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How To Scrimshaw

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Scrimming your Illustration onto ivory

Even if you don't know how to draw, you can scrimshaw. All it takes is practice and dedication. Watch this video to see how you can transfer an illustration onto ivory (or even plastic for that matter), then follow along here to start your own piece of scrimshaw! You can use ivory, polished bone or plastic as your medium. You can use a needle pressed into a piece of wood doweling as I often do, a "graver", or a carbide tipped scribe, as long as it's sharp enough (I find the ones in the big box stores are too thick, so I just use a needle pressed into a dowel, then sharpen that as needed on some 400 grit sandpaper). You'll be scratching the surface of your ivory (or bone, or plastic). The depth you scratch will determine the darkness of the line. Pressing too hard will give you less control, but pressing too light will not give you a definite line. This takes practice. The more you do it, the better you get!

So - get your materials:

Ivory or substitute
engraving tool (described above)
India Ink
magnification (reading glasses or stronger)
some double stick foam tape to hold down your piece
a good work surface to hold your piece on
a strong light source

Contents at a Glance

Starting to Scrim
Scrimshaw How To - getting the ink into...
Scrimshaw - Adding the Details
Scrimshaw - After you've added the detai...
Scrimshaw - More instructions and videos...
Which Would You Rather Wear?

Secure your ivory with double sided foam tape or masking tape to your work surface, then start to scrim!

Once you've gotten your artwork transferred onto the ivory, it's time to start scrimming! A strong light, some magnifying lenses or a low power microscope will help, though in my younger days I did it all by eye, right down to 9mm oval cabochons with great detail, and all freehand!

Keep your original artwork handy, as the transferred lines are just a roadmap. Get as much detail into the outline as you can, but just the outline! Don't add shading or embellishments. Press enough to scratch the surface and still have control over your graver. There's probably a measurement, like 1/4mm deep, but practice is the best way to find the right depth.

Scrimshaw How To - getting the ink into the lines

Covering your ivory with ink and letting it dry

Once you've done the outline, you'll want to cover the ivory with black India ink and let it dry. While it's drying, find yourself a 2"x2" piece of corrugated cardboard, and fold it in half, then in half again. When the ink is COMPLETELY dry, you'll use this to rub away the ink that's on the ivory. This will take some work, as the ink sticks pretty hard. By doing this, you're removing the ink from the shiny part and you're pressing the ink into the scribed lines. Rub away all of the ink that you don't want on your piece (see the illustration below).

Scrimshaw - Adding the Details

Add the black details to your artwork by giving it a "grey wash".

Dip your q-tip in the India ink, then dip it into some water, dabbing it once or twice onto a paper towel. Rub the q-tip onto your ivory gently to create a "grey wash". Once dry, you'll not only see where you've scrimmed, but also where you're adding the detail. You can only do this once or twice, since the ivory will begin to soak up the moisture. Add the detail, then cover with ink, let it dry, and rub it off again with the cardboard as before.

Scrimshaw - After you've added the details.

After the details have been added, you can either leave it as-is, or add color! Once you're finished, you can preserve it using an archival wax, such as "Renaissance Wax" available from Amazon.com

Scrimshaw - More instructions and videos!

You can learn a lot more by watching the videos and visiting the site.

Go to Scrimshaw.com/howto.html and click on any of the how-to's to learn more about how to scrimshaw!
If you'd like to see some work in progress, head over to http://www.facebook.com/pages/scrimshawcom/102684053143397