Ever since I took a scratchboard workshop from Bill Haussecker in 1998 I’ve been fascinated by scratchboard art. The ability to create precise lines and capture minute details, as well as the depth and range of dark and light of scratchboard, is something I find endlessly appealing. I’ve talked about certain aspects of scratchboard before: tools, the boards and safety issues specific to scratchboard. But I’ve never really talked about the basic techniques of scratchboard art.
At its core, scratchboard art is an art of lines: like work in pen and ink, scratchboard art is made up of an accumulation of marks. You can use a variety of different lines to simulate texture, shape and value. Change a line’s length and type and you can simulate texture and shape. Change the number and location of the lines and you can simulate value. And when you can use lines to create believable textures, shapes and values, you can create believable images.
In my own work, I’ve found I tend to use and re-use the same five kinds of line:
1.) Hatching
Basically, hatching is a series of parallel lines. Using a fine line creates a smooth texture, while using thicker lines gives the impression of a coarse texture. Placing the lines very closely together will create areas that look lighter and brighter, while leaving more space between the lines leaves a darker looking or shaded area.
2.) Cross-hatching:
When you scratch a series of parallel lines and then overlap them with another group of parallel lines placed at right angles you are cross-hatching. Like regular hatching, placing the lines more closely together will create the illusion of lighter areas and leaving more space between the lines will make areas look darker.
3.) Varied-hatching:
Of all the kinds of line this is the one I use more than any other because it’s used to simulate fur. Unlike hatching and cross-hatching where you lay down a series of lines, varied hatching is scratched onto the board one line at a time. After the first line is scratched another line crosses over it at an acute angle (probably five to 15 degrees). You can vary the texture by changing the length, thickness and angle of the lines.
4.) Contour-hatching
As first glance, contour hatching may look a lot like regular hatching, but it’s different in that each line is scratched to follow across the imaginary surface of the object you’re trying to depict. Also, it’s easy to confuse contour hatching with the more familiar contour line; however, unlike a regular contour line that follows along the outer edge of an object, contour hatches follow across the surfaces of the object that face the viewer.
5.) Stippling:
Stipples, or dots, are probably the line I use the least, but I do use them to depict certain kinds of skin, like that on dogs’ noses. Placing the dots closely together creates lighter areas you can use to simulate the look of highlights on the skin.
There is one kind of line I try to avoid using in my realistic scratchboard work: regular contour lines or outlines. Outlines don’t exist in the natural world. We perceive objects as having edges because our eyes can distinguish the differences between two objects. For example, if you place a piece of paper on a table you see the edge of the paper, not because there’s an outline around the edge of the paper, but because the texture and colour of the paper is different than that of the table. Cartoons and comics make great use of contour or outlines to create shapes, but it’s not a look that translates well to realism and I, therefore, try my best to avoid them (contour/outlines, not cartoons and comics, I love the funnies). I find that whenever I’m tempted to use an outline it’s because I’m worried that the viewer won’t be able to distinguish between two shapes that are either similar in texture or value. Using a contour outline in those cases is a crutch and a sign to me that I have to work harder to make the difference between the two objects more obvious without resorting to using an outline.
As you can see from the sub-title of this post, “Getting Started” this is simply an introduction to scratchboard art technique. Over the next several weeks (on Tuesdays) I’ll go into each of the kinds of line in more depth. And when we’re finished with that, we’ll see where we go from there!
This has been very helpful. I will work at my 2nd attempt at scratching again to see if I can change it. Maybe even “start from scratch” usng the same image and (hopefully)what I learned.
Lucie
Thank you “Getting Started”. This is great information to have to those of us who are new to scratchboard art.
Thanks for stopping in, Lucie and Judith. I’m really glad you found this post helpful. Hopefully the rest in the series will be useful for you, too.
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how do you clean an unworked area that has fingerprints and an errant pencil mark?
The reason you can see fingerprints is because of the oils on our skin. To remove fingerprints I take a clean, soft paint brush and dip it into some scratchboard dust, then softly “pounce” the brush over the fingerprints. The clay in the dust will absorb some of the oils, allowing them to be dusted away. To avoid this in the future, protect the board by wearing thin cotton gloves or by placing a piece of tissue paper under your hand while you work.
The best way to remove graphite pencil marks from the board is to use a kneadable eraser. Press the eraser over the marks and lift straight up – don’t try to rub the marks or you will burnish the surface of the ink – you’ll probably have to press the eraser over the marks several times to completely remove the graphite.
Hope that helps!