BLOG | Scratchboard Artist | Melissa Helene Fine Arts

20 hours ago
3 min

Scratchboard Techniques: Black vs White

My scratchboard artwork is all black and white (with many variations of grey), but the approach I take for creating a mostly 'white' animal and a mostly 'black' animal can be very different. When I'm out showing my work, I often get asked how I draw black animals on a board that is already completely black. The answer to that question is LIGHT...and form, but mostly light, light, light. That question also assumes that creating a white animal is easier, when, at least for me,

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melissahelene

Apr 8
2 min

Tool Feature: The Other Tools in my Kit

There are two tools in my scratchboard tool kit that I use on EVERY SINGLE piece that I create - the small fiberglass brush and x-acto knife - but you won't find them here. This post is about all the other tools that are in my kit. They may not be used as often as my two favorites, but they do have specific purposes and can be used in different ways. Let's dive in! Most of these tools came from a scratchboard tool set that I got when I first started learning scratchboard. The

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Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Photo-Realistic Eyes with Life and Soul

melissahelene

Mar 25
4 min

Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Photo-Realistic Eyes with Life and Soul

Today I am talking all about EYES! The eyes are my favorite part of every single piece. I work on them first, when I'm fresh with a new piece, and take the most time with these specific details. I also believe that they can make or break a photo-realistic piece. I am going to share with you the steps that I take to create photo-realistic eyes in my scratchboard wildlife artwork, share the tools I use for specific textures, and share video examples of each step. Most of the sc

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melissahelene

Mar 11
3 min

Scratchboard Tool Feature: Inks

Fixing Mistakes One of the most common questions that I get asked, especially at art festivals, is about fixing "mistakes" on a scratchboard. I use quotes on mistake because it's artwork and it can be whatever I want - so mistakes are completely subjective. BUT I know what they mean is, how do you change marks that you've put down on a scratchboard if you can't erase them? The short answer is...India ink pens and scratchboard ink washes. The more in-depth answer that I usuall

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The Importance of Art Festivals in My Business

melissahelene

Feb 25
3 min

The Importance of Art Festivals in My Business

Business As An Artist "Why don't you just sell online?" "Are you selling your work on social media?" "...but they're having an online event, that's a good alternative, right?" Yes, but also a big NO. Art festivals are my chosen business model for a few very important reasons and while I do sell online through my Scratchboard Shop, promote and sell on social media, offer reproductions and small original work, host seasonal sales, and participate in and host virtual events, non

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Scratchboard Tool Feature: The X-Acto Blade

melissahelene

Feb 10
2 min

Scratchboard Tool Feature: The X-Acto Blade

The X-Acto blade is the second most important tool in my kit. This tool is very easy to get your hands on - you can find it in any arts and craft store and many other places because it serves so many different functions. I use the x-acto knife in many different ways - the first of which is to create the striking and individual details in each of my scratchboard wildlife portraits. Unlike the fiberglass brush that creates many very fine strokes within one pull of the tool, the

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The Importance of Reference Images in Realistic Scratchboard Artwork

melissahelene

Jan 28
4 min

The Importance of Reference Images in Realistic Scratchboard Artwork

My scratchboard artwork is photo-realistic and hyper detailed, which means that the images I use as references for my work are incredibly important. This is especially true for the custom pet portraits that I am frequently commissioned to do. Scratchboard Wildlife In my wildlife work, references are crucial for creating accurate photo-realism. Wild animals have wild features and getting those intimate details correct is difficult without some guidance. When I'm scratching, I

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How to Get Your Very Own Custom Scratchboard Pet Portrait

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

How to Get Your Very Own Custom Scratchboard Pet Portrait

Pros of Scratchboard Scratchboard is an excellent choice for your custom pet portrait! It is a rare, ancient medium that most people haven't heard of and only a few artists work in. Scratchboard is highly-detailed and offers incredible black and white contrast. My work, specifically, is photo-realistic and focuses on the unique details of your pet's face. For that reason, your reference image is the most important part of having a portrait commissioned. Reference Images To g

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Frequently Asked Questions | Third Edition | Scratchboard

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
4 min

Frequently Asked Questions | Third Edition | Scratchboard

Welcome to the Third Edition of the Frequently Asked Questions series where I answer, in greater depth, all of your burning questions about scratchboard and my wildlife artwork, specifically. Let's dive it! #1 Where Do I Find the Extra Thin (or Mini) Fiberglass Brush? My favorite tool is the small fiberglass brush. I use it for EVERY piece that I create. It is the most VERSATILE tool in my kit. The brush can be used to create soft and fluffy fur textures, smooth skin and the

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
3 min

Scratchboard Lesson in Techniques and Strokes | Melissa Helene

Basic Scratchboard Drawing Techniques Scratchboard artwork requires a lot of patience and time, but also experimentation with the tools to achieve the textures that you desire. Some techniques also combine two or more of the strokes I'll discuss in this post to accomplish. The first graphic in this post shows the same stroke with different tools - the fiberglass brush in the first column and the X-Acto knife in the middle column - the third column highlights a little of both

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Frequently Asked Question | Second Edition | Scratchboard Wildlife Artwork

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Frequently Asked Question | Second Edition | Scratchboard Wildlife Artwork

Hey there everyone! I am back with the second edition of my Frequently Asked Questions blog post series. I will be answering more of the questions I get asked at every art festival in greater length here and hope that it makes things more clear for you. Scratchboard is not a well known artistic medium, so I'm happy to be able to give you a glimpse into the world of highly detailed, photorealistic, black and white scratchboard wildlife artwork! Here we go! #1 How do you fix a

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How to Create Black Fur on Scratchboard | Tips + Techniques

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

How to Create Black Fur on Scratchboard | Tips + Techniques

Scratchboard Tips and Techniques - Take One! I get asked all the time if and how it is possible to draw a black animal on a scratchboard that is already completely black. Well, today I am going to dive into that very topic and explain how to scratch into the board to create black fur, hair, or feathers. The key to creating the illusion of black fur and still retaining the realistic quality and details is to focus on the LIGHT! Think about a black dog or cat, especially if yo

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Everything You've Asked About Scratchboard | Edition One | Frequently Asked Questions

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
3 min

Everything You've Asked About Scratchboard | Edition One | Frequently Asked Questions

Fine art scratchboard is a rare medium that most people are not familiar with in an intimate way like they may be with photography or oil painting or pottery or any number of more common artistic mediums. I've been showing my scratchboard wildlife artwork for five years and I get asked the same set of questions over and over as people at art festivals and galleries try to familiarize themselves with it. With all of you in mind, I decided to create this blog series to answer t

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Inside A Small Business: So What Do You DO All Day?

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
3 min

Inside A Small Business: So What Do You DO All Day?

One of the questions that I get all the time from family, friends, and clients, is ‘what do you DO all day’? Most people have no idea what it looks like to be a full-time professional artist (I didn’t when I decided to be one either), so today I thought I’d give you a glimpse into my creative small business…it won’t look like anyone else’s but it will give you a pretty good idea of what it takes to run a business as an artist. My day-to-day looks very different depending on t

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An Inside Look at Art Festivals: What You Know and What You Don’t

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
3 min

An Inside Look at Art Festivals: What You Know and What You Don’t

There are many questions I get regularly about my work as a professional scratchboard artist, including what the heck scratchboard is, how long it takes to complete a piece, where I show my work, and how commissioning a custom pet portrait works. One part of my business that people don’t typically ask questions about until I bring it up is art festivals and how they work. Once I start explaining it, the questions and the surprised looks come rushing out, so I thought I would

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Scratchboard: What the heck is it?

If you’re new to the world of scratchboard, this post is for YOU! Though an old medium previously used for illustration, scratchboard is not well known to a large portion of the general public and even within the arts community. It is experiencing a resurgence and gaining more acclaim in the world of the arts due in large part to the creation of the International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) in 2011 and continued work by individual artists. So now, what the heck IS

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Why You Should Pick Scratchboard for Your Custom Pet Portrait

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Melissa Helene | Scratchboard Artist | [Re] Introduction

Hey there everyone! I took a little bit of a hiatus from blogging recently and am ready to get back to it, offering great new content about scratchboard artwork and processes, behind the scenes of my business and scratchboard techniques, pet portrait projects, wildlife and wild place features, new installments of my Endangered Species Series (ESS), and personal posts about adventure, travel, backpacking and hiking. I’m really excited to share my journey as we all navigate a

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Bumblebee | Endangered Species Series

Bumblebee There are approximately 275 different species of bumblebees around the world, with a majority of them living in the northern hemisphere. Only a few of these species are commonly seen in most places. Some species are found in only very specific locations. Bumblebees have been in decline because of changes in agricultural practices that are eliminating flowering plants from the landscapes, leaving the bees with little to feed on. Bumblebees live in a variety of ha

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Scratchboard Reproduction Prints | A New Endeavor | Business Post

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Scratchboard Reproduction Prints | A New Endeavor | Business Post

This year will be the first time I am offering reproduction prints of my scratchboard work at art festivals! Once I decided to go full-time, I knew this project was one I wanted to tackle right away and have prints available at my first shows of the year. I'm excited to offer this option so more people can take my work home, as they are a more economical option to my large scratchboard pieces. While I was planning to get this project started, I knew I wanted to be as respon

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MH