Tutorials, videos, tips & techniques

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

Artwork by David Bjurstrom

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.

Artwork by Paul Jackson

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.

Artwork by Mark Meunier

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.

Artwork by Gareth Jones

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.

Artwork by Marissa Oosterle (photo reference: Engin A.)

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.

Artwork by Jim Musil

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.

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.

Garron J Barrett

Garron J Barrett did what some can only dream of. He quit his full-time job to become an artist. The Atlanta-based Pastelbord artist went from public accounting to applied arts.

Gessobord artist Erin Berrett is a contemporary realism oil painter best known for her still-lifes. Some of our favorites are meaningful commissions that have sweet or fun and quirky backstories.

Taylor Reinhold

When Ampersand launched our largest surfaces ever, we wanted to collaborate with artists whose experience is primarily creating on a big scale. This led to our collaboration with aerosol artist Taylor Reinhold.

Sarasota, Florida-based Claybord artist, Alexis Fraser, is otherwise known in the art scene as "Lipstick Lex". With an emphasis on promoting love, self-love, beauty, personal empowerment, and creative inspiration through her subjects, Lex's innovative method delivers chic and conversational art that is equally vibrant as it is unique.

With work that references teachings from Zen Buddhism, Christian mysticism, the poetic traditions, and contemplative practices including yoga and meditation, Dietlind Vander Schaaf's artwork has been described as "the transformation of disparate objects into elegantly simple compositions of pattern and grace" (Artscope).

From a background making non-objective art in NYC to a move to Vermont, the tides changed and a passion for plein air took hold. This love of the outdoors is additionally translating into larger studio works. Painting in the field, to limitless color. Ever-changing light, and the sound of a spinning world engages and challenges both perceptions and expression.

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.