a great watercolor resource i found: aquaboard (ampersand aquabord)

Aquaboard - traditional watercolor paintings are on paper. Today we have multiple choices for watercolor supplies.

Watercolor may even be painted on a canvas. In addition to paper and canvas, there are hard-boards made especially for watercolors.

The "Freedom" of painting on Aquabord

what is aquaboard?

Aquabord (the brand name) is a hardboard made especially for watercolor, gouache, casein, ink and even acrylic paintings.
Ampersand left the "a" out of aquaboard to make their brand name.

The surface of has a texture similar to cold-pressed watercolor paper.

Aquabord is made on a warp-resistant 1/8" FSC-certified hardboard. One side of the panel is coated with an acid-free clay.

It is a completely archival panel. It does not buckle or warp no matter how much water you put on it.

The colors remain vibrant and the finished painting may be framed without glass! That's how I found out about Aquabord.

My watercolor paintings were on traditional watercolor paper, matted and framed under glass.

My husband and I were enjoying doing the street festivals in Florida.

At a festival on the Gulf Coast, the winds started gusting up to 60 MPH. Some of the artist's tents started blowing down!

We got afraid to allow customers into the tent. If the tent went down, they could be injured by broken glass.

The paintings were in danger, too. If watercolors on paper get moisture behind the glass, they can be water stained or grow mildew.

After we got home from the festival, I found out about Aquabord.

The many perks of Aquabord made it my favorite watercolor support!

The paintings are much lighter weight because they don't require glass. They are resistant to dirt, moisture and mildew.

There is no glare from glass. And no danger of broken glass.

You may get the panels cradled on the front of a wood support. Then you can hang and display the painting without a frame.

You don't have to stretch any paper. Unlike watercolor paper, the Aquaboard will not warp, no matter how much water you put on it.

The light reflects off the clay surface and shines up through your watercolors to create bold, lively colors.

Watercolors on paper sink into the paper and lose their brilliance.

Get lively colors on Aquabord

You can lift wet paint off with a damp, soft brush. If the layer of paint underneath has dried, it will remain fixed when you take off the top layer.

Dry paint will come off. Use a damp, stiff brush to remove the paint all the way down to the surface.

You may also use a knife, claybord tools or sandpaper to make highlights and remove paint.

When the painting is thoroughly dry, apply 2-3 coats of Krylon UV resistant spray.
The spray protects the watercolors, so the painting does not require a mat or glass for display.

Today Aquabord made by Ampersand is my go-to watercolor support. I have been using Ampersand products for over 15 years and I am very pleased with them!

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