Inspired by endangered species, wild places, fur, feathers and scales, my work celebrates the personalities and unique details of wild animals. Each piece features layers of detail that bring the animal off the board and create life in the static representation. These details accentuate individual characteristics of the species highlighted in my work by making them clear and distinct. My hope and goal for each of my wildlife portraits is to give them a soul that begs the viewers to see them a little deeper.

Protect and Nurture, scratchboard, 5 x 5" (12 x 12 cm) This piece was part of a larger study of young animals; how their physical characteristics differ from the adults and how they interact with the older members of their species. I love the sweet moment between this kit and her mother.

Gentle, Wise, Powerful, scratchboard, 20 x 10" (50 x 25 cm) Elephants are my favorite animal but are especially challenging to render on scratchboard. The skin texture and enormous wrinkles require different scratchboard techniques than fur or feathers and accomplishing the realistic feel of these beautiful animals is even more time consuming.

 My choice to explore a world of vibrant color strictly in black and white allows me to emphasize textures, patterns and details in an intimate and unique way. Each hair is scratched in individually, every highlight in the eyes is placed with exacting precision, and whiskers are placed with intention. Imperfections in the animal are celebrated and emphasized because they make that individual special. My work is here to honor the perfect imperfections of the natural world.

Together We Stand, scratchboard, 24 x 36" (60 x 91 cm) The biggest challenge with this piece was achieving realistic form while working among all the stripes of the zebras’ coats. Accurate representation of light and shadow played a crucial role in the development of this zebra scratchboard.

The contrast of black and white and the grayscale I am able to produce makes light the most important aspect of each piece. My scratchboard work relies on light, depth and the details to create two-dimensional wildlife artwork with a three-dimensional feel. I use light for dramatic effect with deep shadows, brilliant highlights and high contrast. Light also plays an integral part in achieving photo-realistic form and mass. Emphasizing light and shadow creates a depth to each piece that helps make the work pop off the board. 

Hiding in Plain Sight, scratchboard, 10 x 8" (25 x 20 cm) Intense gazes and highly detailed eyes are a staple in my wildlife portraits, so this jaguar staring straight at you off the board is one of my favorite things about it, but I also loved playing with the depth and detail of the grasses framing its face.

The hummingbird piece is a great example of how the lack of detail and shadows illustrates distance and by slowly adding detail and light back into each layer, they come forward. Comparing the background layer to the foreground layer demonstrates the full capacity and versatility of scratchboard as a medium. 

My Art in the Making A Charm of Hummingbirds

WHAT THE ARTIST USED 

   

Scratchboard, 16 x 20", Scratchboard repair ink in black, Watercolor brush, 8" round, Extra thin fiberglass brush, X-Acto knife #11, 2B or 3B graphite pencil, Kneaded eraser, Mineral spirit acrylic aerosol with UVLS – matte

Stage 1

Stage 1  Pencil Sketch

I use a soft 2B or 3B graphite pencil to sketch the image on to the board, including important details, features and value changes. The sketch serves as a guide before scratching and is used to ensure all proportions are correct and the objects are placed correctly within the composition.

Stage 2

Stage 2 Back to Front

I work from section to section and, within each area of a piece, I scratch from back to front. The back layers are darker and with much less detail, creating depth and distance. As I work forward, I add more light and detail to each layer. The back layers go in first so I can scratch over them with the top layers, instead of scratching around the subjects in front.

Stage 3

Stage 3  Contrasting Light and Detail

As I work from layer to layer across the board, I utilize contrasts in light and detail to create dimension and depth. This is done within each individual subject in the piece and throughout the piece as a whole. I used Ampersand Scratchbord ink, after my initial scratches, to “push back” the second, smaller bird in this section, so it would appear farther in the distance.

Stage 4a

Stage 4b

Stage 4  Layers on Layers

While I work from the background to the foreground, I also work in layers on the birds. I use a small fiberglass brush for the first layer of scratches—creating blurred, soft textures in the background as well as the softer feather textures in the birds. This tool is incredibly versatile and the most important one in my kit.

Stage 5

Stage 5  Fine Details

Detail work is crucial for creating photorealistic scratchboard wildlife art, where my work thrives. I use an X-Acto knife and many other wire tools to add the intricate details. These scratches are often individual hairs and feathers, highlights and precise textures that together create a three-dimensional feel.

Stage 6

Stage 6  Finishing Touches

Throughout the scratching process, I added several additional flowers in the background—ones not included in the initial sketch—to help balance the composition. Many of these went in as I worked in the section so they were scratched in in the correct order, but others were meticulously added after the foreground objects were in place. When the piece is complete, I use a kneaded eraser to remove any pencil lines that remain. The scratchboard will also be sprayed with an archival varnish to protect the surface from additional scratches.

Stage 7

Stage 7  Finished Artwork

A Charm of Hummingbirds, scratchboard, 16 x 20" (40 x 50 cm)

About the Artist 

Melissa Helene

Melissa Helene is a self-taught, full-time scratchboard artist and business owner working out of central Wisconsin. She specializes in black and white, photorealistic wildlife portraits inspired by endangered species and wild places. In addition, she offers custom pet portrait commissions. Her work has won two Award of Excellences from the International Society of Scratchboard Artists and has been awarded Best of Show four times at juried art festivals across the country, among numerous other awards. She shows her work at outdoor art festivals across the country—a current schedule can be found on her website.

Represented by
AMF Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, USA, www.amfgallery.com
Contact at
melissahelene.mason@gmail.com
www.melissahelene.com