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"Art Glossary: Sgraffito"

From Marion Boddy-Evans,
Your Guide to Painting.
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Definition:

A technique where a top layer of color is scratched to reveal a colour beneath. The term comes from the Italian word sgraffire meaning (literally) "to scratch".

The 'wrong end' of a paint brush works well for sgraffito. If you use a knife to do it, you need to be careful not to accidentally cut through the paper or canvas.

For more on how the technique works differently when using acrylics/oils and watercolors, see Painting Techniques: Sgraffito
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