I couldn't find the tool that came with our crayons, so I just cut a point on this little green piece of plastic and scraped with it.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sgraffito with Crayons
A couple of years ago we bought some Stockmar Beeswax Crayons, and they came with a little plastic tool for doing Sgraffito. Sgraffito comes from the Italian word sgraffiare ("to scratch"), and the technique works great with crayons. All you do is make a light color background, then color a dark layer (black is best) over the top. Then use something pointy (plastic works best, so you don't rip the paper) and scrape the black to reveal the light colors below. We've been doing it for a year now, and it's so cool. Almost turns out looking like a tiny wood block print.
I´ve also done that long time ago. Thanks for reminding me!
ReplyDeletevery cool!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!!
ReplyDeletegrt, Helmi
I used to do those a long time ago. You reminded me how cool it is. I might try it again. I hope crayola works as well as beeswax. :)
ReplyDeletehi, i'am kristine from france, i like very what you post.
ReplyDeleteI was used to do that whit my children (4) end i used a bamboo cut with a cuter and it gave a good results.
have a good day and thank for all the think you post
We did that a lot in kindergarden :) I think I still got a piece of it lying around somewhere.. We used a fork to do the scraping! Thank you for the great reminder :)
ReplyDelete/Mejse from Denmark
I used to do this as a child, but I would start by painting the paper all different colors, then coloring over that with a dark crayon. That way, the paint doesn't get scratched off like the light crayon might. We used all different things to scratch with, to make different patterns.
ReplyDeleteThis really remind me kindergarden time. But we did something different - made a picture using crayons and then put on it watercolours.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I did this post. I knew I would get some good ideas from all of you! Very cool! Thanks everybody!
ReplyDeletejoel! i just found your blog and love it.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for posting so many fun and beautiful crafts!
i can't wait to try one with my almost-three-year-old
I learned to do that in grade school 30 years ago. I still love the technique. I'm glad to see it's not forgotten. A cheaper version of a scratch board. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this! I'm think I'm going to have to do this myself this month. Thanks so much for the great idea, I'll be linking.
ReplyDeleteYou inspired us to do sgraffito yesterday! It was so much fun. Thanks for all the great ideas! Love your blog
ReplyDeleteoh great... nearly forgot about it...
ReplyDeletelooks like rain for the next couple of days anyway!
Thank you!
Love from Amsterdam
xxx
ah, i remember doing this in school using the two methods Amy and Elīna mentioned. it was such fun!
ReplyDeletei'd almost forgotten, I did that as a kid too..
ReplyDeleteomg, i totally remember doing that as a kid. genius!
ReplyDeletetaught my daughter how to do this just the other week and she loved it! she has been making lot's of pictures ever since!
ReplyDeleteI remember doing similar etchings as a kid and loved it. Can't wait to do it again.
ReplyDeleteOH wow. Just happened across your blog. I think you might be a genius.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been so inspired in a long long long time.
AND I was very obsessed with these kind of drawings when I was a kid (never knew the name of it though.) Thanks.
I loved doing that when I was young, too. I remember that the fattier crayons in kindergarten worked much better than the ones I had at home. I can't remember what we used for scratching, but probably anything we could find that would work ;)
ReplyDeleteHow fun to see this again :)
Try it my way: Instead of covering whith black crayons me and my kids cover whith black acrylic-colour mixed whith soap. It makes it all black and surprises the kids every time!
ReplyDeleteThere was a similar color-resist technique craft that we used to do as well. Color on white paper with white crayon, then try to paint over it - the paint sticks to the paper but resists the crayon-colored places. Or you can cut shapes out of removable contact film, stick those to the paper, paint over/around them, then peel off the shapes.
ReplyDeleteYou can do the same thing with white crayon or electrical tape on hard-boiled eggs before dyeing them. Makes very beautiful colored eggs!
oh what fun!! this has worked for me with crayons on cardboard, then covering the multicolored background with a layer of india ink. i wonder if i can work up the moxie to stick a pointy tool in my kids' hands and close my eyes to the flying india ink shavings. i think i can, i think i can...
ReplyDeletesuper inspiring blog you have!
This is fantastic! Looks like something I did in art class when I was little, kind of. Fun for kids and grown ups too!
ReplyDeletei love the idea of doing it in small little pictures. we had fun with this yesterday. thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for the idea! When I looked at it, another idea jumped into my mind...why not draw a colorful design like rainbow stripes and before using a black crayon over the top, slip a rubbing plate underneath the paper and watch it appear as you go over the bright colors with a black crayon. You could even take an alphabet, number or shape stencil and slip it under the paper instead of the rubbing plate. I think I'll try this with my preschool class and see what develops. Thanks again! Have fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much everybody. I'm loving all of these great ideas!
ReplyDeleteIt was my dad who first showed me this great technique. I was amazed when he painted it all black and amazed once again when the colors came back. it is one of the most vivid memories of my childhood. thank you.
ReplyDeletederyik - that sounds like a really great memory. I have similar childhood memories too. amazing what kinds of things stay in our minds.
ReplyDeleteUsing black paint instead of black crayon is less physically tiring for kids!
ReplyDelete