Step-by-step tutorials

Learn techniques from professional artists, follow tutorials, videos, and more.

If you are working with multiple Ampersand cradle panels, bolting together the panels is an inventive way to present your work.

Artwork by Rick Plasters

General tips and techniques on transferring images, adding color, and sealing and framing Ampersand Scratchbord

Flower painting

Golden Artist Educator Samantha Williams-Chapelsky walks us through her project.

bubble art

Have you tried bubble art on Ampersand Claybord? This is a great art project for the family that is perfect for all ages. You will be amazed at how easy it can be to create beautiful artwork using some household items. Claybord’s unique, absorbent surface is a perfect choice for this project!

In this step-by-step guide by Celia Buchanan, explore Marabu Alcohol Inks and acrylic pouring medium on Ampersand's Claybord Art Tiles.

Mixed media tutorial

Learn how to use alcohol inks in different ways to paint a textured mixed media art panel. Build raised areas with molding paste, distress the surface and mute the colors to create an interesting background, then draw on top with Graphix Aqua Inks.

Floaterframes for artist panels

See how simple it is to mount a photo to an Ampersand panel and add a Floaterframe!

Image Transfer

Ampersand Artist Ambassador Frances Tyler gives an excellent demonstration on how to transfer images onto Claybord Art Tiles.

At Ampersand, we noticed that floater frames available to artists didn't properly accommodate wooden panels. So, in 2016 we began manufacturing our very own. Ampersand Floaterframes offer a complete and easy solution for displaying your artwork on panel.

In this step-by-step guide by Celia Buchanan, you’ll find a fun and easy tutorial for fluid art. Explore with Marabu Alcohol Inks and acrylic pouring medium on Ampersand Claybord Art Tiles.

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.

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.

Ampersand Primed Smooth works great for making silhouette paintings of your family or friends. Its smooth surface means that you’ll have excellent control of both the drawing and the painting steps in this project. Also, because it is a rigid panel, you can frame it without a mat or glass when you’re done for a lasting keepsake!

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.

Karen Vernon's painting Windows of the World is an 11x14 watercolor on Ampersand Aquabord. Take a look at the many layers of color that have been applied to this beautiful painting.

For the past 20 years I have worked on Aquabord which allows me to do far more than I ever dreamed of doing on paper. Not only does it give me more luminous, vibrant color, but it allows me to present my works with no glass. I can create intimate 1x1 pieces up to large 42x90 paintings. Or pieces to be framed traditionally or to present cradled with no frame at all.