Ampersand Pastelbord?

[TK H-H]

I've been hunting for a local source of pastel boards. I was hoping for Colourfix but nobody local sells them. I did find someone that carries Ampersand Pastelbords. Anyone used these before? They're described as having an "acid-free clay and gesso ground with a marble dust finish". Just wondering what the texture is like? Something a little smoother than Colourfix regular would be perfect (I haven't tried Colourfix smooth yet as I can't find it anywhere. So I've only used the regular).

It's for a pet portrait. So I need to be able to get fine lines for the fur, but also be able to build lots of layers. I'll probably do a Panpastel underpainting with pastel pencils on top.

Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[Donna T]

I’ve never used Ampersand boards. Can you get the Colourfix primer and put it on your own boards? What about something like a UArt 800 board because it’s incredibly smooth while still having a lot of tooth. A long time ago I tried some pastel boards from Jack Richeson. They were the roughest, pastel-eating surfaces ever.

 

[TK H-H]

They were the only boards I found available in the area other than Canson Mi-Teintes boards. I don't like the honeycomb side of Canson though, and I think that's the texture they use for their boards.

If I have to order, I'll look into the UArt. I haven't tried their surfaces yet either.

I could maybe do the primer. I didn't think about it too much because it's only one board I need right now. But might be worth having around just in case I want more.

 

[Grapes]

I once long ago got for free an Ampersand board that had a rough surface. I thought it would be good for oil painting so I painted on it. It was difficult surface to paint and my painting turned out disaster. Later thought l should have added more gesso before painting.

If your Ampersand board surface is made of clay it sounds super promising! I don't think my Ampersand had that. But, recently I made my own boards with clay and it's the best possible surface for pleinair at least. When making your own boards you need to add many, many layers of clay mixture (there goes pigment & clue as well) even 15 layers. I added some 5 layers and it seemed too few. I got tired adding layers - drying time - sanding - adding more layers etc.

 

[TK H-H]

They make a few other ones intended for other mediums. I'm hoping the store might have a few so I can feel the surfaces. I wonder if a different medium panel would also work for pastel. I want something that'll take lots of layers, but not too toothy. Probably no more toothy than the Art Spectrum Colorfix. I don't think I'd like more tooth than that. BUT, that's just speculation. I haven't actually tried toothier than that.
I do like Golden's pastel ground. I used to use it on wood. The texture is quite nice. Not sure where to get wood panels around here though. I also don't have the tools here to cut them down so they'd have to already be the right size.
I think Art Spectrum's surface has just a little more tooth than Golden's ground.

I'll see what the store has this weekend and then decide from there whether to make my own panel or buy something like the Ampersand. I might try Ampersand regardless because if I like it, I know I can easily obtain them. Just up for debate whether I use it for this particular piece.

 

[Marksmomagain]

Hi I use Ampersand Pastelbord and I love it. I use it w Panpastels and stick. As an aside, I also use it w charcoal and colored pencil. It can be used wet or dry, I have applied thin washes of watercolor to tone the surface before adding pastel, cp or charcoal. The boards do come in a limited color range.

I have only used original Colourfix, and Pastelbord is smoother than that. Even smoother again is Pastelmat paper. I also make some of my surfaces using Golden Pastel Ground and Golden Fine Pumice Gel. The Fine Pumice Gel surface is smoother than the Pastel Ground surface. I use Colourfix ground also, love the color ranges, and Fine Pumice Gel is also smoother than the Colourfix. Or even use gessoed boards (I can't think of the name of what I used, but the surface held the Pastel very well. I'll get back to you on that). I use the grounds and primers on boards and heavy drawing papers.

One thing you could do is prep boards with acrylics in your chosen color, then add the clear ground of your choice. I do that alot. Plus you can just use regular Ampersand Claybords, Hardbords, or their value series called "The Artists Panel" with a bit of sanding to adhere the grounds. Heck, I've prepped wood panels from hobby stores and they come out just fine...

Hope this helps...

 

[TK H-H]

Thanks for the input!

I picked up a Pastelbord yesterday. I was really surprised at how smooth the board is. I didn't expect it to be so smooth. If it grabs lots of layers though, it should be perfect for this project. I have a feeling this might become my new go to for pastels. I like Colorfix, but I think this'll be the new go to for detail work.

I looked at the other boards they make. I might try their painting panels too. Would save space over canvases and they're more durable.

I almost have my piece designed so should hopefully be able to try it out soon. Just have another project to finish.