Portray on Ampersand Gessobord in Oil and Acrylic

Painters have labored prolifically on gesso-coated panels because the Early Renaissance, they usually stay a staple floor for artists to this present day. The Ampersand Gessobord refines this custom by its superior high quality acrylic gesso coating utilized to archival, acid-free, and warp-resistant hardboards which are prepared to color immediately. On this overview, I examined the Gessobord with oil and acrylic paints, utilizing quite a lot of strategies and mediums to see how they appeared, dealt with, and dried on this contemporary iteration of a conventional floor.

The Growth of the Ampersand Gessobord

Ampersand is devoted to producing the best high quality artist surfaces from its facility in Texas, lower than 20 miles from the place the corporate was based in 1993. The corporate started with the invention of the Claybord, which led to the event of numerous extra helps over time. The introduction of Gessobord in 1996 was a extra conventional addition to the vary, following the distinctive innovation of Claybord. Even so, it was executed to the distinctive high quality anticipated of all Ampersand merchandise.

Though gesso-coated panels comply with custom, the Gessobord can be utilized for extra than simply oil panel portray – they’re additionally suitable with acrylic, airbrush, casein, chilly wax, collage, combined media, and printmaking.

Properties of the Gessobord

Gessobords are archivally sealed hardboard panels with a conventional acid-free gesso floor utilized, that means they’re prepared to start out portray on immediately. The panels don’t have a canvas weave or brushmark texture, so they’re pretty flat for an oil portray floor. This end could be modified to go well with every artist, since you might add extra layers of gesso on high to present the panels tooth, or sand them additional to make them even smoother. This might be good for painters who need their medium to disperse simply or make use of flowing strategies.

Ampersand Gessobords can be found from Jackson’s Artwork uncradled (with out bracing on the again) in sizes from 4 x 4 inches to 18 x 24 in, and are 3 mm deep. Most sizes could be bought individually – whereas the smallest sizes could be bought in packs of 4. The cradled panels (with bracing on the again) can be found from 8 x 8 in to 18 x 24 in as single items.

The cradled Gessobord panels make it potential to hold oil and acrylic work immediately on a nail, with out the necessity for framing, and add further stability to the floor. For studio painters this may also be helpful in the course of the portray course of, because the portray could be held on the wall as you’re employed. Ampersand cradles are made by hand with premium grade 13-ply birchwood of their manufacturing unit to the best commonplace. Every panel is handled with the Ampersand Archiva-Seal coating, which prevents discolouration and seals the floor of the wooden.

Evaluating the Gessobord with Acrylic and Oil Paints to Canvas

To start my assessments of the Gessobord, I painted a few comparative swatches of oil and acrylic paint utilized on a Gessobord and a bit of primed canvas to point out the distinction of their end. For every swatch, I utilized Pyrrole Pink straight from the tube in a single stroke, after which diluted as a fluid brushstroke subsequent to it.

The color payoff on the Gessobord was undoubtedly stronger than on the primed canvas, making the paint retain all of its vibrance. The dispersed acrylic paint swatches each misplaced their brushmarks, however I feel the Gessobord aspect dried a bit extra evenly. With the oil paint, the Gessobord swatch retained the brushmarks greater than the canvas, the place it seems extra flat, permitting the feel of the weave to point out by.

Testing the Gessobord with Acrylic Paints

To check the Gessobord with acrylic paints, I labored with a easy palette of Deep Violet, Pyrrole Pink Darkish, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Inexperienced, and Titanium White. I break up my panel into three sections and painted a panorama throughout them in several thicknesses to see how the paint dealt with on the floor.

The primary part on the left is painted with very diluted acrylic paint, utilized nearly like watercolour. This allowed me to provide some attention-grabbing brushmark textures and mix the watery colors collectively on the floor. It might be tough to color with this a lot water and acrylic paint on paper with out warping, however the rigidity of the Gessobord makes it potential. The center part is acrylic painted with a standard water ratio. I discovered it utilized very easily, and as earlier areas dried, it was satisfying to construct new layers, permitting among the mild of the bottom to point out by. Lastly, the third part is my acrylic palette mixed with Golden Coarse Molding Paste, which I loaded on thickly with a palette knife. It’s thrilling to make use of a floor that works for all three approaches to acrylic portray, with persistently top quality outcomes.

To finish my acrylic check, I utilized a French Ultramarine Blue glaze to your entire floor. The paint layered seamlessly and dried evenly, not turning into too slick to stick to the earlier layer of acrylic. I particularly appreciated how the blue caught the grooves of the molding paste to emphasize its texture. Gessobords are inflexible and dependable, so build up moist layers and completely different thicknesses of paint received’t make them warp or bow.

Testing the Gessobord with Oil Paints

Gessobords are additionally prepared to color on with oil immediately. This protects you further prep time and is aesthetically interesting, because the primed face of the uncradled panel may be very skinny from the aspect. There isn’t a closely built-up fringe of gesso or drips, holding all the clear strains of the sides for future presentation.

I labored with a palette of Michael Harding Oil Paints in Lavender, Blue Verditer, Impartial Tint, Turners Yellow, and Heat White to color a sink in a vibrant rest room. The oil paint caught on the slight tooth of the floor, and allowed me to distribute and mix my colors freely. Not like portray straight onto a gessoed canvas, the preliminary layer didn’t really feel dry or tough on my brush, or that it was sinking into the bottom. I used to be in a position to select finer particulars even on this primary layer of paint. I loved how the brushmarks remained seen in sure areas when diluted with some medium, alongside opaque zones, like within the towel and shadows.

To conclude my check of the Gessobord with oil, I additionally wished to strive wiping the paint again to disclose the white of the bottom under, while it was nonetheless moist. You might use this as a pictorial approach or to take away undesirable areas of paintwork. I wiped to disclose some beams of sunshine shining on the wall from a vibrant window utilizing a clear rag. The feel of the rag I used is clear within the wiped mark, which I feel provides it motion. You might additionally use this method to buff color on high of a dried layer of oil paint. Once more, the rigidity and reliability of the Gessobord imply you can experiment freely with out worrying a couple of canvas flexing beneath strain or a weaker panel warping with thick paint.

Customising the Texture of a Gessobord Panel

If the sunshine tooth of the Gessobord doesn’t go well with you, it’s also possible to customise its end by layering on extra gesso for texture, or sanding it for a good slicker floor. First, I sanded one half of a Gessobord utilizing 240 grit sandpaper till the floor felt fully easy to the contact. Subsequent, I painted a stroke of Lavender throughout each halves, noticing the sensation of the board modified as I moved to the unsanded aspect. As you possibly can see, the paint on the sanded aspect seems thinner with much less texture for the pigment to grip onto.

Subsequent, I utilized three layers of Jackson’s Acrylic Gesso Primer to a Gessobord with a Jackson’s Mottler Brush, with every layer utilized in reverse instructions to present my board a woven texture. These adhered seamlessly to the panel, permitting for full management of the tooth.

All painters need to have full confidence that their surfaces will stand the check of time, and permit them to experiment to their fullest potential. The Ampersand Gessobord fulfils each of those needs by being archival, acid-free, immune to warping, and with a customisable texture. The cradled Gessobords enable artists to show their work immediately, or dangle them on the wall while portray – eliminating the pricey technique of framing boards, and balancing single panels on nails. Maybe most significantly, making ready your individual gessoed boards is a laborious and time-consuming course of, so the Gessobord frees up precious studio time.