Ampersand Pastelbord
Written: December 2019
Pastelbord is a clay and gesso coated hardboard panel with a granular marble dust finish comparable to a sanded pastel paper except more durable and more versatile. The coating is pH neutral and non-yellowing, making it a truly permanent museum quality surface.
Ampersand Art
Pastelbord as its name denotes, is a sanded absorbent durable surface well suited to pastels. The marble-dust tooth holds more layers than pastel paper and it works well with all types of pastels including soluble ones and they can be used alone or with other media - however, it is not just for pastels, it also works well with other mediums such as charcoal, conte crayon, coloured pencils, watercolour pencils, ink and acrylics.
In this article I show you what can be achieved with this gritty surface beyond pastels by showing samples of works created in acrylics and coloured pencils, the two mediums I work with and with which I am always looking for additional surfaces that offer something different from the norm.
In this article I show you what can be achieved with this gritty surface beyond pastels by showing samples of works created in acrylics and coloured pencils, the two mediums I work with and with which I am always looking for additional surfaces that offer something different from the norm.
Available colours and sizes:
There are 4 colours in the series and upto 15 different sizes in each, although the availability of both size and colour will differ from country to country. In the UK, Grey and White are the only two colours available and up to 10 sizes can be purchased from online art stores, such as Jackson's Art and Pegasus Art. Each sell different sizes to another but the standard options tend to be 8" x 10", 9" x 12", 11" x 14", 12" x 16" & 16" x 20"
It may be worth contacting the online store if you require a size they do not stock as they may be able to order it in for you. Do be aware that you may have to buy the pack size and this can be expensive as the store will need to order from the wholesaler and it may have to be shipped in.
It may be worth contacting the online store if you require a size they do not stock as they may be able to order it in for you. Do be aware that you may have to buy the pack size and this can be expensive as the store will need to order from the wholesaler and it may have to be shipped in.
Value |
5" X 7" 3 pack |
6" x 6" |
6" x 8" 3 pack |
6" x 12" |
6" x 18" |
8" x 8" |
8" x 10" |
9" x 12" |
11 x 14" |
12 x 12" |
12 x 16" |
14 x 18" |
16 x 20" |
18 x 24" |
24" x 36" |
WHITE |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
GREY |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
SAND |
✓ |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
GREEN |
✓ |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
✓ |
X |
✓ |
X |
X |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
X |
Pastelbord v's Pastelmat
I'm sure some of you may be wondering how the Pastelbord and Pastelmat compare. The Pastelmat has a slightly finer tooth than Pastelbord, but I uploaded a magnified photo of each side by side so you can compare them yourself.
Note: The grit on the white Pastelbord looks grey here but this is caused by the flash of the camera having created shadows behind the gritty texture. As the images above shows, the board is completely white.
Note: The grit on the white Pastelbord looks grey here but this is caused by the flash of the camera having created shadows behind the gritty texture. As the images above shows, the board is completely white.
Pastels on Pastelbord
The Ampersand website states:
" Pastels are in general, a fragile medium. They require a sanded durable surface because the pigments need texture to grab onto when painting in layers and when blending repeatedly. For the pastellist using hard pastels, soft pastels, oil pastels, and pastel pencils, use our Pastelbord which was designed with all these qualities in mind. In addition, try using water soluble pastels because Pastelbord can be used wet or dry without the fear of curling or buckling. Pastels must always be framed behind glass"
Ampersand offers a few hints and tips for Pastellists here (Taken directly from their website)
" Pastels are in general, a fragile medium. They require a sanded durable surface because the pigments need texture to grab onto when painting in layers and when blending repeatedly. For the pastellist using hard pastels, soft pastels, oil pastels, and pastel pencils, use our Pastelbord which was designed with all these qualities in mind. In addition, try using water soluble pastels because Pastelbord can be used wet or dry without the fear of curling or buckling. Pastels must always be framed behind glass"
Ampersand offers a few hints and tips for Pastellists here (Taken directly from their website)
- "It is easy to combine painting techniques with also dry drawing techniques for diverse and interesting surface control using this tip. Lay down a watercolour or acrylic wash before using your pastels. Either work over the washed surface while wet or after it has dried. For blending, use a wet brush to go back in and soften edges and blend colours"
- "For maximum detail, try using pastel pencils in the finishing stages. The color of the panel may be altered by applying light washes of acrylic paint or by airbrushing a new color over the surface"
- "To save your expensive soft pastels, start your piece using hard pastels and then cover with the soft pastels. You will use less pigment this way and achieve great results"
Acrylic paints on Pastelbord
The Pastelbord with its open surface, allows for slower drying times than standard boards, allowing you to lift paint whilst wet as you would watercolours. Paint can be washed from the board whilst it is still wet but is sealed once dry and can no longer be removed. The clay surface helps to absorb pigment washes and mixing water with paint gives rich colour washes. You can apply acrylics as normal on this board although a dry brush tends to drag over the surface somewhat due to the grit which means the paint may not blend as smoothly as you would like and so I would recommend that you apply a light layer of water over the working area before applying paint over the top. This offers a more pliable surface and paint glides along much easier, giving an appearance like an oil painting with the added bonus of easier tonal blending.
Applying a thin layer of water onto your board before adding the paints you have mixed for your skin tones offers easier blending and helps to create flawless looking skin.
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If you like the painterly appearance of an oil painting, applying acrylics over water with a thicker brush can achieve the same finish, however your painting dries far quicker!
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Acrylics mixed with water on this surface allows for smoother transitions - ideal for tonal backgrounds and loose under layers in preparation for fine details.
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Other related articles that may be of interest
Clairfontaine Pastelmat article
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See how the 'Zest-it' pencil blend and Derwent Lightfast pencils work on Pastelbord
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Reviewing the new Derwent Lightfast Coloured pencils
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Find out about the other boards made by the Ampersand company
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Coloured pencils on Pastelbord
I used the Caran d'Ache Luminance and Derwent Lightfast pencil ranges for this experiment. Immediately the surface held the pigment so well that I only needed to add a little pressure. During this trial, I used the Zest-it pencil blend as I was writing an article for this product too. The 'pencil blend' aids smoother finishes and creates almost flawless colour transitions. With the board being slightly coarse, using pencils alone gives a textured finish however you can use lighter pencil tones or a colourless blender to smooth and blend instead. Supports like the Pastelbord allows heavier applications and adding in other mediums can achieve great effect and depth to your work.
Coloured pencils on Pastelbord before blending
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After blending with 'Zest-it pencil blend'
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Framing Pastelbord Art
When framing art on a rigid board like this, a standard mount is not really viable and it is recommended that you frame your drawing beneath glass with a spacer attached. This offers a small space (mm's) between glass and artwork which avoids any adherence issues that may damage your work if trying to separate them if they become stuck together. When framing a painting, glass is not usually recommended as your painting needs to 'breathe', however if you do prefer your painting behind glass, the spacer is a must to avoid the glass and paint fusing together. Pastel portraits must always be framed behind glass.
Finally, where can you buy the Pastelbord?
As this website is run in the UK, the first four links below direct you to online stores in the UK, which sell the Pastelbord, however most of them deliver worldwide too. 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.
