scratchboard portrait

scratchmaster · #1 12-21-2003, 02:42 AM

I'm working on a portrait of my grandfather in his World War I uniform. There are some problem spots that I still need to work on, but it's been fun. The image size is 7x9 on Claybord Black. I started the rendering this morning.

Russ

Jakeally · #2 12-21-2003, 10:24 AM

Yikes .... you only started this morning

Great job so far. I love the background and I think this is a wonderful media to use for old photos

joemajury · #3 12-21-2003, 11:34 AM

I love the background also, do you mind if I use it on some of my own scratchboards?
I don't mean to mimic Jakeally, but this Medium works wonderfully with Old Photo's.

Joe

scratchmaster · #4 12-21-2003, 12:13 PM

Well Jakeally, "this morning" was actually yesterday morning. It was around midnight when I posted it

It went much faster than I anticipated, mainly because the background wasn't detailed.

joemajury, you are certainly welcome to use the background technique. I made it up for myself, but I'm sure I'm not the first person to use it. I made interlocking hatch lines - closer together at the bottom and wider apart at the top. Then I just scratched over the top in places to give it some random character.

Thanks for taking a look

Russ

busy91 · #5 12-22-2003, 09:23 AM

Russ, that is awesome. I've never used a scratchboard myself, I'd be to afraid.

lisilk · #6 12-22-2003, 03:13 PM

What a beautiful job you did !

The different types of lines really enhance the different textures. .....And...what they said about old photo's. LOL

Granddad would be proud.

Li

scratchmaster · #7 12-23-2003, 02:08 AM

Thanks for the compliments.

Busy91, I wouldn't recommend starting out with a portrait, but scratchboard is a lot of fun. It's cheap, it's quick. Go for it!

Russ

larka · #8 12-23-2003, 02:44 AM

Russ,
I haven't done scratchboard since highschool... a bit of time ago. You have inspired me! Perhaps this week I will re-discover it and play. Love the pic of grandfather, and I'm loving that tinyhead of yours.
Thanks for sharing both.
Tyn

busy91 · #9 12-23-2003, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by scratchmaster
Thanks for the compliments.

Busy91, I wouldn't recommend starting out with a portrait, but scratchboard is a lot of fun. It's cheap, it's quick. Go for it!

Russ

It is on my list of experments.

sassybird · #10 12-24-2003, 01:47 AM

This is an amazing portrait. I would love to do one of my father in law sitting on a horse when he was 16. That will be in the distant future........lol I haven't used scratchboard since the early 70's, so I will definitely be starting out with something simpler. I have some clayboard that I bought several months back. Now just to find the time......lol

How about writing an article, or doing a WIP for the forum?

scratchmaster · #11 12-24-2003, 02:26 AM

I was thinking of doing a WIP with this one, but I was in too big of a hurry to finish it. I didn't document the process. It would really be hard to top the one that Lorna12 did of Joseph .

I am planning portraits of my other grandparents. If I document my process I will certainly post the images here.

Here is my final rendering, after the tweaks:

sassybird · #12 12-24-2003, 02:31 AM

The detail is wonderful. Everything has texture of some sort, but all blends well together. Great job!

Having more than one scratchboard article or WIP is no problem. Everyone does things their own way, and comparing works can help people decide what approach they want to make.

Salute to our Partners