Some General Tips on Watercolor and Gouache

"Morning Post"
Jerry Davidson
Gouache on Claybord

If you are a traditional watercolorist or gouache painter who uses very wet washes, try Aquabord. It behaves more like cold press watercolor paper and is more absorbent than the smooth variety. However, if you're familiar working with watercolors or gouache on hot press paper to achieve high level detail, you may find working with Claybord very exciting. Our "product selection guide" is also a good resource for choosing the right panel.

"Values of Day"
Karen Vernon
Watercolor on Aquabord

Using Claybord Textured & Watercolor

Watercolors and gouache, when used on Aquabord, are richer and more vibrant than when used on paper. Aquabord is also very forgiving. If you make a mistake - just wash it off! This museum quality panel has a soft, absorbent, mineral coating with a unique granular texture. You may notice small "pin-like" protrusions once you lay down your washes and you will also see tiny bubbles forming on the surface. This is normal. The sponge-like granules absorb the water and pigment allowing incredible control over color and washes. The surface's clay-base holds colors in suspension, allowing them to flow into each other to create seamless washes when the board is wet or dry. The surface is pH neutral and acid free and when sealed, it will last forever.

See the illustration by Karen Vernon. She has offered valuable insight into the use of Aquabord with watercolors. To achieve similar results, try using some of these techniques. To create natural looking highlights and bring the light back into your painting, use a wet sponge, cotton swabs, white erasers or a clean brush to lift and remove colors with ease. Paint as heavily as desired because Aquabord won't warp, crack, or bend like paper when using heavy paint applications. The more paint you add, the easier it is to lift. Don't worry about lint residue, torn paper, or using masking fluid because Aquabord is very forgiving and durable and will hold up to repeated wetting and scraping. You can even add fine lines and details with a scratch knife or other Claybord Tools which will bring back the white of the board. When finished, seal Aquabord with Claybord Fixative and free your painting from the additional weight and glare caused when framing behind glass!