Museum Series Claybord is made using 1/8" true artist hardboard and features Ampersand’s unique kaolin clay ground formula similar in paintability to the clay gesso grounds used during the Renaissance.

The surface is sanded to an ULTRA-smooth, highly absorbent finish, so your paint colours remain accurate and brilliant.

Work the surface by thinly applying paint or ink, then remove it, reapply, and even scratch through it to add contrast, texture and fine details. Claybord is a favourite of both fine and graphic artists.

• Great for use with ink, graphite, acrylic, gouache, collage, egg tempera, airbrush, and more!
• Unlimited Techniques — etching, erasing, reworking, adding colour and scratching it away!
• Seal and frame without glass!
• Similar to chalk/gypsum gessoed panels of the Renaissance used for egg tempera and oils
• pH neutral, acid-free clay coating
• Sanded to an ultra-smooth and absorbent finish

Why Choose Ampersand?

No other panel on the market protects an artist’s work like an Ampersand panel. Every Claybord panel is covered by our proprietary Archival-Seal barrier technology, the most advanced formula for sealing wood that prevents support-induced discoloration. Only Ampersand uses true high-density hardboard made from US-grown renewable Aspen wood fibres.

Claybord is archival, eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free and made by hand in the USA.

Only Ampersand builds their cradles by hand with premium grade 13-ply birch plywood for maximum stability and a clean, finished looking from edge to edge. Cradles can easily be painted or stained to complement the artwork or primed with gesso to wrap the image around the edges.

Choose from 3/4", 1.5" and 2" Deep, all made in the USA.

About painting on Claybord

Apply paint and ink using brushes, sponges, palette knives, paper towels, airbrushes, technical pens and painting tools. Claybord is also an excellent printing surface and can also be used for image transfers.

With Claybord, paints and inks can be manipulated to vary tonal value, create detail, develop highlights, and correct mistakes. Various artist tools can be used, such as Ampersand scratchboard tools, hobby knives, razor blades, etching tools, sand paper, oil-free steel wool, and electric erasers.

Claybord's clay coating allows for using sgraffito techniques to cut into the surface and re-expose the white clay ground. The coating is 7 to 10 dry-mils thick, allowing for multiple cut-ins or erasers. The smooth finish and the absorbency of the clay ground will enable the use of an abrasive like oil-free steel wool or sand paper to remove pigment without damaging the finish.

While Claybord allows using traditional materials, tools, and techniques, it is also an ideal surface for mixed media and experimentation. Details can be added, highlights created, and mistakes corrected.