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DIY Scratch-Offs Made With Acrylic Paint

Scratch-offs, or scratchboard – black paper you scratch to reveal underlying color – is a much-loved staple in elementary school art classrooms. Though less common in the professional art world, some cartoonists and illustrators use scratchboards to create effects similar to wood carvings. Create your own scratchboard inexpensively with any stiff, flat craft material, crayons and acrylic paint.

Things You'll Need

  • Metal sheeting, mat board, cardstock or any other stiff, flat craft material
  • Wax crayons
  • Clean rag
  • Black acrylic paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Nails or scratching tools
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Instructions

    • 1

      Color the flat craft material with wax crayons. The colors and designs you use will show up when you scratch off the black acrylic paint. Color rainbow shapes for an appealing children’s project, or use white crayon exclusively for a stark black and white finished product. Coat the material with several layers of crayon and press down hard to distribute a generous amount of wax.

    • 2

      Buff the waxed surface with a clean rag to remove some of the wax. This will make it less resistant to paint.

    • 3

      Cover the entire waxed surface with black acrylic paint, using a paintbrush. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before scratching.

    • 4

      Scratch off the paint with nails or your favorite scratching tool to reveal the color underneath.

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