This is a very specialized art form that is not widely practiced by many artists. Because the term “scratchboard” can be a bit vague, it’s important to know exactly what materials are used to create scratchboard art.
There are a few different types of scratchboard art, such as black and white, color gradients, and watercolor. Each type of scratchboard art has its own set of materials and techniques.
Here are the best scratchboard art materials to help you get started.
Our Editor’s Best Scratchboard Art Materials Reviews
- MUSEUM-QUALITY SCRATCHBORD: Acid-free kaolin clay ground with India ink on warp-resistant Hardbord. Ultra-smooth, highly absorbent, scratch art surface
- PROFESSIONALS’ TOP CHOICE: Easier to scratch into for clean, crisp, details and lines. Scratch marks are repairable by reapplying India ink. Add vibrant color to your Scratchbord art with inks
- HIGH-DENSITY HARDBOARD CORE: Will not tear, bend or buckle. Ampersand’s premium, warp-resistant, FSC-Certified Hardbord will ensure your artwork is supported
- FRAME WITHOUT GLASS: Seal and display your scratchboard artwork without glass
- MADE IN THE USA: Unparalleled quality and craftsmanship has made Ampersand Art Supply the leader in painting panels for over 25 years
- 【SCRATCH ART RAINBOW】: Scratch Art products feature bright colors and patterns hidden beneath a matte coating, Each Scratch Cards features a foil layer of sketches, Use scratch pen (included) to scratch off gray colored sketches, Revealing a beautiful colors underneath.
- 【PACKAGE INCLUDING】: 4 x Scratch (Drawing BoardCafe Terrace at Night - Sunflowers - Starry Night Over the Rhone - The Starry Night), 2 x Scratch Pen, 1 x Clean Brush - 16 x 11.2 inch
- 【PERFECT GIFT FOR KIDS' SKETCHES (AND ADULTS) 】: Complete engraving art set for any age artist. The size is excellent for kids and can be easily carried around say for a girls trip or your next trip to the grocery store. No odd flavor, No toxic powder, So kids can take their time to play and prepare for their masterpieces, Enjoy scratch art.
- 【HOME DECORATION&CREATIVE GIFTS】: You Can Mount It with A Picture Frame Hung Up on The Wall or Put on Your Desk Top increase The Artistic Atmosphere and Decorate Your House, Also You can display the stunning final art or give them as gifts to friends or family.
- 【SCRATCH ART THERAPY】 You're more likely to work well if you take a short break for mindless work everyday. This scratch off painting is exactly what you are looking for, easy, time-wasting and stress-free.
- Make Your Own Crafts: the scratch paper is black on the surface, and when you scrape away the black coating, the white paper underneath comes out, and you can give full play of your imagination and creativity, to scrape beautiful patterns on them, provide an interesting crafts activity for you
- Save Your Time and Energy: the scratch paper art set is easy to use, which is equipped with wooden stylus, you only need to gently use the wooden stylus to scratch off the black coating, the operation process is simple and convenient, won't take too much time and energy, and cultivate your focus
- Enjoy the Fun of DIY Together: you will receive 40 pieces of scratch paper art and 10 pieces of wooden stylus, adequate quantity and thoughtful combination can meet your daily play and DIY demands, and you can share them with your close friends, family members, colleagues, classmates, partners and so on, to have fun together
- Proper Dimension to Use: this scratch off paper measures approx. 21 x 28 cm/ 8.27 x 11.02 inches in width and length, and the wooden stylus is about 14 cm/ 5.51 inches in length, appropriate in size and light in weight, carrying it around in a backpack doesn't add to your burden, so you can take it out and create in your spare time
- A Wide Range of Applications: our scratch board is suitable for various occasions, such as DIY craft projects, family fun days, art classes, school projects and classroom activities, fit for doodle, make notes, create cards, sketch, draw, trace and more, improve your drawing, imagination and creativity skills, and add more fun for you
- 【1. Premium DIY Craft Kit for All Ages】 Perfect arts and crafts for adults and kids (3+years), this scratch art set includes everything needed for creative fun: 8x cityview scratchboards, 1x wood stylus, 1x red scraper, 1x scratch pen, and 1x black brush. A complete DIY craft kit for family bonding or solo artistic exploration.
- 【2. Safe & Certified Scratch Art Materials】 Made from non-toxic, odorless coated art paper, our scratchboards pass rigorous FDA certifications.Kid-friendly and worry-free—no harmful powders or chemicals.
- 【3. Beginner-Friendly Scratch Art Experience】 Reveal vibrant cityscapes hidden beneath a matte coating! Pre-printed linocut scratch paper guide your design—simply scratch with included tools to uncover dazzling colors. No drawing skills needed! Pre-sketched designs ensure flawless results for all skill levels. Spark imagination in kids or inspire adults to rediscover their artistic side.
- 【4. High-Quality, Frame-Ready Masterpieces】 Designed from real-life images for stunning realism. Finished scratch art doubles as wall decor—frame your creation for a polished, gallery-worthy display or a unique handmade gift.
- 【5. Stress-Relieving Creative Escape】 Unwind with meditative scratch art! Compact and lightweight, this portable DIY craft kit lets you create anytime, anywhere. Perfect for travel, waiting rooms, or relaxing at home.
- Material: the scratch paper art sets are made of thick paper cardboard, the wood stylus are made of wood, which are non-toxic and harmless for kids and adults.
- Super Value Set: The package includes 24pcs scratch bookmarks（16*7cm), 2 scratch pen, 3 wooden styluses
- Wipe Application: this DIY arts and craft kits is suitable for birthday party, dinosaur party, Christmas party, family and classroom activities, DIY project for stimulating children's creativity and imagination.
- Ideal Gift: perfect for DIY gifts for kids, great present for birthday, Children’s day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, etc.
- Warm Tips: recommended for kids of 3 years and up, suitable for parent-child games, helping to enhance the interaction between children and parents.
- for kindergarten and primary use
- Scratch pen and stick are designed for the easy scratch-off
- With fine polishing, it is safe to use
- Can help develop kidss imagination and potentiality
- Made of with fine workmanship, to scratch
- Scratch Paper Painting Kit: this glow in the dark scratch art set comes with 8 glow in the dark scratch paper painting papers, 5 versatile pens made from sturdy materials, and a plastic and wool brush, offering everything needed to dive into scratch paper rainbow painting; Each tool is nice sized for small hands, encouraging artistic expression
- Durable Specialty Paper for Long Lasting Art: our luminous scratchboard art kit from high hardness paper measuring, is made of luminous ink; It is a set suitable for most ages; The durable design allowing kids to create masterpiece after masterpiece in their adventure
- Versatile Tools to Enhance Creativity: our scratch art adults kit includes five pens in addition to a soft tipped wool brush; These diverse tools allow for varied artistic techniques, enhancing the experience of scratch paper painting kits and expanding creative possibilities
- Fluorescent Effect: our adults scratch art after the paper is scratched off, it will release a fascinating fluorescent art in the dark after shining a flashlight or other bright light source for about 5 minutes, This hidden colorful luminous design adds an element of mystery and discovery to the scratching process, adding different fun and creativity to the traditional scratch paper
- Widely Applied Scenarios: our luminous scratchboard art kits make the nice gift for any people fascinated by art and color; You can put the scratched luminous scratch painting into a photo frame and hang it on wall, or put it on the desk to add an artistic atmosphere and decorate your home; It can also be a way to relax and relieve stress; You can also display the works of art and give them as gifts to friends or family
- 5 PIECE SET: Includes 1 each Line Tool, Scratch Knife (2 Nibs), Wire Brush, Fibre Brush, Piece of Steel Wool and Sample Piece of Claybord
- CREATE UNIQUE DETAILS: Use these tools to scratch away the surface coating exposing the white clay underneath
- PERFECT FOR DIY ART DESIGN: This complete kit is ideal for artists and hobbyists of all ages
- EASY TO USE: Create a variety of linework and textures using hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling on Claybord or Scratchbord
- ADD DEPTH & TEXTURE TO YOUR ART: Tools are available individually or in a 5-piece set
- 【PACKAGE INCLUDING】: 2 x Scratch Drawing Board, 2 x Blank Board for Free Drawing, 1 x Scratch Pen, 1 x Clean Brush, 2 x Wood Stylus Stick – 16 x 11.2 inch
- 【SCRATCH ART THERAPY】 You're more likely to work well if you take a short break for mindless work everyday. This scratch off painting is exactly what you are looking for, easy, time-wasting and stress-free.
- 【SCRATCH ART RAINBOW】: Scratch Art products feature bright colors and patterns hidden beneath a matte coating, Each Scratch Cards features a foil layer of sketches, Use scratch pen (included) to scratch off gray colored sketches, Revealing a beautiful colors underneath.
- 【PERFECT GIFT FOR KIDS' SKETCHES (AND ADULTS) 】: Complete engraving art set for any age artist. The size is excellent for kids and can be easily carried around say for a girls trip or your next trip to the grocery store. No odd flavor, No toxic powder, So kids can take their time to play and prepare for their masterpieces, Enjoy scratch art.
- 【HOME DECORATION&CREATIVE GIFTS】: You Can Mount It with A Picture Frame Hung Up on The Wall or Put on Your Desk Top increase The Artistic Atmosphere and Decorate Your House, Also You can display the stunning final art or give them as gifts to friends or family.
- 【LEISURE TIME EDUCATION】：Amazing creative artwork, Makes an excellent arts and crafts activity for teens or grown-up artists, keep busy with this delightful craft supply. This scratch off painting is exactly what you are looking for, easy, stress-free.Unleash a perfect mood for you and your child.
- 【PACKAGE INCLUDING】: 2 x Scratch Drawing Board (Paris / Louvre) , 2 x Blank Board for Free Drawing, 1 x Scratch Pen, 1 x Clean Brush, 2 x Wood Stylus Stick – 16 x 11.2 inch
- 【CULTIVATE PAINTING INTEREST】: Simplify the complex painting process. Products feature bright colors and patterns hidden beneath a matte coating, Scratch paper features a foil layer of sketches, Use scratch pen (included) to scratch off gray colored sketches, Revealing a beautiful colors underneath. It is easy to create exquisite and perfect works of art.Experience the feeling of being a painter.
- 【HOME DECORATION&CREATIVE GIFTS】: You Can Mount It with A Picture Frame Hung Up on The Wall or Put on Your Desk Top increase The Artistic Atmosphere and Decorate Your House, Also You can display the stunning final art or give them as gifts to friends or family.
- 【PERFECT GIFT FOR TEENS SKETCHES (AND ADULTS) 】: Complete engraving art set for any age artist. The size is excellent for teens and can be easily carried around say for a girls trip or your next trip to the grocery store.
Best Scratchboard Art Materials Buying Guide
Before choosing the best scratch board art materials you should consider following options:
1. Ink: The ink you use will depend on what you want to do with your scratchboard. Ink can be water-based or oil-based.
If you want to create an image that can be photographed or scanned and then colored in with computer software, then you should use water-based ink.
If you want to create an image that is purely black and white, then you should use oil-based ink. You can also use a combination of ink types.
2. Inkpad: You will need an inkpad to hold your ink. Inkpads come in a range of sizes and materials. Some have a ridged bottom, which helps the ink from soaking into the board.
If you are using water-based ink, it is probably best to have a smooth bottom for the inkpad so that the ink doesn’t soak in too much.
If you are using oil-based ink, you should have a ridged bottom so that the ink doesn’t spread too far.
3. Inkbrush: You will need an inkbrush to apply ink to the board. There are different types of inkbrushes available.
You can choose a brush that has synthetic bristles, which is good for applying water-based ink, or you can choose a brush that has hog bristle, which is good for applying oil-based ink.
4. Ink Eraser: An ink eraser is needed to remove ink from your board. An eraser that is too hard will damage your board, and an eraser that is too soft will not remove the ink.
It is best to test the eraser before you buy it to make sure it is the right type for you.
5. Masking Tape: Masking tape is used to mask off areas of the board before you ink it. You can also use it to lift the ink off the board once it is dry.
6. Fixative: Fixative is used to seal the ink into the board. You can use fixative as you ink your board, or you can use it after the board is dry.
Fixative can be water-based or oil-based.
What else you should know about scratchboard art materials
1. What is a scratchboard?
A scratchboard is a board coated with a layer of wax or clay that can be scratched to create a design.
2. What are the different types of scratchboards?
There are several different types of scratchboards, but the most common are the black and white scratchboard, the colored scratchboard, and the metal scratchboard.
3. What are the best scratchboard art materials?
The best scratchboard art materials are the ones that suit your needs and preferences. Some people prefer to use traditional scratchboards made from wood, while others prefer to use modern materials such as plastic or metal. There is no right or wrong answer, so it really depends on what you want to achieve with your artwork.
4. How do I use a scratchboard?
To use a scratchboard, you will need a sharp object like a pen or a pencil. You will also need some sort of abrasive material like sandpaper.
First, you will want to sketch out your design on the scratchboard. Once you have your sketch, you will want to start scratching away at the board with your sharp object. Be sure to use light pressure at first so you don’t damage the board. As you scratch away, the abrasive material will start to remove the top layer of the board, revealing the layer beneath. You can continue to scratch away until you have the desired effect.
5. What are some scratchboard techniques?
Some scratchboard techniques are hatching, stippling, cross hatching, and scumbling.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best scratchboard art materials. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best scratchboard art materials will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.