Ampersand Panels

Ampersand Art Panels provide conservation quality surfaces available for any possible medium. In general, conservators mainly recommend panels because of their rigidity. Rigid supports, when compared to flexible supports like canvas or paper, greatly reduce the movement of the paint film, ensuring a long life for your artwork. Ampersand has chosen hardboard made through the Wet/Dry method. The Wet/Dry process method removes the lamella that contains many of the lignins and tannins that can cause discoloration in a painting over time. Through the use of water, this process leaches out many of water-soluble chemicals and acids that exist in the wood, leaving a more inert surface than a solid wood panel.

Aquabord is a clay coated hardboard panel comparable to watercolor paper. The 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 reworkable 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. Finished watercolors can be sealed with a spray fixative.

Pastelbord is a clay and gesso coated hardboard panel with a granular marble dust finish comparable to a sanded pastel paper except more durable and more versatile. It can be used with wet or dry traditional pastel techniques or with acrylics, and more! The coating is pH neutral and non-yellowing, making it a truly permanent museum quality surface. Available in Gray and White.

Claybord is coated with a smooth absorbent clay ground comparable to the clay gesso grounds used during the Renaissance. Archival, lightfast and acid free, the panels are ideal for acrylics, gouache, tempera, egg tempera, pen and inks as well as for mixed media techniques, airbrush and collage. The surface is additive and subtractive. Scratch into your painting to add contrast, texture, tonal value and fine details. Perfect for any artwork that requires an extremely smooth surface.

Gessobord has a thick acrylic polymer gesso ground that has been sanded to an exceptional finish you’ll love. Perfect for layering, glazing, alla prima and impasto in oils, acrylics, alkyds or water-based oils. The surface is pH neutral and acid free.

Scratchbord is a clay coated hardboard panel for scratchbord that is coated with India ink. Comparable to traditional paper scratchbord, except better – it’s more durable and easier to scratch in to 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.

Encausticbord is a new archival quality panel created by Ampersand specifically for encaustic processes. Encaustic gesso is applied to Ampersand’s sealed panel to form a bright, smooth and velvety surface that is ready to use with the ancient technique of encaustic painting. The ground is not only heat resistant and highly absorbent, but also holds tight to layers of wax and collage without the fear of cracking or separation.