Scratchboard is a form of art, where you have a nice smooth
unblemished surface and you scratch your drawing into it.
Usually this is a stiff board, with a layer of white wax on
it, covered with a layer of black India ink. Many companies make prepared
scratchboard for you in various sizes.
You can make your own.
When you are working
larger than card sized, you do want to use a stiff support. The layer of wax
means that if it flexes a lot, it can crack and peel. Something you don’t want
if you work very hard and achieve really good results.
You can practice this skill and enjoy some new takes at a
smaller size.
For my drawing classes, we made our own scratchboards. We used card stock. Stiff enough for the
first try.
Covering them with hot wax and getting a smooth layer could
be a problem with a junior class. Also, a bit boring.
Instead we are using oil pastels.
Cutting the cardstock into 2 pieces. We do have a support
that is large enough to work on, but not so large that the piece will over flex
and crack a lot.
And covering it in oil pastels was a lot more interesting.
First,
Using a standard precut mat, we drew a rectangle that will
contain our masterpieces. This also gives us a large margin for handling the
material without compromising the scratchboard surface.
Also, using a bright, light color will make the finished
pieces more interesting for the class.
Choosing a light color, we colored in our rectangle. After
it was filled in, the surface was checked for missed areas (much easier to do
with a color than white wax) any missed areas are fixed, and the whole thing
smooth with a chamois cloth.
Then a layer of good India ink was used. Something permanent
is necessary for this.
It does require 2 good coats, one in each direction to get a
good coverage. If you have used more than one color for your scratchboard, you
can mark the card with the top.
India Ink should set for at least 24 hours before you
beginning scratching a drawing into it. It does work better with some time to
cure.
