What is scratchboard?
Scratchboard art is a form of direct engraving.
Modern-day scratchboard art originated in 19th century Britain and France as a method to illustrate books due to its high quality in reproduction. It is considered by many artists to be one of the most difficult of all mediums as one cannot erase or paint over a mistake. A significant error results in starting the entire piece over, which I’ve done on occasion.
My process:
The scratchboard panel starts out solid black. Next, I lay out a chalk outline of the subject from a good quality reference photo. Then I start scratching lines and dots to expose the white clay under the black ink. Different patterns of scratching and stippling produce different tones and form the details of the subject.
Rather than draw shadows or lines of a face I’m actually scratching out the highlights to form an image of the individual. My tools include a scalpel, X-Acto knife, tattoo needles, fiberglass brushes, and fine grit sandpaper. I might add a touch of color with translucent ink but most of my work is black and white. I’ll also use a diluted ink wash in places and scratch over those areas again for added texture and depth. Once complete I spray a museum quality archival varnish over the piece to protect the surface from damage. Since I’m working with very small details of the human face, I must use a magnifier to get the best possible view of the scratching surface. I’ve spent as little as twenty hours on a piece and as many as two hundred depending on the size and complexity. |