scratchboard

American  

[skrach-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈskrætʃˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. a cardboard coated with impermeable white clay and covered by a layer of ink that is scratched or scraped in patterns revealing the white surface below.

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Etymology

Origin of scratchboard

First recorded in 1925–30; scratch + board

Example Sentences

“I’m thrilled with Nico Delort’s striking black-and-white scratchboard artwork for ‘The Hunger Games’ and feel it will have the same lasting influence on a new generation of Panem readers.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2024

Ms. Noomin drew her work on white scratchboard, a labor-intensive form of engraving where the artist scratches off ink to reveal a black layer beneath.

From Washington Post • Sep. 17, 2022

Samworth’s principal medium is scratchboard, a style of drawing that’s effectively engraving.

From Washington Post • Sep. 29, 2021

All of Winsor’s paintings and scratchboard art are taken from photos, he said.

From Washington Times • Apr. 24, 2016

Mr. Schoenherr was known early on as one of the few commercial illustrators to work mainly on scratchboard, which gave him stark blacks and whites and a level of fine detail that recalled Renaissance woodcuts.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2010