Just Hanging Out by Margaret Pardy

A striking scratchboard portrait of a cougar in repose, rendered with meticulous detail and vibrant colour. Margaret Pardy's "Just Hanging Out" captures the feline's contemplative gaze and luxurious fur texture through the subtractive engraving technique—scratching away layers of black India ink to reveal luminous highlights and rich hues beneath. The intricate linework brings the cougar’s distinctive features to life: alert ears, piercing eyes, and the subtle play of light across its coat. This high-contrast method creates remarkable depth and dimension, transforming a simple moment into a captivating study of wildlife presence.

What is scratchboard?

Scratchboard art  is a subtractive engraving technique where artists scratch away a top layer of black India ink to reveal a white or coloured clay layer beneath. Using sharp tools like knives or stylus, this method creates highly detailed, high-contrast, and often realistic images by focusing on highlights rather than shadows.

Just Hanging Out by Margaret Pardy

Ink on Scratchboard

12in x 12in | 15in x 15in. 1.5in (framed)