Tutorials, videos, tips & techniques

An educational and entertaining exploration of Ampersand Gessobord by mixed media artist and author, Brigitte Waldschmidt. (English subtitles)

While Claybord allows the use of traditional pigments, tools, and techniques, it is also an ideal surface for experimentation. You can cut into the surface and expose the white clay ground as part of the creative process. Pigments can be manipulated to vary tonal value, create detail, develop highlights, and correct mistakes.

Did you know that you can customize Ampersand’s Floaterframes? One way is to apply a metal leaf. A gold Floaterframe is a beautiful treatment that can enhance your artwork and truly make it stand out.

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.

Aquabord offers the ability to do more on the surface and to create effects easier than on other surfaces. It is an archival panel with a unique clay coating which includes a tiny mineral that helps to dissipate the water and pigment throughout the painting. Designed to work with water media, Aquabord can be used for other media as well.

Contemporary acrylic artist, Nancy Reyner, works with gold leaf and acrylics on Ampersand Hardbord. This video is a complete instructional tutorial on gold leaf, its properties, and how to apply it to use as a painting surface. Nancy's exceptional instruction make this video a pleasure to watch and intriguing for even a beginning artist.

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.