Tutorials, videos, tips & techniques

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 Barb McCormick

Ampersand Unprimed Basswood is a smooth, uncoated panel that is free from plywood seams, knots, or troublesome raised fibers. We compiled our top ten reasons and advantages of painting on this surface.

We caught up with Ampersand Artist Ambassador Karen Vernon, a loyal Aquabord user, to find out about how she communicates through her watercolors.

Abby, Egg Tempera on Claybord, Mark Meunier
Artwork by Mark Meunier

Here are three recipes for egg tempera but there are many more. If grinding the dry pigments is not something you want to try right away, substitute gouache for the "pigment paste" in each of these recipes.

Unprimed Basswood is handcrafted using a sturdy, non-flexible 4mm basswood top, sanded perfectly smooth and ready to seal and prime with the ground of your choice. Its minimal wood grain is straight and has a fine, even texture and a moderate natural luster.

Artwork by Rick Plasters

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

Artwork by Jane Hunt

Gessobord’s acrylic gesso coating has just the right level of absorbency allowing you to blend oil colors and maintain their slower drying time.

Artwork by David Gonzales

Gessobord is the perfect choice for acrylic painting. Forget about the time-consuming process of applying and sanding several applications of gesso; Gessobord is ready to use, no preparation necessary.

Timothy Joe, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord

Artists ask us why they should paint on panels and specifically why Ampersand products over other brands. We compiled our top ten reasons and advantages of painting on rigid Ampersand panels.

RISD Adjunct Professor Clara Lieu and Art Prof Guest Teaching Artist Song Kang demonstrate and explain all of the art supplies and drawing techniques you need to create a detailed scratchboard drawing from beginning to end.

How to quickly apply a graduated background using PanPastel Colors on Encausticbord. The perfect base for mixed media or pastel painting.

A quick video of Richey Beckett's pen and ink and scratchboard technique on Claybord.

Watch this time-lapse of Shary Bartlett apply encaustic and India ink on Encausticbord. 8x8, Paisley Phrase

We recommend all pastels be framed under glass. The glass protects the fragile nature of the pastels while also keeping their colors true to life.

Jane Hunt, oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Sealing and varnishing finished artwork on Ampersand panels is extremely important especially when framing without glass. See our list of suggestions for sealing and varnishing popular mediums using products we have successfully tested on our panels.

Thinking both about the versatility of wood and the creativity of art materials, we composed a list of ways to finish the cradled edges of our panels.