I like the bold comic book style of these pufferfish. The rendering is simple but powerful.
Category Archives: animals
Dietrich Moravec – Der Skeptiker
I did a search for “schabkarton”, which is apparently “scratchboard” in German. I found The Skeptic, a portrait of an older chimpanzee.
Dirk Shearer – scratchboard images for Mice Templar
With my illustration background, it’s a given that I would be drawn to these. The vertical compositions are so powerful. I love the high contrast light and shadow.
Francis Sweet – Five of a Kind
Looking through the website of Francis Sweet I am struck by the volume of work he has done, and the large sizes. I particularly like the composition and division of space in this one. The dark rocks and the dark beaks of the ptarmigans work well against the lighter shades of gray. The peaceful feel of it makes me relax.
This web image is tiny in comparison to the original size of 24″x18″. It would be interesting to see the texture up close.
Russ McMullin – Candy – pet portrait
I did this pet portrait a few years ago for an artist friend of mine in Australia. It was done on an 8×10 Ampersand board with a #11 Xacto blade. For some reason I thought this one would be a lot easier than it was. Keeping track of all those strands of hair was a challenge. In comparison, the nose and tongue were a piece of cake. Even with the challenge it was fun to do.
A few more by Lori Dunn – beautiful canine skull
This piece is called “Canine Ancestory”. Any time you mix scratchboard and a skull, there is a good chance of something cool happening. This skull is seriously cool. If you right click and “view image” it will open in its own window much larger. I really like how the scratches turn the form on the cheek bone, or zygomatic arch, or whatever that bridge of bone is called.
This little penguin is taking “Baby Steps” – sort of sad and cute at the same time.
Lori Dunn – “Born This Way” – little hatchling gator
Lori Dunn did a great job on this little gator. I like the detail.
Bob Boze Bell – Rattlesnake Kate
I’ve come across True West Magazine a number of times, admiring the sketches and quick paintings. Bob Boze Bell is the one running the show, and on 11/11/11 he wrote:
“In honor of this uno-alignment I switched gears on my “Not So Gentle Tamer” concept and did a black and white (actually scratchboard) of an Arizona Pioneer Woman dispatching a Mohave Ring-tailed Rattlesnake with a shovel.”
The finish on this is very rough, but I think it’s a gem.
Katy Rewston – Trixter
I ran across this raven in search of great scratchboard work. The high level of realism with minimal rendering really caught my eye. Katy Rewston’s Facebook page has tons of beautiful wildlife images in a variety of mediums.
Ricardo Martinez – killer drawing and masterful texture
Gifted beyond belief, Ricardo Martinez does the kind of work that makes me feel like a total art weakling. His ideas are great. His designs are great. He captures light and shadow with variety of crosshatching patterns, which give his work rich texture and style. If a gallery had all of his work hanging, I think I would take a very good look at each piece…multiple times. All at the same time it inspires and depresses me.
The gorilla is awesome, but the scratches that make up the leafy background are even more amazing – my favorite part of the image.
The skin of the whale blows me away. It has texture and yet looks smooth. The light and shadow really make this piece work.
Wow.
