BLOG | Scratchboard Artist | Melissa Helene Fine Arts

21 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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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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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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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 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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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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The Tools of Scratchboard | Process Post

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
3 min

The Tools of Scratchboard | Process Post

I get a lot of questions about my scratchboard work during art festivals and from art enthusiasts online, with the number one question being 'what the heck is scratchboard anyways?!', or some variation of that. The second most frequent question I receive from people is about the tools I use to create my wildlife pieces, so I thought it was long overdue to share that information (visually) with everyone! This may be more information than some of you want or need, but for my

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African Elephant | Endangered Species Series

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

African Elephant | Endangered Species Series

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Quick Facts: Status: Threatened Population: 470,000 Height: 8.2 - 13 ft Weight: 5,000 - 14,000 lbs Average Lifespan: up to 70 years Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests, Flooded Grasslands and Savannahs, Miombo woodlands, Acacia savannahs Range: Central and Southern Africa Diet: Herbivores - roots, grasses, fruit, and bark; they consume up to 300 lbs in one day African Elephants are the largest land animals and are sl

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Bonobo | Endangered Species Series

Bonobo (Pan paniscus) Quick Facts: Status: ENDANGERED Population: 10,000 - 50,000 individuals Height: 28 - 35 in Weight: 68 - 86 lbs Habitat: Rainfoorest Range: Congo Basin Diet: Frugivores - half their diet is fruit, supplemented with insects, worms, eggs, and small animals The bonobo, also known as the pygmy chimpanzee, is smaller, leaner, and darker than the chimpanzee with pink lips and a smaller head and ears, though they both share 98% of their DNA with humans - making

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Amur Leopard | Endangered Species Series

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Amur Leopard | Endangered Species Series

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) Quick Facts: Status: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Population: around 60 individuals Body Length: up to 5 feet Weight: 70 - 105lbs Lifespan: 10 - 15 years Habitat: temperate, broadleaf, and mixed forests Diet: roe and sika deer, hares, badgers, mice, and other small animals The amur leopard, the world's rarest cat, is found in the northern-most part of the species' range, Far East Russia. This rare species has adapted to life in the temperat

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Red Panda | Endangered Species Series

Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) Quick Facts: Size - Head and body, 20 to 26 in (50 to 65 cm); Tail, 12 to 20 in (30 to 50 cm) Weight - 12 to 20 lbs (5.4 to 9 kg) Lifespan - 8 years Diet - herbivore; bamboo, fruits, acorns, roots, eggs Habitat - high-altitude forests and mountains; Nepal, Myanmar, and central China Population - less than 10,000 individuals STATUS: Endangered The red panda has been classified as a relative to the giant panda, as well as the raccoon. They are curre

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
3 min

Grey Wolf | Endangered Species Series

Grey Wolf (Canus Lupus) - ENDANGERED Once almost completely disappeared from the lower 48 states, the grey wolf is making a comeback in the Great Lakes, northern Rockies, and the Southwestern United States. There are an estimated 7,000 - 11,200 in Alaska, 3,700 in the Great Lakes region, and 1,675 in the Southwest. The ancestor of our domestic dog, the grey wolf ranges in color from grizzled grey or black to white. Wolves play a key role in sustaining healthy ecosystems. T

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Polar Bears | Endangered Species Series

Polar Bears...the romantic symbol for the plight of the endangered species. Polar bears have become one of the head figures for the global climate change movement and for this reason, they may be one of the lucky ones. All endangered species need our attention and our help to preserve their habitat and protect them from harm, but there are so many of those species that no one in the general public knows about or cares about. The polar bear is a large, beautiful creature an

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Rhinoceros | Endangered Species Series

There are five different species of rhinoceros, with 11 subspecies, that are at different levels of endangerment, but continue to be threatened (human encroachment, poaching, etc) and need our protection to stabilize, grow, and thrive. Ranging from 1300 - 6000 lbs, 3 - 6.5 ft at the shoulder, and 6.5 - 15 ft from head to tail, the different species of rhinos have unique features, including number of horns and snout shape, but all are herbivores. The specific vegetation they

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African Lions (Panthera leo) | Endangered Species Series

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

African Lions (Panthera leo) | Endangered Species Series

The African Lion is a majestic, powerful, and beautiful creature that is symbolic in many ways for a lot of people. Lions have been a fascination of mine for a long time and have become one of my favorite subjects to draw. They are amazing creatures and really need our support and help to flourish. Please continue reading to learn more about their habits, what is threatening them, and WHAT YOU CAN DO to make a difference! African Lion (Panthera leo) The African Lion is lis

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Golden Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) | Endangered Species Series

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Golden Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) | Endangered Species Series

Golden Headed Lion Tamarin (LEONTOPITHECUS CHRYSOMELAS) Length: body - 22-26cm, tail - 33-40cm Weight: 480-700g (1-1.5 lbs) Home range: Brazil Habitat: rain forests Diet: fruits, seeds, lizards Social Structure: live in family groups started by a mated pair, up to 8 individuals Lion tamarins usually give birth to twins. The Golden Headed Lion Tamarin's name describes its appearance perfectly, as the long, orange mane around its face is reminiscent of a male lion's. When in d

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Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) | Endangered Species Series

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) | Endangered Species Series

Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) "The bighorn sheep is one of two species of mountain sheep in North America." These animals range in color from light brown to grayish to dark brown and have a white rump and lining down their legs. The bighorn sheep is named for the large, curved horns of the males - rams. They are legendary for their ability to climb very steep and rocky mountains. Height: rams 3 - 3 1/2 ft, ewes are smaller Weight: 140 - 300lbs Length: rams 5ft 3in - 6ft, ew

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Endangered Species Series | Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus)

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Endangered Species Series | Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus)

Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) Average Weight: females - 9.9kg, males - 14.5kg Lifespan: up to 30 years Grouping: they live in troops up to 100 members Range: Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria Habitat: Oak and Cedar forests Population: 8,000-10,000; Rock of Gibraltar - 230 living in 6 groups, Northern Algeria - only 7 small subpopulations that are separated by 50-200km, Moroccan Middle Atlas - the largest and most important to conservation Diet: Plants and insects (snails, worms

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Endangered Species Series | American Bison (Bison bison)

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Endangered Species Series | American Bison (Bison bison)

The Endangered Species Series showcases endangered and threatened species around the world through wildlife scratchboard artwork and education about the creatures. Wildlife and the natural world play a very important role in my work as an artist - they are my inspiration and now part of my motivation. I want my art to be more than just pretty pictures to hang on walls - I want it to have a greater purpose. I feel a responsibility to protect the world that inspires me every

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MH