Ampersand Artist Panels

Paintings on rigid and well-prepared surfaces will outlast those on flexible supports. All of Ampersand's Museum Series panels are handcrafted in the US and are made with a solid core, highly dense, true artist hardboard that makes them less prone to warping than other panels. Tested to last over 200 years, only Ampersand seals their hardboard panels with patented Archiva-seal barrier technology. This provides a superior archival barrier between the wood substrate and the painting surface.

Claybord

• Great for use with ink, graphite, acrylic, gouache, collage, egg tempera, airbrush, and more
• Unlimited Techniques — etching, erasing, reworking, adding color and scratching it away!
• Seal and frame without glass!
• Similar to chalk/gypsum gessoed panels of the Renaissance used for egg tempera and oils
• pH neutral, acid-free clay coating
• Sanded to an ultra-smooth and absorbent finish

Museum Series Claybord is made using 1/8" true artist hardboard and features Ampersand’s simply amazing kaolin clay ground formula similar in paintability to the clay gesso grounds used during the Renaissance. The surface is sanded to an ULTRA-smooth, highly absorbent finish so your paint colors remain true and brilliant. Work the surface by thinly applying paint or ink, then remove it, reapply it, even scratch through it to add contrast, texture and fine details. Claybord is a favorite of both fine and graphic artists.

Only Ampersand builds their cradles by hand with premium grade 13-ply birch plywood for maximum stability and a clean, finished look from edge to edge. Cradles can easily be painted or stained to complement the artwork or primed with gesso to wrap the image around the edges. 

Apply paint and ink using brushes, sponges, palette knives, paper towels, airbrush, technical pens and painting tools. Claybord is also an excellent printing surface and can also be used for image transfers.

With Claybord, paints and inks can be manipulated to vary tonal value, create detail and to develop highlights and correct mistakes. Various artist tools can be used such as Ampersand scratchboard tools, hobby knives, razor blades, etching tools, sand paper, oil-free steel wool, and electric erasers. Claybord's clay coating allows for the use of sgraffito techniques to cut into the surface and re-expose the white clay ground. The coating is 7 to 10 dry-mils thick allowing for multiple cut-ins or erasers. The smooth finish and the absorbency of the clay ground allows the use of an abrasive like oil-free steel wool or sand paper to remove pigment without damaging the finish.

While Claybord allows the use of traditional materials, tools, and techniques, it is also an ideal surface for mixed media and experimentation. Details can be added, highlights created, and mistakes corrected.

Scratchbord

• Unlike paper scratch boards, Scratchbord will not rip, tear, bend, or wrinkle
• A variety of marks and textures can be made using Scratchbord tools
• Add vibrant color using Ampersand’s Claybord/Scratchbord Inks
• Completely repairable by reapplying India Ink to scratch marks
• Seal finished artwork to eliminate fingerprints and to hide repairs, then frame without glass!
• Kaolin clay ground with India Ink coating on top

Scratchbord is a clay coated hardboard panel for scratchboard that is coated with India ink. Comparable to traditional paper scratchboard, except better – it’s more durable and easier to scratch into for cleaner and crisper details and lines. For added dimension, colored inks can be added to the white areas and then scratched again for additional highlights and volume. Artwork can be sprayed with spray fixative like Krylon® UV Resistant Clear Coatings or Lascaux Fixativ, allowing the finished scratchboard to be framed without glass!

Aquabord

• Paint bright, brilliant watercolors!
• Endless glazes
• Lift color easily to expose white of the surface
• Seal and display without glass!
• Great for gouache, acrylic, and ink too!

Museum Series Aquabord is an acid-free textured clay surface that absorbs watercolors like a fine paper. Colors retain their purity and vibrancy in a way that even the finest of watercolor papers can't match. When compared with watercolor paper, this multimedia panel simulates the absorbency and texture of cold pressed, but allows color to be lifted back to white easily while also leaving the richest, most vibrant color possible. This workable surface provides natural looking highlights, fluid glazes, transparent subtle layers, and the ability to lift color while the surface is wet or even after it is dry. Uniquely absorbent Aquabord is perfect for watercolors and gouache, but is also ideal for casein and acrylics. Will not tear, shrink or buckle even under heavy water application. Archival, eco-friendly and made in the USA.

Seal finished watercolors or gouache with several light coats of spray varnish (or fixative), being careful to spray outdoors during warmer months or in a well ventilated and heated area during colder times of the year. We recommend the Krylon® UV Archival varnishes. These spray varnishes offer advanced non-yellowing protection against fading, dirt, moisture and discoloration. For additional protection against scratches during transport and also ultraviolet light, follow the application of Krylon® spray varnish with Golden® Polymer UVLS varnish. 1- 4 coats brushed-on provides a very durable archival finish and is also removable for conservation purposes.

For best results, it’s a good idea to first “flush out” the surface of the panel with water using a large flat watercolor brush to release trapped air. Once the surface is slightly damp, it is ready to use. Rewetting may be needed as you work. Note that heavy water applications may release more air. Use a blow dryer to dry and also to dissipate air if needed. Enjoy this unique paper-like finish and create brilliant watercolors!

Gessobord

• Superior quality artist-grade acrylic gesso
• Slight, even surface texture allows for ideal brush control and even tonal values without distracting from your image
• Delicate enough for fluid brush strokes, portraits and tight detail work
• Can hold heavy applications of paint without the “bounce” of canvas
• Tough enough to hold the most rigorous pallette knife painting and collage

It’s true. Museum Series Gessobord is the most trusted pre-gessoed wood panel by artists for their work. The superior quality acrylic gesso ground does not dull colors and the lightly sanded surface provides exceptional brush control. This makes Gessobord the perfect art panel for all painting styles with oil paints, acrylics and mixed media.

Only Ampersand uses true high-density hardboard made from US grown and renewable Aspen wood fibers. Made with Ampersand’s 1/8" True Artist Hard