Scratchboard

Black and White Art

I grew up in a home surrounded by dramatic black and white scratchboard art. The white china clay is layered onto a hard board and sprayed with a matte black India ink. Unlike most scratchboard artists who use exacto knives, I use a sharpened sewing needle held in a pen vice to scratch layers of small marks into the black ink to reveal the white beneath. I love scratchboard, because my attention is entirely focsed on how the light reflects off of every form and texture of my subject.

Colorful Scratchboard Art

In some cases, I add colorful ink and iridescent watercolor to the scratches revealed through the black ink to the underlayer of white clay. If I am making a colorful scratchboard, after I add the color, I must scratch again and cycle through the process until I am satisfied with the end result.

1 Hour Per Square Inch

All scratchboard fine art pieces are rare and unique. Each scratchboard is individually made by hand in the studio. It is not uncommon for me to spend one hour per square inch. Supreme patience and dedication is required. It’s no wonder there are less than 300 serious scratchboard artists in the world.