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Smooth alternative to canvas / canvas covered board?

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Anth Knight

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Posted
Hello all, just wanted to pick everyone's brains on the above. I'm looking for a board or similar with a smooth surface for when I attempt to paint our dog Oscar. I've taken a canvas-covered board and primed it with three fairly heavy coats, and intend to send it to a reasonably smooth surface and give that a go. I wondered though, is there another solution to this? I know some people paint on hardboard, just thought I'd put it out there before I gave it a go. I want to try and get his fur as accurate as possible, and I think a smooth surface will enable this. Cheers, Anth

Sylvia Evans

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Posted
Gaerstaker ( might be spelt wrongly) and Ampersand boards both from Great Art and Jackson’s . Love both of them , smooth board with gessoed surface , come mounted on a “cradle” so no need to frame. Maybe get be what you are looking for.

Anth Knight

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Posted
Sylvia, they sound perfect! I'll have a look on G.A. and Jackson's tomorrow, thanks :) I'll try one of these for the next car commission, which I'll be starting in the next couple of weeks. I've attempted to sand the gesso on the board I primed last night - hardly touched it. But I thought 'what the hey' and gave it a go anyway! Looks fine so far, and the surface is still smoother than an out-of-the-box primed canvas. Anth
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Posted
Another one here for Ampersand panels, which come in several different surfaces. Aluminium panels are becoming more popular, but before investing in them I would take a look at the Natural Pigments website (USA based) and the Painting Best Practice Facebook page, which will give you the best information on what to avoid. Hardboard, which you mention, isn't at all a bad surface - used for oils, it does need priming/sealing; preferably with a coat of acrylic 'gesso' - i.e. acrylic dispersion ground; the smooth side is likely to be better for what you're after - just rough it up a little before applying the ground, in order to give adhesion, but you can then coat it as smoothly as you like.