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Mark-Making for Mood

Add Emotion and Depth to a Scene: Dirty Romanticism with Sgraffito and Mishima

Sgraffito (pronounced skrah-fee-toh) is a technique in which a surface layer of paint is incised to reveal a ground of contrasting color. Mishima is used by ceramic artists to inlay glaze into incised clay. One method makes scrapes, the other fills it in. By applying these techniques—along with steel wool and paint—to an acrylic painting on clayboard, you can create “dirty,” moody backgrounds for your characters and stories.

I love the effect achieved by these techniques. The scratches and dents remind me of the marks made by history and time. There is beauty in what adheres to us as we move through the world. We are touched and changed by our experiences, and every messy mark tells a story.