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One of the most common questions I get asked is why I (usually) don’t paint on canvas. I use Ampersand Gessobord* panels for almost all of my wildlife paintings, and there are good reasons for that choice.
What is gessobord?
Gessobord is a hardboard panel coated with a smooth acrylic gesso ground. It’s made by Ampersand, an American company that produces a range of artist panels. The surface is hard, smooth and non-absorbent compared to canvas, which changes the way oil paint behaves on it in some useful ways.
Why panels over canvas?
For the small sizes I typically work at (6×6″ up to 12×9″) canvas doesn’t make a lot of sense. Small canvases can feel flimsy, they’re prone to denting, and the texture of the weave competes with fine detail at this scale. A rigid panel gives me a stable, solid surface that I can work on confidently without worrying about flex or bounce.
Panels are also much easier to ship and transport. When taking work to art fairs, a stack of small panels in a box is far less nerve-wracking than a pile of canvases that could knock against each other. And shipping a small panel painting can be as easy as wrapping it in glassine and popping it in a padded envelope!
How the surface affects the painting
The smooth gesso surface lets me build up layers of oil paint with a lot of control. For small wildlife oil paintings, where I often need sharp detail in feathers or fur alongside looser, more atmospheric backgrounds, that control is essential. I can lay down precise marks for a robin’s eye or the barbs of a feather, then switch to broader, more gestural strokes for the surroundings, all on the same surface.
The non-absorbent ground also means the paint stays workable longer than it would on raw canvas. I can push colour around, blend edges and lift paint back off if something isn’t working. For a one or two-session painting (which most of mine are), that extended working time is valuable.
Framing considerations
One thing to be aware of with panel paintings is framing. Because the panel is thin — roughly 1/8″ (about 3mm) — it really needs a frame for a pleasing display. I’ve written a separate post on this: How to Frame a Painting on a Panel. Float frames work particularly well, giving the painting a contemporary look while protecting the edges.
The practical side
Gessobord panels are consistent. Every panel has the same surface, the same weight, the same absorbency. That consistency means I can sit down to paint and know exactly how the surface will respond, which takes one variable out of the equation. When you’re trying to capture something as fleeting as a bird’s expression, you don’t want to be fighting your materials.
They’re also archival. Oil on panel has been used for centuries — think of the great Flemish masters — and these modern panels are designed to last just as long when properly cared for.
If you’re an oil painter who hasn’t tried Ampersand Gessobord panels*, I’d recommend giving them a go — especially if you work small.
You can see the results in my gallery of original wildlife paintings — all painted on gessobord in my Sheffield studio.
Drop a comment if you have any questions about working on panels, or tips on getting the most out of them.
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