The word photography combines two Greek roots that literally translate to “drawing with light.” But perhaps no genre quite takes that translation so literally as light painting, the long-exposure technique where artists use a light source to draw shapes in a photograph. Now, a photographer known for his viral light painting videos has built a literal light pen designed specifically for the craft.
You may not be familiar with the name Darren Pearson – but odds are good that you’ve seen a video from Dariustwin pop up in your feed. Pearson has been creating light paintings for nearly 20 years – and sharing the results with his followers at Dariustwin, a name inspired by a video game he used to play with his twin brother in the 1990s.
But, over his nearly two decades of light painting, Pearson has been searching for the right light to work with before finally realizing that such a light didn’t exist – so he created his own. The photographer has been building his own light painting tools since 2015 and recently launched his latest light writing pen.
Night-Writer is a light painting pen with 11 built-in colors, adjustable brightness, and USB-C recharging – it even has a memory recall and programming. The pen has three neutral colors along with 8 rainbow hues. The buttons on the pen are also symmetrical, allowing the pen to be used for right and left-handed light painters both.
While Pearson has shipped around 900 handmade light pens over the years, the new Light-Writer was built in collaboration with both a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer.
“I wasn’t satisfied with other lights that were available, I needed something that didn’t exist,” Pearson explained. “So, I took it upon myself to try and create the best tool for drawing with light. It needed to be precise, quick, intuitive, ergonomic, color changing. I designed something that worked less like a flashlight and more like a marker built for illustration.”
Building the Night-Writer – which is Pearson’s 13th light writing pen he designed – came with a lot of problem-solving. But, that’s not unlike the genre of light painting itself. “Experiment often, challenge yourself, get outside, and make it a nightly routine to progress quickly. Have a vision you are striving for,” he said.
The biggest challenge for the photographer, who captures both light painting photographs and stop motion animations, has been sitting still. “The biggest challenges are the creative plateaus that inevitably happen in between the productive streaks,” Pearson said. “Sometimes it’s hard to sit still, but often your next best ideas will emerge from the quiet. It’s best to be patient and let them arrive when they are ready.”
Fittingly, Pearson was first inspired to try light painting when he saw a photograph of a painter. He explained that he came across a 1949 photograph of Picasso, illustrating with light in an image captured by Gjon Mili. The image inspired him to try to create his own light painting. “It was an intersection of art and technology that seemed uniquely relevant with the change from analog to digital cameras in the early 2000’s,” Pearson said of his start in the genre in 2007.
“I think light painting is one of the least explored facets of photography, and one that can still deliver the most interesting results if used correctly and under the right environmental circumstances,” Pearson said.
The photographer, who works with his wife Jordan Pearson on creative concept and editing and even gets his young son involved behind-the-scenes, shares the process behind his work across several social media channels, including over a million followers on Instagram and TikTok. “Try to deliver something your audience hasn’t seen before, build a style that is your own,” Pearson advises creatives.
But, the creative was quick to add that sometimes it’s the algorithm, not the art, that's limiting reach. “Remember, just because the audience isn’t there or favored by an algorithm doesn’t mean that the work is not great,” he said. “Sometimes the timing has to be perfected - hit the zeitgeist, organize your work, and try again when the timing is better or more relevant.”
The new Night-Writer has already sold out in its first production run, but Pearson encourages fans to sign up for his newsletter for stock updates. The Night-Writer sells for $249 on Pearson’s website – though it currently only ships within the US. Fans can also find prints, clothing, and accessories from Pearson’s online store.
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