Guy and Michele of Hyperspace Studios would like to invite you to participate in "Scratch Art", a group collection of scratchboard drawings. We chose this medium as it parallels so much with aspects of tattooing. Like tattooing, it is an unforgiving medium that does not allow for erasing; we also chose this theme because of the irony of reference to "scratch" artists in tattooing. Amusingly, so many of us are far from scratch artists; this industry has grown artistically and the awareness of true artists in the tattoo field is undeniable.

We hope that you will enjoy the opportunity to excel at this craft and reflect your talent as a tattoo artist by etching something that is both skillful and creatively inspired. Your subject does not necessarily have to be a standard tattoo theme, though it can be. It could also be an inner planetery surreal world, a nature sketch, a portrait or whatever you happen to be in the mood for. The objective is to showcase your talent and unique vision as an artist. Imagine how cool this has the potential to be! We can only achieve this with your participation. (scroll to bottom of page to see examples)

The selected works will be exhibited in a group show that will be featured at several major tattoo conventions, and will be printed in a hardcover book put out on Proton Press.

Guidelines:
5x7 clayboard black - must be black and white- The image should remain black and white- think of this as an elaborate sketch.
( scroll down for details on how to obtain board, tools and some helpful tips )

This project is open to tattoo artists only.

We need the finished material by August 10, 2007. We realize that you are all busy people. We are busy too. However, this is a project that could be completed in a few hours, and we hope that this seems like a fun enough project that you will feel motivated to participate and contribute to a very cool collection and art book which no doubt will become a collector's item in our industry and abroad.

Participating artists will be offered wholesale rates so they can sell the book in their shops, helping to spread the vision and making a modest profit.

You can submit up to 2 individual scratchboards, though we will base the amount of pieces published per individual on the amount of quality submissions that we recieve.

Feel free to collaborate with other fellow artists! We are hoping to have a variety of combinations between different people, so get creative!

The book will be in a vertical format, so we encourage a vertical composition if possible. However, we plan to have some pages which will feature horizontal boards- but these will be printed smaller than life size and will be printed 2 per page.

Don't forget to initial or sign your board.

Be sure to send the finished piece in a generously padded envelope to ensure a safe delivery. Please include your return address on the envelope as well as a filled out, signed and dated copy of the attached consent form. Please be sure to indicate if you are wanting the board returned to an address other than your shop address, and provide us with that.

You can send the artwork to: Hyperspace Studios/ PO Box 866/ Marion, Illinois 62959/ USA

If you have any further questions contact us @: hyperspacestudios@earthlink.net . Please put "Scratch Art" in the subject line.

_________________________________________________________________________
Hyperspace Studios Consent Form
Note: Please sign a separate form for each individual piece submitted.

Name:
Shop/Studio name:
Phone number:
Work phone:
Address:

Address to return your scratchboard to:

Email address:
Website for you or the shop where you work:
Title of scratchboard piece:
Selling price (optional):

I, the undersigned, hereby grant permission to Hyperspace Studios and Proton Press to use the enclosed scratchboard piece for "Scratch Art", a book and exhibition of scratchboard pieces. I acknowledge that the piece will be exhibited at one or more locations and then returned to me in a timely manner at the conclusion of the project. If a selling price is included in this form, the piece will be placed for sale at the exhibition, and if sold, Hyperspace Studios will take a commission of 25% off the selling price.

Hyperspace Studios and Proton Press will use the image for the book and for promotion of the book and the exhibition, and will not use the image for any other purposes without express consent from the artist. The artist will retain full rights to use the art in any way they choose.

Signed, ______________________________________________

Date_______________________

www.hyperspacestudios.com
__________________________________________________________________________

Places to acquire material:
check out www.ampersandart.com to find out where to acquire boards in your area.

They have them @ Dick Blick Scratchboards: http://www.dickblick.com/zz149/14/ you will want the 14914-2001 Clayboard black pk of 3 5x7. The phone number for ordering is 1800 828-4548
We have also seen these at Hobby Lobby in their art supply section, if you prefer not to order online.
Scratchboard tools:
scratchboard stylus:http://www.dickblick.com/zz149/05/
toolkit :http://www.dickblick.com/zz149/13/
We found that using various tattoo needles achieved some very precise and enjoyable results. To do this select a needle bar and wrap the top part of the bar in several coils of tape to make a cushion for your grip.

Here are some tips on Scratchboarding:

Claybord Black is a premium quality scratchboard used for creating white on black for the artist. It is an excellent alternative to traditional scratchboard paper. With Claybord Black's rigid backing, has no wrinkled corners or threats of damage. Also, once sealed, Claybord Black can be framed without glass! It is pH neutral and acid free.

There are many tools that can be used to create a drawing on Claybord Black. We have developed the finest tools and designed them for use on all of our Claybord products. Also, if you need help getting started in scratchboard, we have a variety of kits and a video available.

Using Scratchboard Techniques on Claybord Black
When beginning an artwork on Claybord Black, sketch in or transfer the drawing desired and lightly scratch in lines using a fine scratch knife. It is important to scratch lightly so that it will be easy to change the area later if needed. Then, focus on the details concentrating on volume and light.

Although Claybord Black is not completely repairable, we have a few suggestions on how to change areas you are unsatisfied with. To cover up lines, we recommend you use Higgins T100 India Ink or Sumi India Ink at a diluted strength. Before applying the ink, sand the area very lightly with a fine sand paper to smooth out the lines. Dilute the ink with a little water and apply it with a cotton swab or damp paper towel, the surface will come out more evenly matched with the rest of the board. If you have an airbrush, spray the area to correct the mistake with a diluted ink wash.

When finished with your piece, you1ll need to seal it with Claybord Fixative. Before sealing the artwork, go over the piece with a soft brush to remove any clay dust. Spray it with 2 or 3 light coats of fixative to even out the finish; the fixative will remove fingerprints, smudges and any ink variations.

Hint: Its ok to burn through a practice one just to get the hang of it!

We can't wait to see what you do!

Some examples of scratchboard art by various artists:

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