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Aquabord Solves a Lot of Watercolor Problems
Aquabord is the brand name of a beautiful hardboard surface made specifically for painting watercolor.
It provides the beauty of watercolor without the hassle of painting on paper.
Watercolor paintings on Aquabord require:
- No stretching
- No mats
- No glass
Painting on Aquabord is "Freedom".
Painting on Aquabord is "Freedom".As an affiliate I earn from Amazon sales with no extra cost to you. Learn More
Why I Switched to Aquabord
When I began painting watercolor the paintings were on Arches watercolor paper. It is an excellent, traditional watercolor paper. The finished paintings were matted and framed under glass.
My husband and I were enjoying doing the art street festivals in Florida.
Disaster Struck
At a festival on the Gulf Coast, the winds started gusting up to 60 MPH. Some of the artist's tents on the end of the row started blowing down!
Even though we were sandwiched between other tents in the middle of a row, we got nervous about allowing customers into our tent. If the tent went down, they could possibly 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 even grow mildew.
There Had to Be Another Way!
After we got home from the festival, I started pouring through all my art magazines and books.
That's when I found a wonderful panel, made by Ampersand, a company near Austin, Texas. They left the "a" out of aquaboard for their brand name - Aquabord.
What Is Aquabord?
Aquabord is an acid-free, completely archival hardboard panel made especially for watercolor. It's also excellent for gouache, casein, ink and even acrylic paintings.
- Aquabord is made on a warp-resistant 1/8" FSC-certified hardboard. The base panel is totally sealed. Then one side of the panel is coated with an archival, acid-free kaolin clay.
- The surface has a texture similar to cold-pressed watercolor paper. However, it is whiter than watercolor papers. The white panel provides a wonderful brilliance to our paintings.
- The panel does not buckle, warp or shrink, no matter how much water we put on it.
- Paint colors may be lifted off to reveal the white board.
- The colors remain vibrant and finished paintings may be framed without glass. How wonderful is that!
The Many Advantages of Aquabord
Aquabord is my favorite watercolor support because:
NO MORE GLASS: There is no glare from glass, no buying or cutting glass.
LIGHTER WEIGHT: No more carrying around heavy watercolor paintings framed under glass. And we didn't have to be concerned about broken glass, ever again.
NO MATS: No more shopping for the perfect mat color or time cutting mats.
NO WATER STAINS: If the sun hits a watercolor under glass, it can cause condensation behind the glass and result in water stains on the painting or mat.
NO MILDEW: In a worst-case scenario, water behind the glass may grow mildew.
No more worries with Aquabord!
No Framing
Paintings on cradled panels hang and display without any additional framing.
There are 2 styles of Aquabord.
- The panels are available as a flat, 1/8" thick panel that requires a frame.
- The same flat panel may be cradled (attached) to the front of a 7/8", 1 1/2", or 2" frame.
Paint or stain the sides of the cradle to compliment the art.
No Stretching or Warping
We don't have to stretch Aquabord. That saves a lot of hassle.
Plus, it does not warp, no matter how much water we put on it!
Our Paintings Shine with Brilliant Color
My favorite thing about painting on Aquabord is the beautiful colors.
The light reflects off the clay surface and shines up through the watercolors to create bold, lively colors.
Watercolors on paper sink into the paper and lose their brilliance. You get beautiful colors by painting on these wonderful panels.
We May Remove Paint from Aquabord
Wet paint - will lift 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 with a damp, stiff brush. It can remove the paint all the way down to the surface. We may also use a knife, Claybord tools or sandpaper to make highlights and remove paint.
Masking fluid works well on Aquabord without any problems.
Protect the Painting
After the painting is thoroughly dry, apply 2-3 coats of Krylon UV resistant acrylic spray for protection.
The spray will protect the painting from moisture, dust and ultraviolet rays.
Then the painting does not need glass for protection.
Don't hang any painting in direct sunlight. The sun will not harm Aquabord, but it could potentially fade the paint colors.
Aquabord Is a Joy to Paint On!
Aquabord made by Ampersand has been my favorite watercolor support for more than 20 years. You'll enjoy it, too.
