Ampersand Museum Series Aquabord is an acid-free textured clay surface that absorbs watercolours like a fine paper. Colours retain their purity and vibrancy in a way that even the finest of watercolour papers can never match. When compared with watercolour paper, this multimedia panel simulates the absorbency and texture of a cold pressed surface, but allows colour to be lifted back to white easily while also leaving the richest, most vibrant colour possible. This workable surface provides natural looking highlights, fluid glazes, transparent subtle layers, and the ability to lift colour while the surface is wet or even after it is dry. Uniquely absorbent Aquabord is perfect for watercolours and gouache, but is also ideal for casein and acrylics. It will not tear, shrink or buckle even under heavy water application. Ampersand Aquabord is archival and eco-friendly. Seal finished watercolours or gouache with several light coats of spray varnish (or fixative), being careful to spray outdoors during warmer months or in a well ventilated and heated area during colder times of the year. Aquabord is available in a 3mm flat panel for standard framing behind glass and in a 22mm cradle profile for either frameless presentation or for use with floater frames. For best results, it’s a good idea to first “flush out” the surface of the panel with water using a large flat watercolour brush to release trapped air. Once the surface is slightly damp, it is ready to use. Rewetting may be needed as you work. Note that heavy water applications may release more air. Use a blow dryer to dry and also to dissipate air if needed.

Ampersand Museum Series Claybord is made using 3mm true artist hardboard and features Ampersand’s simply amazing kaolin clay ground formula similar in paintability to the clay gesso grounds used during the Renaissance. The surface is sanded to an ultra-smooth, highly absorbent finish so your paint colours remain true and brilliant. Work the surface by thinly applying paint or ink, then remove it, reapply it, even scratch through it to add contrast, texture and fine details. Claybord is a favourite of both fine and graphic artists. Only Ampersand builds their cradles by hand with premium grade 13-ply birch plywood for maximum stability and a clean, finished look from edge to edge.No other panel on the market protects an artist’s work like an Ampersand panel. Every Claybord panel is protected by our proprietary Archival-Seal barrier technology, the most advanced formula for sealing wood that prevents support induced discoloration. Only Ampersand uses true high-density hardboard made from US-grown renewable Aspen wood fibres. Claybord is archival, eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free and made by hand in the USA.Apply paint and ink using brushes, sponges, palette knives, paper towels, airbrush, technical pens and painting tools. Claybord is also an excellent printing surface and can also be used for image transfers.With Claybord, paints and inks can be manipulated to vary tonal value, create detail and to develop highlights and correct mistakes. Various artist tools can be used such as Ampersand scratchboard tools, hobby knives, razor blades, etching tools, sand paper, oil-free steel wool, and electric erasers. Claybord's clay coating allows for the use of sgraffito techniques to cut into the surface and re-expose the white clay ground. The coating is 7 to 10 dry-mils thick allowing for multiple cut-ins or erasers. The smooth finish and the absorbency of the clay ground allows the use of an abrasive like oil-free steel wool or sand paper to remove pigment without damaging the finish.While Claybord allows the use of traditional materials, tools, and techniques, it is also an ideal surface for mixed media and experimentation. Details can be added, highlights created, and mistakes corrected.Please note: These products have been finished with an industrial sander. If you are planning on doing a very thin glaze or wash, this may reveal usually imperceptible circular marks made by the sanding process. If you need an extremely smooth claybord surface, we suggest using a very fine sandpaper or oil-free steel wool prior to applying paint.Ampersand Claybord Panels• Ultra-smooth absorbent clay ground• Accepts more mediums than any other surface• One of a kind workability with paints and artist toolsMany Fine Art Uses:• Excellent for use with India, pigmented and alcohol inks• Also use with egg tempera, acrylics, collage, pencil, pens, airbrush, photo-transfers, casein, watercolour, gouache and mixed media• Bonds well with adhesives to mount paper and fabrics

Daler-Rowney Premium stretched canvases are now made in the EU to the highest specifications. They are made with a superior-quality heavyweight (380gsm), acid-free, 100% cotton, medium grain canvas and professional stretcher bars in heavy wood for improved strength and optimal stability. The canvases have been given three coats of acrylic primer; triple-priming creates a perfect ready-to-use painting surface for both oils and acrylics that holds the colour on the surface and prevents seepage through to the back. The canvases are stapled on the back to give clean edges and come complete with wooden wedges to adjust tension in the traditional manner and they are individually wrapped to protect the surface.

Italian-made, a fantastic range of traditional stretched linen and cotton canvas. Using the finest linen thread from France the woven linen is then primed and stretched to the highest of standards. All the linen and cotton canvases are stretched to the reverse giving a clean edge suitable for displaying without a frame. Only renewable wood (red fir) dried to the right degree of humidity, is employed to assure the best stability of stretcher. A special design of joint and stretcher bar assures resistance to torsion and the perfect control of the stretcher's tension. The care that has gone into the production of these canvases is outstanding.

The depth is 18mm for the smaller sizes - 18x24cm to 40x50cm and 21mm for the larger sizes - 40x60cm to 60x70cm.

Specifications.Texture: Medium cotton or 3 grades of linenCotton is medium grain universal primed, linen is available in extra fine grain oil primed or fine and medium grain in universal primed.Stretcher thickness: 18mm x 43mm for up to size 40x50cm size, 21 x 58 for the 40x60cm and largerWedges: HardwoodAssembly: Stapled on reverse only

Linen by nature is stronger and durable than cotton and is proven to stand the test of time. Although more affordable and the most popular today, cotton canvas is not as strong and deteriorates faster than linen. Artfix Linen has been handcrafted for over 30 years in Provence, France by the Narozni family. The warm, dry climate is ideal for slow, even drying of primed canvas surfaces. Artfix Linen has superb archival characteristics: each canvas is guaranteed not to peel, crack or flake, and will not fluctuate or lose stability due to changes in humidity and temperature. Artfix linen is made from a strong, tightly woven extra fine grade fabric that is double sized to protect the material from the adverse effects of oil primers and oil paints. Up to 6 layers of ground is ensures an utterly flawless support surface. Four coats of hand applied Lead-Style Oil Primer provides the qualities and characteristics of traditional lead-based ground without its toxicity. This oil primed surface provides unique absorbency allowing oil paint pigment to sink into the surface of the canvas, increasing the dimensionality and depth of the painting and providing a glow that radiates from within the painting when over-painted with thin glazes.

This canvas art board from Crescent features a fine canvas textured surface bonded to heavy weight board. Designed for convenience and excellent stability.

Rigid enough for quick, gestural paint sketches, yet economical enough to use in the classroom for warm-ups and compositional planning, Crescent Canvas Boards feature a toothy surface that holds paint well. Their solid cream core provides a consistent surface. The medium-weight boards provide a sturdy, durable substrate, and the heavyweight boards are triple-thick to provide extra strength for rigorous painting techniques.

Suitable for watercolour, acrylic, gouache and light collage. Not recommended for professional oil painting.

Gesso panels made in Italy suitable for a wide variety of techniques thanks to the high absorbancy of the surface. They are handmade and finished with a smooth surface. The 7mm thick wooden base is poplar multi-ply which is stable and lightfast.

Made with acrylic gesso these ultra-smooth boards are very absorbent and you may wish to use extra oil in your oil paint. But, they may not be absorbent enough for use with egg tempera which usually needs genuine gesso (homemade with rabbit skin glue and whiting). If the surface isn't absorbent enough the egg tempera paint may lift off the first layer when you apply a second glaze.

10% discount on boxes of ten.

Crescent Student Grade Illustration Board is an economical board, available in Cold Press (NOT) and Hot Press. The medium textured Cold Press (NOT) surface is suited to a wide range of techniques including pastel and light collage. The difference between the Professional grade illustration board and the student grade illustration board: Primarily the Professional Boards are thicker and constructed of a higher quality surface paper - 100% cotton fibre acid-free. They are more warp resistant and can accept more aggressive wash applications than the student boards.

Ampersand Museum Series Gessobord is made with superior quality acrylic gesso ground. This ground does not dull colours and the wonderful lightly sanded surface provides exceptional brush control. Made with Ampersand’s 3mm True Artist Hardboard and Archiva-Seal technology, the surface is acid-free, non-yellowing, and archival. Perfect for all painting styles with oil paints, acrylics and mixed media. Only Ampersand builds their cradles by hand with premium grade 13-ply birch plywood for maximum stability and a clean, finished look from edge to edge. Choose from 22mm and 38mm deep panels. The 38mm Cradle Profile that offers more flexibility to artists for hanging and framing their work. This cradle profile is handcrafted with premium grade 13-ply birch plywood, designed to fit both standard canvas and floater frames. Gessoboard is also available in a 3mm uncradled profile. No other panel on the market protects an artist’s work like an Ampersand panel. Every Gessobord panel is protected by proprietary Archival-Seal barrier technology, the most advanced formula for sealing wood, that prevents support induced discoloration. Only Ampersand uses true high-density hardboard made from US-grown and renewable Aspen wood fibres. Gessobord is archival, eco-friendly and formaldehyde-free. Ampersand Gessobord Panels • 88% thicker acrylic gesso than other brands • Consistently even, bright white finish • Right level of absorbency, will not dull colours Many Fine Art Uses: • Great for oils, acrylics and mixed media • Excellent for both fine brushwork and palette knife painting • Ideal for thin glazes, alla prima and even impasto

Gesso panels made in Italy suitable for a wide variety of techniques thanks to the high absorbancy of the surface. They are handmade and finished with a smooth surface. The 7mm thick wooden base is poplar multi-ply which is stable and lightfast.

Made with acrylic gesso these ultra-smooth boards are very absorbent and you may wish to use extra oil in your oil paint. But, they may not be absorbent enough for use with egg tempera which usually needs genuine gesso (homemade with rabbit skin glue and whiting). If the surface isn't absorbent enough the egg tempera paint may lift off the first layer when you apply a second glaze.

10% discount on boxes of ten.

10 Sheets of acrylic primed medium grain cotton canvas, with one free Belle Arti Cotton Art Board.

The Ampersand Artist Panel is a top quality MDF panel sealed with acid-free acrylic gesso with added canvas texture. Perfect with oil paints and acrylics, the ready-to-paint canvas-like texture gives artists all the advantages of painting on panel, but with the familiar feel of a fine linen or canvas. The durable rigid medium density fibreboard support makes the Artist Panel ideal for palette-knife painting and multi-media applications. Available in an uncradled 10mm panel with hanging slots on the back, a 16mm and a 38mm cradled profile. The cradle support frames are hand made using 13mm birch plywood offering maximum stability and support. Artist Panel Canvas Texture Primed • Acrylic gesso ground on MDF• Medium canvas texture for optimum paint control• Ampersand quality at an affordable price Many Fine Art and Craft Uses:• Ready to paint with oils, acrylics and mixed media • Perfect for altered art, collage and found objects• Simple to hang and frame

10 Sheets of acrylic primed medium grain cotton canvas, with one free Belle Arti Cotton Art Board.

With over 100 years of experience in crafting the finest quality artist canvases, Claessens is recognised worldwide as a leader in the field. Each Claessens canvas undergoes a rigorous treatment and production process in order to meet different requirements for artists.First, all raw canvases are sized with a synthetic PVA glue. For universal primed canvases, the next step involves applying a coat of acrylic-bound titanium white paint to the canvas by means of a knife. As the primer and coating are water-based, these universal primed canvases are dried in a hot-air oven, where the water can evaporate more quickly.Universal primed Claessens canvases are suitable for both oil paint and acrylic paint.For a full description of the various processes which go into manufacturing a Claessens canvas, click here

White Gesso Primer is a unique formulation which needs no dilution. This product is highly adhesive and is ideal for directly sealing all semi-absorbent surfaces before applying colour – both acrylics and oils. Daler Rowney’s White Gesso Primer is suitable for both interior and exterior applications. It dries quickly to produce a matt white surface, with a slight tooth, which is easily sanded for highly detailed work.

Attributes* A very clear size and ground that keeps your working surface visible.* Ideal high tooth for pastel, oil pastel, graphite, and charcoal* Excellent ground for acrylic and oil paint.* Mix with acrylic color to have a tinted ground.* Dries clear to translucent depending on thickness.* Flexible, non-cracking and non-yellowing when dry.* Provides the perfect “tooth“ and adhesion to a wide variety of supports such as canvas, paper and wood* Excellent base coat primer for many applications such as muralsApplication* For canvas, paper, wood, or any clean, porous, non-oily surface.* Sizes and primes while maintaining the original appearance of the support.* Provides paper with good tooth for chalk and oil pastel techniques.* Mix with a very small amount of transparent or translucent acrylic color to tint the ground while maintaining transparency. pdf=liqcleargess.pdf Liquitex Clear Gesso Safety DataPlease note: due to trading agreements we are unable to ship this product outside of the UK and EU.

The Primed Smooth cradled panels have a semi-absorbent acid-free ground that is excellent for painting in oils, acrylics, watermedia and also for drawing. Consisting of top quality 3mm MDF, these panels are coated with an acrylic gesso primer and fully supported with solid pine wood cradle support frames. This panel is completely primed on the surface and on the sides of the cradle—g reat if you want to wrap your images over the edge without the extra prep work. The Primed Smooth panel is ideal for all painting styles especially highly detailed paintings and drawings. Ampersand quality, affordably priced and ready to use. Available in a 3mm uncradled version made with Ampersand quality hardboard that is sealed with super smooth acid-free acrylic gesso. It’s perfectly suited for all painting mediums and for mounting papers, giclees and canvas. Use with standard framing or also frameless clips. Ampersand Artist Panel Smooth Primed • Fully primed on top and sides• Super smooth acrylic gesso finish • No fibre show-through on coating Many Fine Art and Craft Uses:• Accepts all artists’ paints including oils, acrylics and watercolour• Ready to paint and draw on• Great for fluid lines and fine detail• Perfect for mounting canvas & giclees

Italian-made, a fantastic range of traditional stretched linen and cotton canvas. Using the finest linen thread from France the woven linen is then primed and stretched to the highest of standards. All the linen and cotton canvases are stretched to the reverse giving a clean edge suitable for displaying without a frame. Only renewable wood (red fir) dried to the right degree of humidity, is employed to assure the best stability of stretcher. A special design of joint and stretcher bar assures resistance to torsion and the perfect control of the stretcher's tension. The care that has gone into the production of these canvases is outstanding.

The depth is 18mm for the smaller sizes - 18x24cm to 40x50cm and 21mm for the larger sizes - 40x60cm to 60x70cm.

Specifications.Texture: Medium cotton or 3 grades of linenCotton is medium grain universal primed, linen is available in extra fine grain oil primed or fine and medium grain in universal primed.Stretcher thickness: 18mm x 43mm for up to size 40x50cm size, 21 x 58 for the 40x60cm and largerWedges: HardwoodAssembly: Stapled on reverse only

Belle Arti surfaces are Italian-made, offering a fantastic range of traditional stretched linen and cotton canvases.Using the finest linen thread from France, the woven linen is primed and stretched to the highest standards. All the linen and cotton canvases are stretched to the reverse giving a clean edge suitable for displaying without a frame. Only renewable wood (red fir) dried to the right degree of humidity is used to assure the best stability of stretcher. A special design of joint and stretcher bar assures resistance to torsion and the perfect control of the stretcher's tension.The linen stretched canvases are ready to use and available in three variations: Oil Primed Extra Fine (suitable for oil painters requiring a smooth surface), Universal Primed Fine Grain (suitable for all mediums) and Universal Primed Medium grain (ideal for the painter who wishes for a more pronounced texture to work on).Please note: linen is a natural product and its properties may vary for different reasons - exposure to moisture or the temperature of the environment where it's stored, for example. For this reason, sometimes the canvas might not appear properly stretched. If this has occured, please use the corner wedges provided.Specifications:The depth is 18mm for the smaller sizes - 18x24cm to 40x50cm and 21mm for the larger sizes - 40x60cm to 60x70cm.Wedges: HardwoodAssembly: Stapled on reverse onlyPlease note: linen is a natural product and its properties may vary for different reasons - exposure to moisture or the temperature of the environment where it's stored, for example. For this reason, sometimes the canvas might not appear properly stretched. If this has occured, please use the corner wedges.Specifications:The depth is 18mm for the smaller sizes - 18x24cm to 40x50cm and 21mm for the larger sizes - 40x60cm to 60x70cm.Wedges: HardwoodAssembly: Stapled on reverse only

Belle Arti : 596 Fine Linen : 320gm : 2.1m Wide : Per Metre : Unprimed : Sent Folded

Canvas: 100% Linen Priming: Clear Sized with Rabbit Skin Glue Texture: Fine Grain Width: 210cm Weight: 361gsm Note: Price is per metre, the length you order will be cut as a single piece from a 210cm wide roll, and packed carefully to protect the surface. Also available in 10m rolls.
This canvas is stiffened and sealed with one coat of Rabbit Skin Glue, a water-based glue that is applied while hot. So this half-prepared canvas saves the artist some trouble and still allows them to get the custom surface they want by applying their own gesso. The artist can finish the canvas by adding their own choice of primer to the surface: acrylic primer, clear acrylic medium, homemade genuine gesso or oil primer. This canvas comes in three textures: extra-fine, fine and rough and is available by the metre, stretched and on a Jackson's Handmade Linen Board.

Please note: you will need apply an extra layer of size, if you wish to apply oil primer or oil paint to the surface.

Holbein White Acrylic Gesso is a high-quality and versatile painting ground. It is available in four types of texture and can be used as a traditional underpainting on all surfaces, including canvas, paper, cloth, wood, stone, and primed metal.

This Gesso can be mixed with regular acrylic colour to tint it. It has an excellent tooth for pastel and coloured pencil.

Holbein White Gesso is available in the following textures:

Canvas: 100% Linen Priming: Oil Primed Texture: Extra-Fine Grain Width: 210cm Weight: 441gsm Note: Price is per metre, the length you order will be cut as a single piece from a 210cm wide roll, and packed carefully to protect the surface. Also available in 10m rolls.

The high quality, heavy weight Professional Marker Board from Crescent is ideal for airbrush illustrations. The special surface structure makes them ideal for etching and erasing techniques, and it can also withstand wet-in-wet techniques.