The technique of scratchboard goes way back to the initial era of printing. Traditionally, it’s a process of removing or marking a wood or metal surface. Then rolling ink on that surface and pressing it onto paper through mechanical or physical means. More recently, scratchboard material was used, which was either a coated ply-board, or a heavy laminated sheet of card. The working surface was then coated with black indigo ink, and special metal tools were used to expose the white underneath. With the advent of digital media, this process amoungst illustrators is either rare or obsolete, BUT with a tablet and a good graphic package, it’s easy to replicate.
Building images using the reveal approach provides a different appeal which is great for content that yearns to have a traditional sensibility. For this print resource, I employed that approach. Final result conveyed the art of growing and cooking as a naturally co-existing theme.
Illustrations were first developed for the internal cards, then repurposed for use on the cover.
