"Tiger In Ballpoint Pen" Drawing

I’ve been drawing for as long as I’ve been able to hold a pencil. At six years old, my four older brothers told me I had real talent, and that simple moment set the course for my life as an artist. I never took art classes in high school — I was busy with band and jazz band — but I kept drawing constantly, just for the love of it.

After graduating, I joined the Army to earn the GI Bill and help pay for college. I later attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where everything shifted during my second‑semester painting class. My instructor noticed I was struggling with color and told me I was likely colorblind. I had learned about it when I first entered the Army, but I never imagined it would affect my art until that day.

Facing the reality of spending a lot more money on a degree I wasn’t sure would lead to a career — and wondering who would hire a colorblind artist — I made a difficult decision. I returned to the Army and served another eight years, continuing to draw throughout my service.
When I realized color wasn’t going to be part of my artistic toolbox, I decided to lean into what was — and make the absolute most of it. If life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, and for me that meant becoming the best black‑and‑white artist I could possibly be.

I explored every monochrome medium I could get my hands on: graphite, pen and ink, and even ballpoint pen. Over time I became highly proficient in each of them. Around 2012, I joined DeviantArt and spent a lot of time in groups dedicated to pen and ink, ballpoint pen, and black‑and‑white work. I learned a tremendous amount from that community and was honored to receive three Daily Deviations for my pen drawings — a milestone that meant a great deal to me.

But as life moved forward, responsibilities grew. Raising kids, being a husband and father, and keeping a household running eventually pushed my art to the back burner. Little by little, the creative flame dimmed until it finally burned out for a while.

Around 2020, during the COVID lockdowns — when you couldn’t go out for dinner, a movie, or much of anything — I found myself ending each day watching old Bob Ross painting videos. Something about those calm, encouraging lessons finally pushed me over the edge. I decided, “The heck with it. I’m going to paint.” I had nothing to prove and nothing to lose, and I was determined to figure out color one way or another.