Somewhere along the line I discovered the newspaper and Ben Dey dots. I had been reading the newspaper for years but it never dawned on me how the pictures in the paper looked so real. The day that I "discovered" how it was done, it was a revelation. It was so obviously there just waiting for me to see it, all these dots making forms and shadows. I immediately made some test drawings with dots and the result was excellent and opened a whole new avenue for me to chase. Right then I knew that I had found my technique. Out with the cross-hatch and in with the dot. My apologese to Rembrandt, but I had to move on. The nude below was one of my first images. Then I got the idea to hand color them, more or less in sepia tone, followed by full color. I discovered digital and computer manipulation about the same time, so I introduced that into my tool box. It was an awesome period for me as it opened so many doors. I could rearrange my imagery and had some excellent control that I never dreamed of. And understanding that I am a control freak, I had found my niche.
Ron Ruble
Ron Ruble
Ron Ruble "Learning to Fly" Etching

Ron Ruble "Flight 754: Asheville" Etching

Ron Ruble "The Discovery of Honey" Lithograph

Ron Ruble "Black Waters" Lithograph
Below are images using the digital process. They were done with my dot drawings with some minor computer manipulation. There were no photographs involved outside of the Holy Card in the "Day of the Dead".

Ron Ruble "The Birth of the Queen Bee" Hand Colored Archival Pigment Print
Ron Ruble "Day of the Dead" Hand Colored Archival Pigment Print
Ron Ruble "The Birth of Icarus" Hand Colored Archival Pigment Print

Ron Ruble "Learning to Fly III" Hand Colored Archival Pigment Print