Tutorials, videos, tips & techniques
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Printing on Claybord
Claybord is a wonderful surface for printmaking. It can be used for silk screening, intaglio, relief, and monotype printing. This ultra-smooth rigid panel will not stretch or swell during the printing process ensuring perfect registration.
Oil on Claybord
Some oil painters prefer Claybord because they work in many layers with glazing techniques. The absorbency of the clay ground enhances their technique and adds a unique style to their images.
Inks on Claybord
Claybord's smooth, absorbent surface was designed for use with inks. Its smooth kaolin clay coating eliminates smudging, bleeding, and feathering. The pigments in most inks are only absorbed into the top layer of the Claybord surface allowing them to be easily erased and manipulated.
Graphite on Claybord
Claybord’s rigidity, soft tooth finish, ability to be scratched or manipulated, and archival qualities make it a fresh alternative for pencil work. Graphite pencils and powder graphite both pair perfectly with Claybord.
Graphic Media: Pen and Ink on Claybord
Claybord is an ideal surface for fine drawings using technical pens. The smooth and absorbent surface will faithfully reproduce the desired line width without feathering or bleeding.
Egg Tempera on Claybord
Egg tempera is a very vibrant and durable paint, but it requires a rigid and absorbent support. Claybord is the perfect solution, saving you many hours of painstakingly preparing your panels.
Casein on Claybord
Rigid panel supports like Claybord are ideal for painting with casein. Canvas cannot be used, because a dry casein paint film is the most inflexible of the permanent paint binders and becomes increasingly brittle as it ages.
Airbrush on Claybord
Claybord's smooth, absorbent surface and rigid hardboard backing make it ideal for airbrush. The clay coating allows manipulation of the surface without affecting its integrity. Instead of using masking fluid, scratch in your details and apply a glaze layer for a whole new dimension.
Acrylic on Claybord
The combination of Claybord’s kaolin clay coating and smooth surface allows for free-flowing brush strokes, intense color, and the ability to remove paint from the surface with ease.
Claybord and Golden High Flow Acrylics
Amy Shawley Paquette demonstrates her "painterly illustrative" style using Claybord and Golden High Flow acrylics. Inspired by nature, texture, color, and travel; her work incorporates figurative elements with wildlife, architecture, and landscapes that are influenced by her adventures.
Image transfer on Claybord
Claybord is great for this kind of work because of its versatility. The rigid panel takes the pressure of an image transfer process without bending or tearing. Its smooth surface allows for a clean transfer and for collage materials to make a perfectly flush connection.
Claybord overview
Claybord is our most versatile panel and is a favorite of both fine and graphic artists. It features a velvety-smooth and extremely absorbent clay finish to which no other surface compares. This kaolin clay ground formula is very similar to the clay gesso grounds used during the Renaissance period.
Ampersand Scratchbord/Claybord Inks
Scratchbord/Claybord inks are specially formulated for adding color to Ampersand Scratchbord, Claybord, and other paper scratchboards. The transparent inks leave vibrant color in only the white areas of scratchboard drawings and can easily be scratched through back to white when adding fine details and highlights.
Claybord used as Scratchboard
Claybord can be coated with inks and used like a traditional scratchboard. The advantage to using Claybord as a scratchboard is that you can control the tonal variations unlike using a traditional black scratchboard. Try this exercise and see how easy it is to do.
Mounting watercolor paper on panel
Watercolor artist Dustan Knight uses Ampersand Claybord to mount her watercolor paintings. This is a great option if you prefer watercolor paper, but want the look of a panel.
Working in egg tempera with Mark Meunier
Egg tempera artist Mark Meunier has found that working on an absorbent surface, like Ampersand Claybord is best, as the egg needs something to soak into to adhere correctly. Mark has taken the difficulty out of egg tempera and created a technique that anyone can use.
