Scratchboard is a drawing board coated with white clay and sprayed with a surface coating of black ink. The white areas and lines of the picture are scratched or etched out using various tools.

Each image is literally thousands of scratches on the surface of the board to reveal the white clay coating beneath. It is a very time-consuming process.

Scratch Art is a rarely used medium capable of crisp and detailed illustrations. Extreme fineness and control of lines can be obtained with this medium to enable the artist to bring the picture to life. The artwork can be left black and white or color can be added to the finished piece by using watercolor, ink, etc.