Please tell me if something like this exists:

[DavoX]

I'm a very big fan of Thomas Ott, he uses a blacksurface with a white base and then scratches with a neddle to get white lines... I tried to get something like this where I live but can't find it.

Is there a similar way to achieve this? I know I might come out as newbie but, are there black sheets of paper to buy? and more importantly, white ink?

Thanks.

[Izi]

scratchboards:

http://www.dickblick.com/zz135/02/

white ink, try sakura's pen opaque...it doesn't work that well

When I want to do extreme black and white I work black ink on white...

Check out Timothy Bradstreet's work:

http://www.plyconskeep.com/artwork/maxblack.htm

He's the one who inspired me to do my black and white work, of which, I unfortunately have no copies of hee hee....

[DSillustration]

A lot of good artists use scratchboard.
Check out 2 of my favorites,

Patrick Arrasmith:
http://www.patrickarrasmith.com/

Mark Summers:
http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/01/04/mark-summers/

[Black Spot]

Cover a piece of paper/board with candle wax, paint over with black ink, let dry. Needs loads of ink. Scratch away.

[Elwell]

Black Spot:
That will work to a point, if you add a little detergent to the ink so that it will adhere to the wax, but it gives a very different effect than scratchboard, which has a clay coating.

[DavoX]

So there isn't a proper "white ink" invented yet? Or am I missing something?

[Mirana]

Use white gouache if you want something more opaque.

[Funkyskull]

maybe black paint on copper?

[arttorney]

So there isn't a proper "white ink" invented yet? Or am I missing something?

I generally also use white gouache, but another thing you might try is to draw with black ink on white paper, scan it, and use some program to invert it to a negative.

I read one book by a guy who was using black gouache over a lighter color and then scratching it away to make a kind of scratch board effect on watercolor paper. I suspect this will be rather loose and sucky looking compared to real scratchboard work.

Yet another thing you might try would be relief printmaking such as woodcut or linotype. If you are using black ink on white paper the cuts you make will come out white, since those will be the regions where your drawing doesn't contact the paper. Carving your drawing is kind of a pain in the ass, but you can make 20 prints from the one drawing when you are done.

A dry media fake method would be to buy stygian black Canson Mi Tientes paper and white conte crayons. Sharpen the conte crayon to a nice point with sandpaper. The side of the paper with the lable on it is the smoother side so peel that label away and use that side if you are into fine details.