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.
And we’re back! The tutorial last week covered hatching; this week we’ll cover cross-hatching. In my introduction to this series ”Getting Started” I gave an overly simplified (and somewhat mis-leading) description of cross-scratching: “a series of parallel lines and then overlap them with another group of parallel lines placed at right angles you are cross-hatching.” While this isn’t exactly wrong, you can cross-hatch like this, it isn’t completely correct either because you can make cross-hatching by overlapping the second (and third and fourth) series of lines at any angle to the first series. Yep, as clear as mud… let’s look at my eggs-ample below:
As you can see, each series of parallel lines is crossed by another series heading in a different direction. As with hatching, scratching lines more closely together clears off more black ink and makes an area appear lighter. However, you can also create lighter areas by layering an additional series of scratches over the area. You can see an example of this in the egg above by comparing the number and angle of scratches used in the highlight areas to the shadow areas. The highlight areas have many more layers of scratches compared to the shadow areas.
Cross-hatching can be used to depict a wide variety of surfaces: from smooth textures like skin to rougher textures like burlap cloth. In the portrait of my grandmother, I used cross-hatching to create her skin and jacket:
Elizabeth. Scratchboard, 8 x 10 in. Copyright 2007, Tania Nault. Private Collection.
As with the portrait example, cross-hatching can be used to depict two very different textures, even if they are overlapping each other, as I did with the teaspoon and placemat in “Meet for Coffee”.
Meet for Coffee. Scratchboard, 5 x 7 in. Copyright 2007, Tania Nault.
In the detail shot below: you can see I used cross-hatching to indicate both the hard, smooth metal surface of the teaspoon, as well as the softer fabric nap of the placemat underneath:
Meet for Coffee, detail.
And that’s how I use cross-hatching. Go ye forth and cross-hatch. And feel free to drop me a line if you have any comments or questions!
Week before last I started a tutorial series on getting started in scratchboard art. Today I’m back with my take on hatching. I know I’ve done an egg today, but it’s not that kind of “hatching” I’m talking about a series of parallel lines. As you can see from my egg, if you’re trying to depict a round surface, it’s important to keep your changes in value very smooth and gradual or you run the risk of making the object look like it’s been created from a series of shifting planes, rather than one smooth curving line. When scratching hatch lines it’s also important to either make them either all freehand or all with a ruler because using a mix of the two will look uneven. Placing the marks close together will create highlighted or lighter colour areas, while hatching lines spaced farther apart will leave areas looking shadowed or darker in colour.
Hatching is best used to depict smooth, hard surfaces up close. In the scratchboard below (done three years ago - it’s not a great picture, sorry) I used hatch lines to depict the smoothness of the piano keys and the wooden surfaces. To create the illusion of woodgrain, I made the lines much closer together for the lighter area and farther apart for the darker areas.
Silent Night. Scratchboard and acrylic ink, 9 x 12 in. Copyright 2005, Tania Nault. Private Collection.
But hatch lines can be used to make background items appear to be some distance away, as I did with the sky and cloud pattern in this landscape:
Smith Point Sunset II. Scratchboard, 14 x 9 in. Copyright 2005, Tania Nault. Collection of the artist.
And here’s a detail shot of the area above the left-hand trees to show the variation in shading obtained by varying the space between the lines:
Smith Point Sunset II, detail.
And that’s how I use hatching. Go out, give it a try and if you do, leave me a comment to let me know how it’s going! Next Tuesday, cross-hatching.
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!
Still Life with Grapes and Pears, Work in progress. Scratchboard, 10 x 8 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my art-making process. Along with the resolution I made to draw more, I came to the conclusion that I really need to look more closely at my favourite medium: scratchboard. I think I’ve fallen into something of a rut as far as method, colour decisions, even reference materials are concerned. While not one of my formal resolutions - I think this is going to need a more “organic” process, where I’m allowed to make mistakes in secret - I’ve decided to explore scratchboard as a medium. I’m going to look at what other artists have done with scratchboard: tools, technique, subjects, styles, and how this might influence the work I do. Whenever I come across something I can share here, I will. Who knows where it will lead? All I can say for sure right now is: I’m looking forward to this!
