Confessions of a Detail Freak

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Hello, my name is Jenny Dalleywater, initially from Kent and now living in North Yorkshire, specialising in scratchboard. However, I also love pastel, coloured and graphite pencils and I occasionally dabble in charcoal . The pattern forming here, as you might notice, is anything that doesn’t involve brushes!!

Scratchboard is my ‘go to’ medium.  A few years ago I had a eureka moment when I discovered this little known medium while researching on the internet.  I say little known, as although it is much more used in the USA, Canada, Australia, China and a few other countries. Here in the UK, apart from maybe dabbling in ‘scraperboard at school, most people are unaware of it and the amazing detail it can achieve. I am only aware of a handful of scratchboard artists here in the UK and I am, currently, one of only four UK members of the USA based International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA).

The boards themselves are made up of a hard masonite, with an underlayer of white clay, finished with a layer of black India ink. The images are created from scratches, stipples and marks made with a sharp scalpel type blade, or abrasive tools, to remove the black ink,  revealing the white underlayer of clay. Boards can be left dramatically black and white or coloured, afterwards, with watercolour or inks.  

It takes many, many hours to produce an image and for detail freaks, like me, it is very therapeutic and perfect art-form. All you need is a board, a blade and patience. What can be achieved with a knife blade is phenomenal.

If you would like to learn about this fascinating art form for yourself then contact me about Scratchboard workshops -  groups or 121's -  or you have any questions on pricing, commissions etc.,  I am always happy to tell you more and spread the word about this wonderful medium.

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