ABOUT THE ARTIST
Allie Raines is a professional artist based in the United States, specializing in scratchboard drawings.
Originally from south central Ohio, Allie's first encounter with scratchboard took place in 2009 as a high school art project. After experiencing unexpected success with her first few boards in state-wide art competitions, she shelved the medium to explore many others throughout the following years but found the control and sharp detail available from the unique black boards to be unmatched. In 2016, she returned to scratchboard work and ultimately adopted them as her signature catalyst for her favorite subjects in incredibly detailed, true-to-life animal portraits.
ABOUT THE MEDIUM
Scratchbord (made by the Ampersand Art company) is a specialized medium consisting of a 1/8" thick white clay board coated with a smooth, thin layer of black ink. The black coating is scratched away by the artist with a sharp or abrasive tool such as an Exacto knife, tattoo needles or sandpaper to reveal the white board underneath and create an image.
The defined nature of the medium lends itself beautifully to capturing every detail in complex surfaces such as animal fur and procures a dramatic depth in each portrait seldom found in more common traditional media. Colored inks designed for use specifically with Scratchbord may be added as well, producing a vivid final piece to be cherished for years to come.
Upon completion, the boards are sealed with varnish and may be displayed with or without framing and glass.
