GB2034251A

GB2034251A - Improvements in or Relating to Picture-Making Boards

Info

Publication number: GB2034251A
Application number: GB7927533A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-11-15
Filing date: 1979-08-07
Publication date: 1980-06-04
Also published as: GB2034251B

Abstract

A board for use in making pictures or designs comprises a base sheet 14 of which one side has a facing 15 covered by a transparent buffer layer 16 which extends over the whole of the facing 15. The buffer layer 16 is covered by a dense opaque surface 11 which can be scratched off or removed by light surface engraving. Preferably, the dense surface 11 carries printed guidelines 12 indicating the areas to be removed to expose the buffer layer 16 through which the facing 15 is revealed. The facing 15 may comprise metal foil or foils or be of more than one colour, hue or shade. Preferably, the colour or shade of the facing compliments or contrasts with the dense surface. Various embodiments and manufacturing techniques are described. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements In or Relating to Picture-making Boards This invention concerns improvements in or relating to picture-making boards for use by artists whether amateur or professional, and is particuiarly applicable to use in the preparation of a picture or design.

I have previously devised improvements in or relating to picture-making materials for use in an artist's technique called scraper board. These improvements are described in the Specification of my United Kingdom Letters Patent number 1,476,095. In this prior picture-making board, there is provided a base sheet carrying a pale coloured relatively thick compacted layer of a filler and binder which can be mechanically engraved by a suitable tool. This thick layer is covered by a dark layer which is removed on penetration of same by an engraving tool which cuts into the thick layer exposing the uniform pale colour. Black and white are commonly used for contrast.

The use of such picture-making board requires certain manual dexterity in the engraving, and only a single uniform pale colour is revealed. Such colour is restricted to the pigments available for mixing with the filler, and this limits the extent of the colourations and thus the picture or design to be produced.

Furthermore, such picture-making board is expensive to produce and special steps have to be taken in manufacture to ensure that the thick layer properly adheres to the base sheet and cannot crack or lift. The board has to be capable of withstanding certain strains and stresses, particularly bending in handling or shipping, and during the engraving.

According to the present invention, I provide a picture-making board comprising a base sheet having a thin facing covered by a transparent buffer layer, and a thin continuous surface layer of a dense colour contrasting to the facing, the surface layer being adapted to.be removed by scratching or light surface engraving to expose the buffer layer through which the facing is revealed, the removal of the surface layer being controlled to form a picture or design contrasting with those portions of the surface layer which are not removed.

With this invention, I avoid the provision of the special thick layer which has to be mechanically engraved, and the dense layer on the surface only has to be scratched for exposing the facing through the buffer layer in accordance with the picture or design.

Preferably, the facing comprises a thin layer of colour which can be applied to the base sheet by printing with a suitable ink or paint, and it may therefore be of any colour of a single uniform hue, or it may be shaded, or be printed in a variety of colours. This enables the extent of the eventual design or picture to be produced to be increased considerably compared with the previous board above-mentioned.

In an alternative board according to this invention, the facing may comprise a thin layer of metallic foil which is bonded or otherwise adhered to the base sheet so that lustrous or graffito effects can be achieved in the eventual picture or design. It is envisaged that metallic inks or paints could be used instead of foil. The foil could be printed or multi-coloured, as desired.

The buffer layer preferably comprises a continuous film of transparent material, such as a hard varnish or plastics or synthetic varnish, which protects the facing against absorption of the dense surface layer when it is applied to the board. The buffer layer also provides a strong interface between the facing and the surface layer which ensures that during the removal of the surface layer by scratching or light surface engraving, the facing is not easily penetrated by the tool.

Additionally, the provision of the buffer layer through which the facing is revealed is such as to prevent tarnishing or loss of colour when certain facings such as metallic foil or inks or paints are used.

The buffer layer may be tinted if desired to impart a hue to the underlying facing.

Preferably, the surface layer is a coating of a material which is relatively easily removed by scratching or surface engraving and which only adheres lightly to the buffer layer. The surface layer may comprise a special spirit or oil based paint or ink to which fillers are added, the latter being useful to give a matt and or dense finish and to give texture if required.

The picture-making board according to this invention may include printed guide lines or areas on the surface layer to assist the user in producing a picture by scratching away such guide lines or areas to reveal the facing underneath. In this regard, it can be appreciated, that the facing and the guide lines or areas can be designed so that a multicoloured picture is revealed by having the facing printed in more than one colour or finish which contrasts with the surface layer.

Indeed it is also envisaged that in certain designs, the surface layer could be of more than one colour or hue or finish so that a multiple of effective contrasts can be obtained.

The picture-making board of this invention may comprise a base sheet of any suitable material such as paper or fibre-board, or other compressed material having sufficient density and rigidity.

Some plastics or resin bonded materials may be suitable if the surface can be coated with the facing by printing or roller coating techniques.

Preferably, the buffer layer is sprayed or applied by roller coating, and the dense surface layer may be applied in either manner or by dipcoating so that the whole of the board is coated uniformly.

Other features of this invention will now be described with reference to the exemplary embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a board according to this invention; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of a board according to this invention; Figure 3 is a front elevation of an alternative board according to this invention; and Figure 4 is a front elevation of another board according to this invention.

With reference to Figure 1 this depicts a board 10 of which the top surface layer 11 of dense colour has guidelines and areas 12 printed thereon to assist the user in making a picture which is illustrated as a clown's head. Part of the board 13 is designated as a trial or test piece for the user to attempt for practice in manual dexterity. This test piece is optional.

With reference to Figure 2, the board comprises a base sheet 14 of which one side has a continuous facing 1 5 which is covered by a transparent buffer layer 1 6. The buffer layer t 6 extends over the whole surface of the facing 1 5 and is covered by the thin dense surface layer 11 of a colour contrasting to the facing. The guidelines and areas 12 printed on the surface layer are shown as the discrete portions 1 7 extending on the surface layer.

The base sheet 14 is formed from stiff board or card which is printed or coated with a selected colour ink or paint to form the facing 1 5. In this embodiment it is a thin uniform colour layer which may be of any suitable hue. The ink or paint may be metallic or such as to provide a lustre or lustrous finish.

The facing 1 5 is coated with the buffer layer 1 6 which is transparent and formed by a spirit varnish which is sprayed or roller coated onto the facing so as to give an even and uniform coating which is hard and impervious. The spirit varnish may be of any suitable kind and may include synthetic resins or plastics.

The dense surface layer 11 is applied to the buffer layer 1 6 by spray coating, roller coating or dipping the whole board. The material used comprises a screen printing ink which includes one or more fillers to ensure opacity, density and if required the preferred matt finish. The material of the surface layer is selected to ensure that it adheres only lightly to the buffer layer so that it can be scratched away or removed by light surface engraving. Furthermore, the buffer layer and the material of the surface layer are selected so that there is no penetration or absorption of the surface layer through or into the buffer layer.

The guidelines which may be to any design or piture image may be transferred onto the coated board by any suitable technique such as printing or transfer.

As will now be appreciated, the user of the board once presented with the guidelines, may scratch and gently remove the guidelines and the surface coating back to the hard impervious buffer layer through which the facing is revealed to contrast with the surface coating. Any suitable tool may be used which will not penetrate easily into the buffer layer.

With reference to Figure 3 this depicts an alternative embodiment shown schematically as the finished design. The base sheet 14 is provided with a facing comprising three strips 18, 1 9 and 20 of metallic foil which are bonded to the base sheet. The finish and colour of the foils may differ, and for simplicity two border foils 18, 20 of the same type are shown with a central strip 1 9 of a different type. As previously described, the foil facing is coated with the transparent buffer layer, and then the dense surface layer 11 covers the buffer layer so that there is no breakthrough of colour or foil to the eye. The design is picked out by guidelines 12 designating to the user the areas to be scratched away to reveal through the buffer layer the different colour and/or finish of the foil strips 18, 19 and 20.

In this embodiment the dense surface layer can be coloured to a hue or tint which compliments or contrasts with the colour of the foil strips, and has special appeal to represent brass or gold and silver work inlaid in a coloured or black or white background. Indeed, it is envisaged that the buffer layer may be coated with a dense layer simulating stone or marble or even wood effects as may appeai artistically to the user.

With reference to the further embodiment of Figure 4, this depicts another variation in which the facing is printed to provide two areas 21, 22 of different hue or shade or finish which are exposed and revealed through the buffer layer when the surface layer 11 is removed as aforedescribed.

If desired the buffer layer may be provided by a laminate of plastics material, such as film which can be adhered to the facing. A suitable plastics will have to be compatible with the facing and provide the impervious barrier for the surface material to be applied thereto.

The variations of this invention to extend the range of pictures or designs which can be provided are extensive and special effects can be achieved by providing a facing which is printed in selected areas in different colours, or is a combination of plain pigment inks and metallic or lustrous inks, or even a combination of foil and inks. The selected areas may be chosen in shape and arrangement to suit the design or picture, and may have special application for educational or teaching.

A wide range of inks can be used for the facing, and fluorescent or inks known in the trade as "day-glow" can be used. In the manufacture of the board, especially for mass production, screen printing can be employed for applying one or more of the facing, the buffer layer or the dense surface.

The shape and size of the board is optional, and may be provided as a kit with a scraper tool and directions for the user. A simple frame or mount may also be included in the kit.

It is also envisaged that the board can be supplied without any guidelines thereon so that the user may apply his/her own design or tracing thereto, and then scrape away the surface to expose the facing as previously described.

Claims

1. A picture-making board comprising a base sheet having a thin facing covered by a transparent buffer layer, and a thin continuous surface layer of a dense colour contrasting to the facing, the surface layer being adapted to be removed by scratching or light surface engraving to expose the buffer layer through which the facing is revealed, the removal of the surface layer being controlled to form a picture or design contrasting with those portions of the surface layer which are not removed.

2. A board according to claim 1 wherein the facing comprises a layer of paint or ink.

3. A board according to claim 2 wherein the facing comprises areas of paint or ink of different colour, hue or shade.

4. A board according to claim 1 wherein the facing comprises a metal foil.

5. A board according to claim 2 wherein the facing comprises more than one area of metal foil.

6. A board according to claim 1 wherein the facing comprises at least one area being a layer of paint or ink, and another area being a layer of metal foil.

7. A board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the buffer layer comprises a varnish or lacquer.

8. A board according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the buffer layer comprises a plastics film.

9. A board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the continuous surface layer is a coating of ink or paint which lightly adheres to the buffer layer.

10. A board according to claim 9 wherein the coating comprises an ink or paint which includes a filler for rendering the coating opaque.

11. A board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the thin facing is provided on the base sheet by roller coating, spraying or printing techniques.

1 2. A board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the buffer layer is provided on the facing by roller coating, spraying or printing techniques.

13. A board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the surface layer is provided by roller coating, spraying or printing techniques.

14. A board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the buffer layer is substantially impermeable and provides a barrier to prevent absorption of the surface layer material.

1 5. A board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the surface layer has guide lines or areas superimposed thereon to assist a user in removing the correct portions of the surface layer.

1 6. A picture-making board substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings and the embodiments depicted in Figures 1, or 3, or 4.