on Instagram.)

Example artwork by Floris de Jonge (@dejongefloris on Instagram)

Gelly Roll Pens: Beautiful & Annoying All At Once

While you can achieve beautiful results with gelly roll pens, they can also be very trying to work with when it comes to pen plotting. But why?! The ink flow from these pens can be quite inconsistent. For this reason, I have found that the best gelly roll pens for plotting are medium width (I steer clear of fine gelly rolls!)

Using Posca Paint Pens with an AxiDraw!

September 9, 2021 / admin

One advantage of using a pen plotter is the ability to use most any kind of ink and pen for drawing artwork including…metallic pens!

Pen plot art by Michelle Chandra drawn with metallic silver, metallic gold and pink Posca pens and an AxiDraw pen plotter

However, in order to use metallic inks for plotting, you will be limited to disposable gel pens or paint markers such as Posca paint markers. Unfortunately, metallic ink may clog refillable pens!

Posca Paint Marker Example Pen Plots

Since Posca paint markers will completely cover whatever they are drawn on, they are great for drawing artwork on acrylic ink paintings such as this recent series of “space” inspired artwork by Michelle Chandra.

“Space Vortex” by Michelle Chandra drawn with metallic silver, & metallic gold Posca pens

They are also great for thick line designs, and come in beautiful, bright shades. Sohan Murty takes wonderful advantage of this!

Why Use Posca Paint Markers for Pen Plot Art?

How to Pen Plot: Guides, Tutorials, and More!

July 5, 2021 / admin

Don’t know what to plot? Need guidance on making your creative code art plott-able?! Look no more! Find below a list of suggested workflows, and links to guides, blog posts, and wikis across the web that will help you make your pen plotting art!

Suggested Plotting Workflows

p5.js, p5.svg.js, Inkscape
Processing, Export to PDF/SVG, Inkscape
Export gCode from the Browser using JavaScript
Intro to vpype – Instagram user @very_meanly recommends vpype for all your pen plotting needs, this blog post writeup will get you started!