Ampersand Gessobord
Written: August 2020
Museum Series Gessobord is the most trusted pre-gessoed wood panel by artists for their work. The superior quality acrylic gesso ground does not dull colors and the lightly sanded surface provides exceptional brush control. This makes Gessobord the perfect art panel for all painting styles with oil paints, acrylics and mixed media..
Ampersand Art
In this article I show you what
Museum Series Gessobord is the most trusted pre-gessoed wood panel by artists for their work. The superior quality acrylic gesso ground does not dull colors and the lightly sanded surface provides exceptional brush control. This makes Gessobord the perfect art panel for all painting styles with oil paints, acrylics and mixed media.
- Superior quality artist-grade acrylic gesso
- Slight, even surface texture allows for ideal brush control and even tonal values without distracting from your image
- Delicate enough for fluid brush strokes, portraits and tight detail work
- Can hold heavy applications of paint without the “bounce” of canvas
- Tough enough to hold the most rigorous palette knife painting and collage
When viewed up close, the Gessobord has a slight texture which allows for better adherence. This board only comes in the one colour, but I usually apply a tonal wash before I begin my creation, which acts as a base medium. The tonal wash I apply will depend on the majority colours in the subject(s) but as a guide I use Sienna for warm based subjects and Grey for cool based subjects. If you want a smoother surface, applying a few layers of gesso before sanding it down can help or you can try the Aquabord instead.
Available sizes & canvas depths:
Gessobord is available in 4 depths and 40 sizes. The deeper canvases are available in larger sizes being much sturdier. These can be hung alone or within a frame. If you are looking for a specific size seen below that you are unable to buy online in your country, it may be worth contacting an online store that stock this product and ask if they are able to order in a specific size. Do be aware that you may have to purchase the pack size which may be expensive. The store will probably have to order it from the wholesaler and if it is being shipped in, costs may represent this.
Value |
4" X 4" |
5" x 5" |
5" x 7" |
6" x 6" |
6" x 8" |
6" x 12" |
6" x 18" |
6" x 24" |
8" x 8" |
8" x 10" |
8" x 16" |
8" x 24" |
9" x 12" |
1/8" 3mm |
4pk |
4pk |
3pk |
4pk |
3pk |
- |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
- |
✓ |
3/4" 22mm |
- |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
- |
✓ |
1½" 38mm |
- |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
- |
✓ |
2" 50mm |
- |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Value |
10" X 10" |
10" x 20" |
10" x 30" |
11" x 14" |
12" x 12" |
12" x 16" |
12" x 24" |
12" x 36" |
14 x 18" |
16 x 16" |
16 x 20" |
18 x 24" |
18 x 36" |
20 x 24" |
1/8" 3mm |
✓ |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
3/4" 22mm |
✓ |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
1½" 38mm |
✓ |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
2" 50mm |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
- |
Value |
20" X 30" |
22" x 28" |
24" x 24" |
24" x 30" |
24" x 36" |
30" x 30" |
30" x 36" |
30 x 40" |
36" x 36" |
36 x 48" |
48" x 48" |
48 x 60" |
48 x 72" |
1/8" 3mm |
- |
- |
- |
- |
✓ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3/4" 22mm |
- |
- |
- |
- |
✓ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1½" 38mm |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2" 50mm |
- |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
- |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
THE FOUR DEPTHS
Ampersand build their cradles by hand using a premium-grade, 13-ply birch plywood for maximum stability which offers a clean, finished look from edge to edge. They are available in 3/4", 1½" and 2" deep cradles, which offers additional support. The cradle can easily be painted or stained to complement the artwork or sealed and then primed with gesso to wrap the image around the edges.
Other related articles that may be of interest
Find out about the other boards made by the Ampersand company
|
New to acrylics? This article may offer you lots of useful information for getting started
|
Try our acrylic tutorial 'tonal background' on the Gessobord
|
About the GOLDEN Heavy Body paints - not yet available
|
TIPS FOR WORKING ON GESSOBORD
The Gessobord is the ideal surface for my acrylic paintings. It has a slight tooth which allows for better adherence but it is smooth enough to allow for very fine details. I always apply a tonal wash to my board before I start the painting itself as I find this acts as the ideal base medium, especially if you will be applying a lot of pale tones. A burnt sienna or mid grey wash make the perfect middle tone for almost every painting, but for the spaniel painting below, I applied a light blue wash.
Ampersand suggests you "paint with synthetic or nylon brushes". I use cheap, synthetic brushes almost all of the time, as I can be quite heavy handed and the bristles may become damaged. The brush can be cut to a different lengths or shaped, if they cannot be reused, discarding them means you are not wasting too much money. Ampersand state: "With Gessobord, it is possible to paint in thicknesses ranging from thin washes to thick impasto. Try using various gel mediums for glazing and layering transparent colors. For texture, use a textured medium or experiment with tools available to you such as Colour Shapers, credit cards, nails, or dried brushes. "
I will be creating an article on the GOLDEN mediums and a link will be added here once available.
I will be creating an article on the GOLDEN mediums and a link will be added here once available.
The images below are of the 22mm cradled Gessobord. The edges are naturally neat, so can be left bare or you may wish to paint them instead. The edges are smooth enough to achieve a smooth and continuous flow of detail when painting each edge of the canvas. This means the final painting can be hung directly on to the wall without the need for a frame. I recommend that self adhesive felt pads are applied on the back of the canvas to protect the wall from damage.
Oils on Gessobord
Taken directly from the Ampersand website
" Need more time to paint? Use Gessobord instead of preparing your own panels and canvases. It was designed specifically for use with oil and acrylic paints. When using oils on Gessobord, paint with natural bristle brushes. The pigment will release more easily and brushes will be easier to clean. To thin oil paint, there are many commercially available mediums depending on your needs and preferences. A common medium is a 1:1 ratio of linseed oil and solvent. For washes, thin oil paint with solvent (such as OMS). Always remember to paint "fat over lean”, meaning, start painting with less oil or medium mixed with your paint. Gradually mix in more oil with your paint as you move towards finishing the painting. This will help to prevent cracking and peeling of paint in the future. If you need to work more quickly, try completing an underpainting in acrylic or alkyd paints, finishing with oil glazes last. "
" Need more time to paint? Use Gessobord instead of preparing your own panels and canvases. It was designed specifically for use with oil and acrylic paints. When using oils on Gessobord, paint with natural bristle brushes. The pigment will release more easily and brushes will be easier to clean. To thin oil paint, there are many commercially available mediums depending on your needs and preferences. A common medium is a 1:1 ratio of linseed oil and solvent. For washes, thin oil paint with solvent (such as OMS). Always remember to paint "fat over lean”, meaning, start painting with less oil or medium mixed with your paint. Gradually mix in more oil with your paint as you move towards finishing the painting. This will help to prevent cracking and peeling of paint in the future. If you need to work more quickly, try completing an underpainting in acrylic or alkyd paints, finishing with oil glazes last. "
Finally, Where can you purchase the Gessobord
As this website is run in the UK, the first six links below direct you to online stores in the UK, which sell the Gessobord, however most of them deliver worldwide too. This list is not exhaustive and the Gessobord is more accessible than the Pastelbord in the UK. It may be cheaper for you to purchase from a business in your own country, so have also included buttons that allow you to narrow your search to a nearby store or website. Simply click the International or USA buttons below to visit the Ampersand website and search your area.
Ampersand Wood Panels are Truly Archival. No other painting panel on the market protects an artist’s work like an Ampersand wood panel. Every Gessobord panel is protected by our proprietary Archiva-Seal barrier technology, the most advanced formula for sealing wood that prevents support induced discoloration.
