What kinds of tools are used for scratching?
You can use pretty much anything that is sharp enough to have an effect on the board. The simplest tool is a fine-point stylus, which resembles a quill pen but is meant for scratching or engraving. This tool, used properly, can be made to produce almost any effect (see Nick Baxter’s In Times Of War for an example). Other tools can be purchased that are made for scratchboard; there is a kit available with a variety of tools including the simple stylus (which has a removable handle) and a curved replacement blade, which is perfect for clean bold lines or for clearing large areas of white. Other tools include a fiberglass brush, which can be used for making feathery white brushstrokes on the board; it is a very useful tool which allows for a fair amount of control of feathery effects. The kit also has a random twisty stiff wire brush, some oil-free steel wool (which makes interesting effects, but is tricky to get control) and a thing that looks like a 4 needle flat tattoo needle group. Th
