Completed scratchboard artwork is sprayed with a protective varnish and are actually more durable than you might think - considering the whole medium is scratching! I use a Golden Archival varnish with a matte finish on every single completed scratchboard. This varnish protects the artwork from dirt, moisture, UV damage, and MINOR scratches. The protective layer can be scratched through with a sharp tool or gouged with a sharp object, so the artwork does need to be protected

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

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

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

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

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

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

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