MATERIALS
• Reference photo
• Cotton gloves
• Biro
• White carbon paper
• Fiberglass brush
• Very fine steel wool
• Scratch knife – curved edge
• Scratch knife – straight edge Ampersand scratchboard
• Watercolour brush or airbrush
• Black ink – Art Spectrum or similar
• Fixative
Scratchboard. What is it? Scratchboard is a board with a thin clay coating covered with black ink. A scratch tool is used to scratch through the layer of black ink revealing the white clay underneath. You can buy board that is pre-inked, called scratchboard, or un-inked, called clayboard. There are also boards that are coloured beneath the black ink.
You can use a variety of tools, basically anything that scratches. Nibs, steel wool, fiberglass brushes, emery boards and tattoo needles all have their uses.
The main tool of trade for most scratchboarders is a fine nib like a No. 11 exacto blade. Once a layer is scratched, diluted ink is layered over the artwork by brush and rescratched to create tone and form. This process of scratching and layering diluted ink is repeated until you build up the tonal range you want.
I prefer to use a fiberglass brush as I have found it is similar to using a graphite pencil. As I vary the pressure on the tool I get some tonal range. When it comes to layering to create form and tone, I use an airbrush as I have found it gives me a softer, smoother gradation quickly. ‘Quick’ is the motivating word for me as scratching can be a slow, painstaking process. On the other hand it is a very forgiving medium, if you make a mistake you can just cover over the section with black ink and redo it.
When rendering animals, a fiberglass brush is a great tool to replicate fur, whilst a No.11 Exacto blade, a nib or a tattoo needle is useful when rendering human, primate or reptilian skin.
STEP ONE
Using your finished drawing (or photo), make a tracing of the outline. Tape the traced line drawing to the top of the scratchboard. Slip carbon paper between the line drawing and board. Using a Biro, outline the image onto the board. To minimize marks on the board wear a cotton glove.
Using the fiberglass brush, I start with the eye. Use short, light strokes. Remember that the iris is round, therefore curve your stokes accordingly.
STEP TWO
From the eye, I move to the area surrounding the eye. When scratching, keep the pressure to a minimum; you shouldn’t be able to feel any grooves.
STEP THREE
Using your photo reference, observe the varied lengths and direction of the panther’s fur. The hair on the nose is made with short strokes, while the fur around the cheek is made with longer strokes. To create realistic fur, don’t make your strokes too uniform.
STEP FOUR
Using a nib with a curved edge, scrape off ink about 5mm around the panther’s face. Now using fine steel wool, with a circular motion scratch out more of the background.
STEP FIVE
Once you have scratched all the areas, use a watercolour brush and diluted black ink to lay a wash over the whole image of the panther. I use an airbrush to give a smooth feel quickly. To soften the edges of your background use an airbrush.
STEP SIX
Using your fiberglass brush, pull out highlights in the fur. Repeat the process of scratching back and adding washes until you have the form and depth of tone you desire. Use a straight edged nib for highlights in the eyes. When doing the whiskers, practice doing long sweeping lines on a spare board with the curved nib.
FINAL STEP
Sign your artwork and spray with fixative. I use Kylon Crystal Clear with UV protection. This spray gives me a matt finish and covers any fingerprints or marks on the board. If you live in humid or wet climates do not spray your board on days of high humidity or your board will have a white ghosting film over it.
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• Don’t use cheap materials even if you are just learning; the results may be inferior and can, as in my case, dampen one’s resolve to continue.
• Pay particular attention to composition, light and shade, lost and found edges. You will be scratching for a long time so get it right from the start.
• Once your picture is ready to be transferred onto the board sit with it awhile. I make a copy of the proposed artwork, and pin it to the wall in a place I pass every day. After a week or two I will know if I need to tweak the
image, discard it or proceed as is.
• There will be a point in your work where you will feel like giving up. This is normal. Press on, break through the pain barrier and you will be rewarded.
