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MEDIUM: Scratchbord™
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SIZE: 6" x 6"
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STATUS: In the collection of the artist
"Human portrays inhibit me, but I try to attack by fears straight on! In this case, I did a double challenge: a human portrait, created on black scratchboard.
Realistic images can be created on Scratchbord™ using only black and white - the black india ink panel surface and the white layer of clay revealed by scratching through it. The values, or grey tones, between solid black and solid white, are created by scratching various textures. Few white marks on a black area read visually as a dark grey; an area with about 50% of white scratched in a texture read visually as a medium grey; few black marks left in an area create a light grey. This is a simplification of the basic technique.
Often "crosshatching" is used to create the scratchboard texture. This is much like a pen and ink artist uses to create artwork on white paper: black ink lines are drawn parallel in one direction, then another set of parallel lines are drawn at an angle. On black scratchboard the same technique applies, except that the lines are white, being scratched through the black surface. This is primarily how I did my face on "Selfie." For my hair, I used a pointed nib which makes a thicker line than the x-acto blade, drawing long curved lines in the direction my hair falls. For the whisp of stars above my head (which I wanted to symbolize how painting ideas constantly fill my brain), I used a small piece of sandpaper wrapped around my finger, stroking across the black surface and repeating the gesture several times. The little stars were scratched over the strokes, with the x-acto knife."
