Continuing on from previously, after all of the steps of sketching, prepping the scratchboard, and transferring, I am finally ready to begin scratching. First, I gather all of my tools:
90% of the time, I use a hobby knife with #11 blades. You can find ones with nice grip handles at craft stores like Hobby Lobby over in the scrapbooking section, though the one pictured I got at Harbor Freight for half the price. I also have a dowel rod the size of a pencil that I put in a pencil sharpener, a fiberglass brush, a dowel with a sewing pin set into it, and different scratchart cutters. (I like the British made scraper cutters.) For some effects, steel wool is good, though I buy artist's grade as other kinds have an oil in them, and then for fixes or if I am laying ink onto a white board, I use Micron pens.
To start, I like to either start with the eye of my subject, (just because), or the area of lightest value. A value scale comes in handy. With scratchboard, it is the dramatic highlights and shadows that are so very important. I am always careful not to scratch too much into the shadows. Sometimes what I decide to leave alone is the most important. The biggest mistakes I have made is to scratch away in a shadow that should have just been left alone. (No matter how light I thought I was scratching!) I have to continually tell myself: you can always scratch off more, you can't scratch off less!
Lastly, I will say patience is important, though seeing an image slowly form from the shadows is exciting to me and the time spent (about an hour per square inch), is well worth it.
My progress this weekend:
To start, I like to either start with the eye of my subject, (just because), or the area of lightest value. A value scale comes in handy. With scratchboard, it is the dramatic highlights and shadows that are so very important. I am always careful not to scratch too much into the shadows. Sometimes what I decide to leave alone is the most important. The biggest mistakes I have made is to scratch away in a shadow that should have just been left alone. (No matter how light I thought I was scratching!) I have to continually tell myself: you can always scratch off more, you can't scratch off less!
Lastly, I will say patience is important, though seeing an image slowly form from the shadows is exciting to me and the time spent (about an hour per square inch), is well worth it.
My progress this weekend: