Scratchboard Art Supplies

Materials and tools that you will need for your scratchboard projects are sold at art supply stores. Scratchboard art supplies also are available online. Here are some of the products that are on the market, with affiliate links to additional product information and to purchase.

Scratchboards

If you are a beginner, you might want to start off with student-grade scratchboards. They are less expensive than the artist-grade boards.

Student-grade Scratchboards

Scratch-Art Classroom Scratchboard. This un-inked board is smooth, white, and lightweight.

Scratch-Art Pre-Inked Black Scratchboard. This board includes a heavy undercoating of white china clay and a smooth surface coating of black ink. The thickness is 12 points.

Artist-grade Scratchboards

Essdee Scratchboard. Each board is handmade and has a hard, smooth, and heavy white coating that permits clean and precise engravings. This product is available in white un-inked and black pre-inked. The thickness is 12 points.

Ampersand Claybord. Claybord is an acid-free, archival quality, clay-coated hardboard panel. It is easier to scratch and more durable than traditional scratchboard paper, and allows for cleaner and crisper details and lines. For added dimension, colored inks can be added to the white areas and then scratched again. This product comes in white un-inked.

Ampersand Scratchbord (Claybord Black). Scratchbord is a premium scratchboard made by applying India ink over a clay-coated panel. It allows for more precise, clean cutting and crisper edges as compared to what is usually obtainable with traditional scratchboard paper. Scratchbord is available in 1/8 inch (3mm) thick panels. This product comes pre-inked in black.

Scratch-Brite Gold and Silver Scratchboards. These scratchboards consist of a shiny silver or gold-colored foil laminated to a heavy board base. These boards can withstand deep scratching. They come pre-inked in black.

Scratchboard Etching Tools

Scratch-Art Tool Set. This set comes with an ergonomic plastic handle and seven interchangeable cutting nibs that allow you to create a wide variety of lines. The nibs are made of high carbon steel and are heat treated to retain sharpness and to eliminate rust.

Ampersand Claybord Tool Kit. The tools in this six-piece kit can be used on scratch art boards and papers, as well as on Claybord and Scratchbord (Claybord Black). The kit consists of two scratch nibs (fine point and curved), a wooden nib holder, a parallel line tool, a stainless steel wire brush, and a fiberglass erasing brush. Also included is a 4-1/2 x 11 inch (11cm x 28cm) sample of Claybord.

Also available: Ampersand Scratchbord Tool Kit. (Same except it includes a sample of Scratchbord.)

Scratchboard Art Supplies: Inks

The type of ink you choose depends on whether you are using it to cover the surface of an un-inked scratchboard OR to add color to a black-and-white scratchboard drawing.

Ink for covering the surface of an un-inked scratchboard:

Be sure to use a good quality black India ink, or other ink that is rich black and saturated with pigment. Do not use transparent ink or dye.

Here are some suggested inks that will work well for this purpose:

• Higgins Waterproof Black India Ink
• Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Ink
• Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph Ultradraw Waterproof Ink
• Yasutomo Liquid Sumi Ink

Ink for adding color to a black-and-white scratchboard drawing:

Ampersand Claybord Ink Set. This permanent, transparent ink was formulated specifically for scratchboard. The set consists of six 1/2-ounce (15 ml) bottles in Yellow, Green, Carmine Red, Ultramarine Blue, Sepia, and Black (for corrections), and includes a color mixing chart. Set of 6

Tips: The colors are non-staining (if diluted with a little water first), which allows you to recut highlights and whites into your scratchboard. This ink does not leave a residue on black scratchboard, but will leave a residue on other India inks. Also, these inks work better with natural hair brushes than they do with synthetic brushes. For additional tips, be sure to read the instructions before using this product.

I hope you have found this information on scratchboard art supplies helpful.

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