As part of my curriculum each year, my advanced art students are offered the opportunity to create a scratchboard rendering of various subject matters. Usually in their previous art courses, they have had the experience of selecting a variety of subject matter, ranging from flowers and cartoon characters, to automobiles and imaginary creatures. Most often, they have used gold, silver and white scratchboards.
This year I attempted to take a different approach to a familiar technique. My students were presented with oversized black and white scratchboard (12 1/2″ x 19 1/2″) and the subject matter was specifically to be a close-up (sometimes "extreme") view of an actual animal. Students needed to hone their research skills to find that particular animal to make their compositions most intriguing. This time, original drawings were not allowed. Instead, students could use animal photographs from any materials: magazines, books, photographs and the Internet.
Pictures appropriate for this type of rendering were discussed. I stressed the presence of visible texture, high contrast (dark and light) areas, and impressive or unusual compositions.
Once the animal picture was selected, the copier machine was used to enlarge the original picture 200 to 300 percent. The final enlargement sometimes required up to six sheets of 8 1/2 ″ x 11″ paper. Students then needed to puzzle and tape them together and cut any underlying excess to facilitate the next step.
The single-layered photocopy was then placed on top of the scratchboard and the major areas of the subject matter (eyes, dark and light areas, and identifying shapes) were traced over with a ballpoint pen. Heavy pressure was used to "dent" the scratchboard underneath, so the student could easily identify the areas to be scratched out.
Students invariably ask, "What do I need to trace?" I tell them that they are to trace those areas that will clarify to them where the scratched texture needs to be. Some students need to identify more areas than others do.
The scratching process is tedious and arduous. The nibs will require sharpening several times, so I keep a small file handy to simply sharpen the nibs when needed rather than replacing dull nibs. An assortment of nibs is necessary to remove either large white areas or small textured areas such as fur and feathers.
I give my students small "sampler" sheets of scratchboard (3″ x 5″) on which to practice their technique and learn the idiosyncrasies of this particular process. They also learn to not brush off the "scratch-dust" with their hands, but rather to tap the board onto a piece of paper. (Otherwise the dust would get rubbed into their artwork and dirty the final result.)
Now comes la pièce de résistance: In the past, scratchboards were traditionally left white and black. At this time, many scratchboard products are available whereby the underlayer is pre-colored. Students can make their own version of this by using colored crayon that is covered with a thick coat of black paint. In a variation of this idea, I thought it would be exciting to use watercolor paint to color the animals after the scratching was completed. The final results were nothing short of spectacular!
The watercolor needs to be applied in very light, thin layers and then gradually built up for the final coloring. Students often need to delve further into their research in order to ascertain the correct coloring of their animals. When one student selected a great Argus pheasant and another, a Reinwardt's flying frog from a book of antique engravings of animals, the only recourse was to use that wonderful modern-day research tool--the Internet. Both animals were discovered in all their colored finery.
Prior to coloring, students sometimes need to adjust their scratchboards to incorporate colored areas. If an area needs color, you need to remove the black scratchboard underneath. The eyes are an example whereby the student needs to remove the normally "black" areas in order to allow the colored parts of the eyes to be filled in.
As you can see from the students' work, the results are amazingly realistic and impressive. When their works of art were framed and hung in a makeshift gallery for students, faculty and visitors to view, everyone was amazed with the students' results. Many people asked if students had created them. Even more people asked if they were for sale! It's a great project--one that exceeded everyone's expectations.
Students will...
• become familiar with both the scratchboard technique and how to apply watercolor over scratchboard to enhance the design.
• understand the value in using the Internet as a rich research tool.
• learn the importance of thinking and planning skills in solving the intricacies of the scratchboard technique.
• Black scratchboards (preferably large)
• Nibs
• Watercolor sets
• Animal pictures
• Copier machine
By Len Mathes
Len Mathes teaches art at South El Monte High School in South El Monte, California.
