Introduction to Ampersand Encausticbord

Encaustic painting is an ancient artform involving a paint made from pigment that’s suspended in beeswax. The unique qualities of this process requires a very absorbent surface.

In 2009 R&F Handmade Paints and Ampersand Art Supply collaborated to develop the perfect surface for encaustics. We conducted rigorous testing and the result was a surface that not only holds up to the heat of the application and weight of layers of wax but can be used with a broad variety of media too!

The base substrate for Encausticbord is Ampersand's Hardbord, giving it maximum rigidity. The Hardbord is treated with Archiva-Seal™ and then a special Encausticbord ground. We designed Encausticbord to have an ultra-absorbent surface that allows encaustic paint or wet applications to soak deep into the surface coating for a stronger bond. Encausticbord is also formulated to take the repeated exposure to heat that comes with encaustic painting and can take layers of wax without the risk of cracking or separation.

Julie Snidle, Ancient Steps, encaustic on Ampersand Encausticbord

Encausticbord's white surface allows vibrancy in your colors and it’s also the perfect surface for underpainting or drawing as a part of your encaustic artwork.

And you already have the white background to show off the image when doing image transfers.

Encausticbord is also an amazingly versatile mixed media panel that can be used with pencils, charcoal, acrylic, collage, and PanPastels.

Because layers of wax paint need to be held extremely still to prevent cracking, Encausticbord comes in thicker ¼" formats for sizes between 8x8 and 11x14. Encausticbord is available in standard sizes ranging from 2.5x3.5 up to 36x48 inches and in cradle depth options of 7/8", 1.5", and 2 1/8".

Encausticbord: True Support for Encaustics and Mixed Media