Scratchboard Project

Artist Statement

For this project, we began by making value scales sectioned into 10 boxes on scratchboard paper, cardboard covered with dried ink that can be scraped off to make white line drawings or designs. For my value scale, I began with an all-white box, using lines and cross-hatching to create ocean waves. I used smaller strokes, or spacing them out to create darker values until left with an all-black box. For our final project, we were asked to find a photo to transfer to black and white and print out. Photos of pets were recommended, so I chose a photo of my pet duck. After printing, we bordered our drawings and traced them to create indentations in our scratchboard and began our work. The materials I used were two scratchboard utensils, one with a fine tip and the other thicker.

In my project, I used some of the elements of art to create the principles of design. I used line and shape, which helped to create pattern and texture, as seen in the feathers and small dots on the beak. I used value to create contrast between the white of the duck and the beak set on an all-black background, helping to emphasize him and make him stand out. Because we were working with only black and white, there were fewer elements and principles of design that could be included.