DIY Scratch Boards

Geh, I can't believe January is already almost over. It seems like it was just the other day that I wrote up the post on the To Do List Project. Man, I have no idea how other parents manage to blogs so often. I made it a resolution to try harder on my frequency. So here's hoping, right.

Well today I'm going to cover a project I taught in Art Discovery a week ago. It's pretty simple but does require a bit of prep time, which I would suggest you span out over a few days. Otherwise your hand will cramp up from the coloring you have to do.

In Class we covered expressionism vs. realism, so I made the base multiple colors. However, you could alter the project for halloween or Xmas by using only those colors. Another variation would be to color white crayon over white paper and then paint with a blue. This way you could make snowy wonderland scenes. Now onto the project:

What you will need:

• Cardstock (or thick paper)
• Color crayons (I used cra-Z-art, but crayola work well too. Any that are waxy should do it)
• Scissors or an industial paper cutter-if you want to make them smaller(the scrapbook ones wont work unless you have a top lifting blade one)
• Toothpicks
• Black (or blue or whatever color) Tempura paint
• A paint brush

This first part is the most time consuming. You need to take your cardstock paper and completely cover it in a thick layer of crayon. Again I did multiple colors, but you don't have to. My only suggestion is to not use the same color of crayon as you have for your paint. Otherwise it won't show up when you scratch it off.
I colored 25 sheets of 8.5x11 cardstock so after a while I got bored of the same pattern. As you can see you can actually make some pretty nice pictures just by doing this step. If you are having kiddos help you with this part, make sure to stress to them that you don't want to be able to see any of the white paper underneather. You need to build up a thick layer of wax so the paint will adhere to the wax and not the paper. If it adheres to the paper, you won't be able to scratch it off.
Next step is to cover your colored papers with tempura paint in your color of choice. I used black, but you can use whatever color you want. When applying the paint, it does tend to not want to stick. Just be patient with it. You want a nice even coat of paint, but try not to make it too thick cause it will flake off or too thin because the crayon will start to show through. It's best to let it dry for a day or two if possible. I have had the best results when I let the paint still longer than just over night. However overnight does work and is completely do-able.
Once sheets are completly dry, you can use your scissors/ cutting board to cut them into smaller pieces if you wish. Other wise, they are ready to be scratched into master pieces. Using a toothpick, the end of a paintbrush or anything else you might want to try out (forks make cool multiple lines), gently scratch your picture into the paint to reveal the color(s) underneath. Just remember not to scratch it all off. Enjoy!!