Surface
What I Use
My preferred surface to paint on is a Claybord panel manufactured by Ampersand Art Supply in Buda, Texas.
These are museum quality, archival hardboard panels with an ultrasmooth kaolin clay surface evenly applied. They are ready to paint on as soon as you unwrap them.
The clay surface is nearly as smooth as glass. It’s also slightly absorbent which means that your paints and markers will sink in a bit. To me it feels closer to paper which I prefer.
I also like the confidence of working on a rigid surface.
Some other benefits …
Easy to store. I like to store them lying flat.
Easy to ship. The thinner profile makes shipping and packaging easier on my studio team.
The standard panels that I use are 1/8” thick. These work great for sizes up to 16x16”.
Larger panels require additional wood framing — referred to as a cradle — on the back to prevent warping.
FAQs
Can I just make My own?
Of course! I love the DIY mentality. Afterall, these are simply pressed hardboard panels. You could buy a big sheet from your favorite home improvement store, cut it up into the right size and prime with Gesso. This is a cost effective way to create a lot of panels.
Personally, I’ve chosen not to spend my extremely limited time on this effort and prefer to just purchase. I also trust that Ampersand is thinking about and thoroughly testing the archival quality of the materials in use.
Do I need to be careful with the edges?
Yes. The corners are susceptible to damage if dropped, so I try not to drop them.
Do they need to be framed?
The thin 1/8” panels require framing and I prefer a floater frame for this. If you’re painting on a cradled panels, framing is not required, but can be if desired.
Alternatives
Canvas
Many painters like to paint on canvas. The main differences between panels and stretched canvas are texture and rigidity. I prefer to paint on a smooth surface, but some painters like the built in texture that canvas provides. You can certainly make canvas smoother by applying additional coats of gesso. Stretched canvas isn’t quite as rigid as the panels I’m using … it has a certain spring to it. This comes down to personal preference. I prefer the confidence of working on a rigid support, but you may find canvas works well for you.
CANVAS PANELS
Canvas panels provide many of the benefits that I get from panels — rigidity, easy of use — but with a canvas texture instead of smooth.
GESSOBORD
Gessobord panels from Ampersand also work well. The primary difference is that they have a slight texture to them. I’ve used them successfully in the past, but personally prefer working on a smooth surface.
WOOD PANELS
Unfinished wood panels also work, but I recommend that you seal them or apply coats of gesso prior to painting. They are more affordable, but take some preparation time.
Paper
Some artists like to work on paper. I myself started out working on heavy weight cold press paper from Arches. I found paper to be a good surface to mess around on, but I didn’t care for how it tends to curl as I added more paint. There’s definitely things you can do to help work around this, but in the end, I preferred the simplicity of buying a ready to paint panel.
We’d love your Feedback
Let us know if you found this useful or if you’d like to see something different from us.