How long have you been doing this?
I’ve been doing scratchboard for 25 years but the large color pieces I only started about 6 years ago after I learned about new materials. Old school scratchboard was always on cardboard and it’s very fragile. The Ampersand boards I use now have a wood backing so they’re much sturdier and can take the moisture from the inks I use to color with without ruining the surface.
How long is the process?
The larger boards take anywhere from 150 to 300 hours. The entire image is drawn with fine lines so there’s no “cheating” – no coloring broad swaths quickly, just a slow precise application of scratches, layer after layer after layer.
Check back tomorrow for more of our interview with Heather.