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Care For A Finished Scratchboard
Completed scratchboard artwork is sprayed with a protective varnish and are actually more durable than you might think - considering the...
Melissa Helene
Jul 14, 20213 min read
1,647 views
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Preparing for a Juried Art Festival
[Grab my free Start Your Art Biz Checklist to help start, build, and grow your art business without all the hassle, questions, and...
colorcodedcreative
Jun 10, 20216 min read
298 views
0 comments

The Ins and Outs of Applying to Juried Art Festivals
Welcome to my three part series about juried art festivals! This first section will be all about applying for shows - the research...
Melissa Helene
Jun 3, 20216 min read
391 views
0 comments

Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Realistic and Soft Fur Textures
Today's post is all about FUR! I use a combination of the small fiberglass brush and an x-acto knife to create realistic looking fur....
Melissa Helene
May 20, 20213 min read
1,907 views
1 comment

Protective Varnish for Scratchboard Artwork: Tips, Tricks, and How To
Scratchboard is a delicate medium and requires a finishing varnish to help protect the surface once it is out in the world. There are...
Melissa Helene
May 6, 20213 min read
940 views
0 comments

Scratchboard Techniques: Black vs White
My scratchboard artwork is all black and white (with many variations of grey), but the approach I take for creating a mostly 'white'...
Melissa Helene
Apr 22, 20213 min read
420 views
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Tool Feature: The Other Tools in my Kit
There are two tools in my scratchboard tool kit that I use on EVERY SINGLE piece that I create - the small fiberglass brush and x-acto...
Melissa Helene
Apr 8, 20213 min read
227 views
0 comments

Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Photo-Realistic Eyes with Life and Soul
Today I am talking all about EYES! The eyes are my favorite part of every single piece. I work on them first, when I'm fresh with a new...
Melissa Helene
Mar 25, 20214 min read
1,199 views
1 comment

Scratchboard Tool Feature: Inks
Fixing Mistakes One of the most common questions that I get asked, especially at art festivals, is about fixing "mistakes" on a...
Melissa Helene
Mar 11, 20214 min read
542 views
0 comments


The Importance of Art Festivals in My Business
Business As An Artist "Why don't you just sell online?" "Are you selling your work on social media?" "...but they're having an online...
Melissa Helene
Feb 24, 20213 min read
51 views
0 comments

Scratchboard Tool Feature: The X-Acto Blade
The X-Acto blade is the second most important tool in my kit. This tool is very easy to get your hands on - you can find it in any arts...
Melissa Helene
Feb 10, 20212 min read
321 views
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The Importance of Reference Images in Realistic Scratchboard Artwork
My scratchboard artwork is photo-realistic and hyper detailed, which means that the images I use as references for my work are incredibly...
Melissa Helene
Jan 28, 20214 min read
253 views
3 comments

Scratchboard Tool Feature: The Fiberglass Brush
The small fiberglass brush has been pivotal in the growth of my scratchboard artwork. It is my go-to tool and I use it on every single...
Melissa Helene
Jan 14, 20212 min read
1,641 views
0 comments

How to Get Your Very Own Custom Scratchboard Pet Portrait
Pros of Scratchboard Scratchboard is an excellent choice for your custom pet portrait! It is a rare, ancient medium that most people...
Melissa Helene
Sep 9, 20202 min read
319 views
0 comments

Frequently Asked Questions | Third Edition | Scratchboard
Welcome to the Third Edition of the Frequently Asked Questions series where I answer, in greater depth, all of your burning questions...
Melissa Helene
Sep 9, 20204 min read
316 views
0 comments

Scratchboard Lesson in Techniques and Strokes | Melissa Helene
Basic Scratchboard Drawing Techniques Scratchboard artwork requires a lot of patience and time, but also experimentation with the tools...
Melissa Helene
Sep 9, 20203 min read
7,288 views
0 comments

Frequently Asked Question | Second Edition | Scratchboard Wildlife Artwork
Hey there everyone! I am back with the second edition of my Frequently Asked Questions blog post series. I will be answering more of the...
Melissa Helene
Sep 9, 20202 min read
191 views
0 comments

How to Create Black Fur on Scratchboard | Tips + Techniques
Scratchboard Tips and Techniques - Take One! I get asked all the time if and how it is possible to draw a black animal on a scratchboard...
Melissa Helene
Sep 9, 20203 min read
603 views
0 comments

Everything You've Asked About Scratchboard | Edition One | Frequently Asked Questions
Fine art scratchboard is a rare medium that most people are not familiar with in an intimate way like they may be with photography or oil...
Melissa Helene
Sep 9, 20203 min read
726 views
0 comments


Inside A Small Business: So What Do You DO All Day?
One of the questions that I get all the time from family, friends, and clients, is ‘what do you DO all day’? Most people have no idea...
Melissa Helene
Sep 9, 20203 min read
16 views
0 comments
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