The traditional Chinese paintings known for skilled watercolor splashes and exquisite landscapes are not necessarily accomplished with a brush, as a collection of ballpoint pen artworks by Zhu Changjiang from Tianjin Academy of Arts in north China has proven. /Tencent Photo

Zhu started practicing his innovative drawing technique two years ago. /Tencent Photo

Zhu has completed more than 30 delicate artworks with details meticulously delimited for a three-dimensional effect. /Tencent Photo

A fan once offered Zhu 6,000 yuan (about 900 US dollars) for a ballpoint pen drawing of blooming peony flowers. The artist turned the offer down because he wanted to keep the work, which took him one and a half years to complete, for his own private collection. /Tencent Photo