Scratchboard: Rediscovering the Power of Black and White

Many individuals have told me of their introduction to scratchboard while in their primary grades--applying a layer of crayon to paper, then painting a layer of black ink atop the crayon, then scratching and removing with a knife blade or pen tip a portion of that ink revealing the crayon colors. I discovered scratchboard as an adult through the works of Trudy Nicholson, a colleague in the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and an artist for the Smithsonian Institution. Needless to say, Trudy's technique, style and final works go far beyond the ink over crayon process; they stand on their own with other fine art. The design, drama and detail of Trudy's scratchboard works inspired me for decades before I attempted it myself, but when Covid hit and the cancellation of usual meetings and gatherings opened my schedule, I decided to use that time to teach myself by just diving in. I'll be passing along what I've learned since that debut, and introducing you to today's superb contemporary scratchboard artists' works, revealing the continuing power of "black and white."

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Bio

Rhonda Nass has made a living as an artist for 49 years and is co-owner of Ampersand (illustration studio), and co-curator of River Arts on Water Gallery, both in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin north of Madison. Nass has "Master" status in the International Society of Scratchboard Artists and has recently published articles on scratchboard in the ASBA's "The Botanical Artist" and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrator's "Journal of Natural Science Illustration." Clients include the United Nations Postal Administration, the Museum of Natural History/Zhejiang, China and Tucson's Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Full portfolio and client list: www.rnass.com.

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