Students recently completed a scratch-art project on silver or gold metallic scratch board. In this example, the student used a reference animal graphic and chose to fill in the sections on the design using intricate patterns and designs. The lesson emphasizes the use of texture shading and using value and contrast to make details easily discerned. We also try to eliminate resorting to simply outlining in the designs. The scratch material used to be an actual metal foil with a black coating and has now been replaced with a metallic film, possibly mylar, in place of the foil. I miss some of the characteristics of the foil media but I suppose the plastic has it merits.