TIP:
If you love art and want to make a decent living, illustration is a good choice. If you want to make lots of money and be famous, hit 62 home runs in a regular season for a major league baseball team. OK, we probably have as good of a chance being rich and famous by doing art, as we do by hitting 62 home runs.

TIP:
Use an electric eraser with a ball bearing attachment to make burning easier. I use a Koh-i-noor electric eraser, sorry, but I can't find the attachment in the Dick Blick catalog and can't remember the name of it. Ask your art supply retailer, for a ball bearing burnisher attachment, for the electric eraser.

This is the finished pencil that will be shown (faxed) to the client for their approval. They approved the pencil as is. If there would have been a change, it would have to be made before proceeding to the finished illustration.

I always do the pencil as a simple outline, putting in just enough detail to show the client what's happening and to guide me in doing the final illustration. This pencil has more detail than usual.

The dashed line box in the center, indicates where the title panel will be placed.

Now the pencil needed to be transferred to a piece of white Esddee scratchboard. I taped a new piece of tracing paper that was slightly larger than the pencil, to the drawing board. I then placed the pencil on top of the new tracing paper, graphite side of pencil contacting new tracing paper, and taped edges down. Burnished the back of the pencil to transfer it to the new piece of tracing paper. Placed the tracing paper with pencil transfer, graphite side down, onto a piece of white scratchboard and transfered it by burnishing. Take care when burnishing on scratchboard, since scratchboard has a soft clay surface, it is easily damaged.

Scratchboard Illustration by Michael Halbert
PHONE 636-349-1145 EMAIL michael@inkart.com
Copyright © Michael Halbert 2000