Arrasmith starts by covering a board with a thin layer of white clay. He then uses black India ink to completely cover the clay. Once the ink has dried, he uses a variety of sharp tools, including needles, craft knives, and dental tools, to meticulously scratch into the inked surface. This reveals the white clay underneath and allows Arrasmith to build up his image.
A signature aspect of Arrasmith's scratchboard art is his mastery of textures and surfaces. He is able to portray realistic depictions of materials like metal, wood, glass, fur, and fabric by expertly scratching the ink and controlling the thickness and density of his lines. His fine crosshatching creates tonality and brings his subjects to life.
Arrasmith often depicts natural subjects like animals and botanicals. His incredibly precise scratching conveys every detail, from the veins in a leaf to the wispy hairs on a rabbit's coat. Despite working on a small scale, his pieces have an expansive, painterly quality. The luminosity of his subjects emerges from the depth of his dark scratched lines.
Through his sophisticated scratchboard technique, Arrasmith creates artworks that are reminiscent of engravings, lithographs, and mezzotints. His technical skill and illusionary compositions give his scratchboard art an old-world, masterful quality. He helps elevate the medium to new artistic heights.
