The easiest, most common mistake to make is also the hardest to fix. Improper lettering. There are many ways I do this. The trick is to know the easiest way to correct them? In my opinion, it’s using a scratchboard knife.

Scratch Art knives from Dick Blick

Scratch nibs are commonly used to scratch through one surface to reveal a lower contrasting color layer. Remember, you probably did something like that in art projects as a kid. Some artists still work that way.

I prefer these to a sharp knife or an x-acto because they have a smaller sharp blade. The nibs fit a dip pen holder, are inexpensive, and can be sharpened by a whetstone.

I bought my first one as part of a kit at Hobby Lobby probably 15 years ago. The art isn’t trendy anymore, but you can still find the tools online.

My Scratch Nibs

The nibs come in a few shapes. As cheap as they are, if you already have a pen holder I would buy both and see what works best for you. I like the pointed #112 and the curved blade I bought initially, seen in the green handle. 

To use it place the nib in a holder, hold the blade at an oblique angle to the support and gently scrape. Remove a little paint or ink at a time as you pull the blade toward you. The more available space or the bigger the oopsie the more swing I get to the strokes.

This works well when I use an ink that doesn’t sink into the surface. Experiment with inks and supports to see what you like best. I think a slightly rough paper like Bristol board seems easier to correct than pergamenata or hot press paper. All surfaces seem to allow the ink to feather after correcting, even when I burnish the area well.  

The trick is to remove only the mistake after it is very dry without bollixing the support. I might go so far as to do the correct letter(s) over the mistake first and then scrape away the unwanted parts. That way I’m sure the ink won’t feather.