This week we’ll take a look at varied hatching – the type of line making I use the most because it’s used to simulate fur. My egg-sample below:
As you can see the lines are similar to cross-hatching in that they overlap, but they do so at a very acute angle to each other (probably five to 15 degrees). As with other types of hatching, the more lines you lay down, the lighter the area looks. Darker areas, spots, stripes or shadows are created by leaving more area of the board untouched. If you’re trying to depict short, straight fur you would use shorter, straightish strokes; long strokes for long hair; and wavy strokes for wavy hair. It’s very important to make each stroke in the natural direction of the fur growth and to be observant of whorls (where the fur radiates out from a central point, e.g. at the center of a horse’s head), breaks (where the fur either grows or is seperated in two opposite directions, e.g. along the neck as it bends) or ridges (where the fur grows towards itself from two opposite directions, e.g. under the inside corners of the eye when the fur growing around the eye meets the fur growing up “bridge” of the muzzle.
Shorter, spotted fur:
Camouflage: African Leopard. Scratchboard with acrylic ink, 5 x 7 in. Copyright 2007, Tania Nault. Private Collection.
Range of short, straight fur and longer, wavy fur with stripes:
Sleeping In: Chipmunk, work in progress. Scratchboard and acrylic ink, 7 x 5 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
You can also use this stroke for downy, fluffy feathers:
WIP: Catch Up! Mallard Ducklings. Scratchboard and acrylic ink, 11 x 4.5 in. Copyright 2007, Tania Nault.
That’s how I use varied hatching. And, as usual, questions and comments are always welcome.
