Underwater Scratchboards

International Academy students created these scratchboards depicting underwater scenes. We began by coloring a piece of tagboard with oil pastels and covering it with a thin layer of black acrylic paint. It is important to switch colors with the pastels often so when the black is scratched away, the underneath layer is more colorful and interesting. A thin and even layer of paint is important too, if the paint is uneven it will flake off and you won't get an even line. Students were free to depict real fish or imaginary ones with patterns and designs. The subtractive drawing process is a fun and different way to draw and the kids always love this project!