Make a Halloween Crayon Etching

Posted on 2007-10-12

Materials & Tools

White paper or Illustration or Mat board
Crayons
India ink
Soft rag
Paint brush
Scratch tool
Masking tape

Directions

Begin by coloring random shapes or patches all over a smooth, heavyweight scrap of paper or a piece of illustration or mat board. Give each shape several coats of color or press down on the crayon to make sure the shape is colored heavily. Work with bright colors, and avoid using black, because it won't show up under the India ink. Also, metallic gold, silver, and copper are difficult colors with which to work.

After the entire paper or board is colored, you're ready to brush on the ink. Since crayon is a waxy material, it will tend to resist the ink when it's applied. To help the ink stick to the paper or board, remove some of the "waxiness" by lightly polishing the crayon with a rag. Brush the ink onto the crayon, and if it resists the ink, patiently move the ink around till it sticks. Allow the board to dry completely before continuing.

In the meantime, make a scratch tool by reusing an old compass or some common household items. The point on a compass makes an excellent scratch tool. Reuse it by removing the pencil, closing the tool, and taping it shut with masking tape. Another way to make a tool is to tape a finishing nail or a large embroidery needle to the side of a pencil.

(click to enlarge/print)

Halloween themes are especially good subjects for crayon etching. You might draw a creature from outer space or a jack-o'-lantern. Before you start scratching out the design, make a simple drawing to use as a guide or plan. Now the fun begins! Start etching the picture by scratching through the ink layer to the crayon below. Just make a line drawing, or develop some textures by scratching lines or shapes close together. Examples of interesting patterns are all around you, or refer to the crayon etching design sheet pictured above for some ideas.

Tips and Tricks:
Use this technique to make designs and more pictures with other themes. Try making a quilt block or a stained glass window design.

Making a crayon etching can be very messy. Be sure to protect your work space with newspapers, especially for the inking process and the actual etching. If you must rest your hand on your picture as you work, place a scrap of paper underneath to keep your hand clean and to protect the artwork.

Mat board is nonrecyclable, so reusing mats helps save the environment and money. Ask your picture framer to donate a good, used mat for your finished crayon etching.

In the meantime, make a scratch tool by reusing an old compass or some common household items. The point on a compass makes an excellent scratch tool. Reuse it by removing the pencil, closing the tool, and taping it shut with masking tape. Another way to make a tool is to tape a finishing nail or a large embroidery needle to the side of a pencil.

Author Comments

Marilyn's Imagination Factory
�1999 Marilyn J. Brackney

Comments

this looks fun

katie davis on 2009-08-22

This also works if you use Crayola crayons for the colors, then use like a Roseart black crayon instead of India ink to cover the colors. That's what we used to do in elementary school years ago.

Demonna on 2009-08-27

Post Comment

Like this article?

Link to this article

Just copy and paste the code below to add this link to your page.

Tell a friend