Introduction
Her Life
Living with nature, among flowers and animals such as horsees, geese, turkeys, ducks and canaries... in the middle of the woods in a charming and attractive farm house several centuries old and about 30 km. from Brussels, you will find Anne Bonnevie painting.
After studying at the School of Art in Brussels and Graphic art in Paris, Anne lived with her brother in Burundi Africa, where wild animals became her favorite models.
She often traveled to Kenya, where she could better observe wildlife in its natural environment by tracking these animals through the African bush. Later, back in her studio, she captures the beauty and strength of these remembered images, using the scratchboard technique on large sheets of fine plaster.
Anne Bonnevie is renownd in Europe where she has had the distinction of being extremely well reviewed and received at many exhibitions in Belgium, France and the Netherlands
Anne Bonnevie
Peintre Animalier
Bessemhoefweg 1
3150 Haacht - Belgium
Tel & Fax : 32-16.60.11.78
anne.bonnevie@skynet.be
Scratchboard technique
Scratchboard or scraperboard is a technique where drawings are created using sharp knives and tools for etching into a thin layer of white China clay that is coated with black India ink . Scratchboard can also be made with several layers of multi-colored clay, so the pressure exerted on the instrument used determines the color that is revealed. Using scratchboard is said to yield a highly detailed, precise and sometimes textured artwork.
History
Modern scratchboard, as we know it originated in the 19th century in Britain and France. As printing methods developed, scratchboard became a popular medium for reproduction because it replaced wood, metal and linoleum engraving. It allowed for a fine line appearance that could be photographically reduced for reproduction without losing quality. It was most effective and expeditious for use in single-color book and newspaper printing . From the 1930's to 1950's, it was one of the preferred techniques for medical, scientific and product illustration . In more recent years, it has made a comeback as an appealing medium for editorial illustrators of magazines, ads and graphic novels .
The technique
Using a sharp, angled blade or scratch tool an outline is made on the surface of the scratchboard. Scratchboard can be purchased in either all black or all white sheets. Artists using the white scratchboard paint or draw black areas onto it and then proceed to scratch into the black portions to create their drawing. Alternatively, the cleared portions of the scratchboard may be left blank for a stark black-and-white image. Various techniques such as hatching or stippling can be used to texture and detail the image further.
Depending on the intent of the artist, several areas may be cleared out for layering with watercolors , airbrush or acrylics . These layers are then scratched off one by one to create different shades of color that blend into and highlight certain parts of the image. It can then be retouched with more paint as necessary. This technique can yield an image that appears remarkably lifelike. Contemporary illustrators sometimes prefer applying color in Adobe PhotoShop or Adobe Illustrator .
Notable scratchboard artists
Many book illustrators from the early 20th C. like Lynn Ward used scratchboard as well as woodcuts and linocuts. John Schoenherr has been famous for his scratchboard work since the 1960s and has been successful commercially in this respect.
Some of the more notable contemporary illustrators working in the scratchboard medium are Cathie Bleck , David Klein , Patrick Arrasmith , Michael McCurdy , Kent Barton , Steve Osuchowski Steven Noble , Douglas Smith and Mark Summers . Bill Russell web site has been creating conceptual and narrative illustrations in scratchboard since the 70's. Carol Biberstein, while better recognized for her use of watercolor, has also utilized scratchboard in her art. Joseph Robertson has pushed the scratchboard medium forward with his use of nontraditional tools and techniques. Diana G. Lee , who is also a painter, is well known for her use of scratchboard with many other mediums. Judy Blake has expanded her art to include her popular scratchboard art medium. Another artist noted for his use of the scratchboard technique is Charles Ewing . He has written a book called The New Scratchboard and teaches scratchboard techniques.