Scratchboard Tutorials
Garlic in Scratchboard
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TRICK:
If I begin taking myself too seriously as an artist, I think of these lines from the movie, "Sling Blade."
(Ritter) You seem like a thinker, you know. You seem to be always deep in thought, you know. So, tell me something, what are you thinking right now.
(Thorton) (a long pause) Huuuum, I'z thankin', hum, I ort take me some 'em tatters home wit mey.
(Ritter) (puzzled look) I mean before that.
(Thorton) (another long pause) Huum... let me thank. Hum (long pause), before that i'z thankin' I could use me another six er eight cans of that potted meat... you got any extre?
 

Reckon that there's just 'bout da same thang goin' on here. Jest a drawn' one of 'em pen lines, one aferen anothern...hum. Sorry, I was watching "Sling Blade" and got into another character. I'm back now.

I've added a sky, using horizontal lines with a wavy motion, indicating clouds and keeping a light area on the horizon where the sunrise will be. Put in a tree line with detail and also put in the buildings. Put in the the rolling fields that are close to the horizon, showing the cast shadows from the trees and buildings, created by the sunrise. The two farmers are rendered along with the garlic in the closest part of the field. Garlic in the foreground of the field is done by first, blocking in the darkest area with solid black, then scratching out the shapes of the garlic plants (graceful lines here).

The illustration is still in a rough stage, but a sense of light is already starting to happen. I know you can't see much detail here (hard to show detailed line art on the web), but in step 6 I will give you a way to see detail.

TIP:
Before working on a new piece of scratchboard, clean the surface with a kneaded eraser and bestine (lightly using a soft tissue). This will remove the softest, powdery, areas of the clay surface giving a firmer surface to work on.

 


 


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