Brooke Duckart

While searching for artists to hire for the marketing firm representing Effen Vodka, this past year, I found many talented artists. Some of them were located in Milwaulkee, where a couple of the events were to occur. I was immediately enchanted with Brooke Duckart’s artwork, particularly her scratchboard pieces. I found her through her Flickr site. Unfortunately she was in the middle of her own deadlines and was unable to participate at the time. I since contacted her to profile her work and I asked a few questions about her creative process for this post (below). I hope you enjoy learning more about Brooke and her artwork as I have. These are just some of her pieces that particularly captured my attention. I like how she has not only executed exceptional detail in the scratchboard but she’s cut out individual pieces and used them in innovated ways, as a framed insect collection,  an unusual magnet, a diorama and even as animation. Her attention to detail is pretty inspiring — down to the scratchboard cat wallpaper for the set design in her upcoming film.

1) What inspires you?
For my Scratchboard & Clayboard work, I am inspired by Narrative Illustration, Animation, Subtractive Art and Anthropomorphism, which are common themes in my work so far.

But I would also have to add that my friends inspired me most: I did some pieces in this medium when I was attending Madison Area Technical College, but after graduation I dove straight into the Web Design field and really lost touch with making things by hand for awhile. I returned to this medium fairly recently when I wanted to send a couple of my friends something unique in the mail. It started off just being silly; just for fun. I made pieces based off their interests & personalities. The responses from them were incredible. They were all so complimentary, which of course can be expected after giving someone a gift, but they all asked if I was considering selling my work. They really encouraged me to give this medium another shot. Here are the scratchboards I did for my friends that got me back into this:

• Glamorous Parakeet – a piece I made for my friend Alisha. Inspired by her love for the little birds, vintage and elegance.

• theracoonbear diet – a piece I made for my friend Don4. Inspired by his love for the raccoon bear and his current home-cooking crew.

• Unicorn on a Unicycle – a piece I made for my friend Finnin. Inspired by his love for the mystical beasts, bikes, balance and oddities.

• Air-Guitaring Birthday Robot! – a piece I made for my friend Mel. Inspired by her birthday of course, but also her love for dancing, partying, robots and her air-guitaring obsession.

2) What is your creative process?
I find a story. Usually this is easy, because the pieces I have been doing so far often have a person already in mind. I will do a few sketches until I am happy with a composition and then transfer the sketch onto either Scratchboard or Clayboard, depending on how I am attacking the concept.

Scratchboard is an already inked clayboard or clay paper, so it is entirely black. I would transfer the sketch over in white pencil. Once transferred, I use a series of Scratchboard tools to scratch away the ink and reveal the white underneath. These pieces are entirely subtractive art.

Clayboard is white and un-inked. I would transfer over the sketch in regular pencil and then take out my India Ink, different fountain pens and tips, and begin to illustrate the piece. Once drawn out and the ink is dry, I would switch to my Scratchboard tools to scratch out the details. These pieces are both additive and subtractive.

I have been excited to take some of my work a step further by making some diorama pieces, and have even been using them in my Animations: as the actual subjects like in  White Tailed or for set design materials in my claymation  Cat Waco (coming soon).

3) How long does a piece usually take?
It really depends on the concept. For example, I did a insect collection piece in which each separate insect piece took me anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours, but the entire collection took me 35+ hours to complete.

4) What are you working on now?
I just delivered three of my pieces to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center out in Sheboygan, WI. From September 26 to November 28 the pieces will be up in Menagerie of the Mind: An Exhibition Without Borders. I am really excited about this, as this will be my first real gallery showing of my Scratch work. My piece ZebraTree, which also happens to be the first piece I ever did in this Medium, was selected to be used in the exhibit’s marketing as well. I feel honored that they chose it.

And as I mentioned earlier, I am currently in the midst of creating Scratchboard set design pieces for my animation Cat Waco.

5) What are your current and future plans for your art?
I just love doing this and hope that I can continue to make pieces people enjoy.

I’d also like to sell something, ha! Up to this point I have basically been giving my artwork away to my friends and/or donating pieces. So this has really been more of a side-project or a hobby. It would be great to be able to do this and make a small living, but we will see.

I recently signed up for an Etsy Shop, and plan to have some items up there soon. The pieces in the Kohler Art show are also my first pieces to ever have price tags on them.

We’ll keep our fingers more than crossed,  for Brooke is a talented artist on her way to much success.