Which Panel Surface Is Right for Me?
All of our panels are rigid wood, so there's no canvas bounce. The big choice is the surface. Here's how they compare.
Start with Unprimed Baltic Birch
Most of what we make is unprimed Baltic birch: raw, sanded wood with a smooth, even surface, cut in our Hesperia, California shop. It's the most flexible panel we sell, and it works with any medium. You get to decide how the surface looks and feels.
- Right on the wood: acrylic, gouache, ink, markers, colored pencil, graphite, collage and wood burning. Lots of artists leave some of the wood grain showing on purpose. Want the grain to show but with a little tooth? Brush on Golden Matte Medium.
- For oil: seal it first with Gamblin 3 in 1 Medium or Golden GAC 100, so the oil doesn't soak into the wood. Then prime it with Gamblin Ground, Golden Acrylic Gesso or Michael Harding Acrylic Primer.
- For watercolor: add a few coats of Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground and the panel takes watercolor like paper.
- For pastel or drawing: Golden Pastel Ground gives pastel something to grab onto. Golden Silverpoint and Drawing Ground works for silverpoint, graphite and colored pencil.
- For anything you want to last: seal the panel with Golden GAC 100 before you paint. It keeps the wood from yellowing your colors over time.
You'll find all of these in our Panel Prep collection.
Quick Picks by Paint
- Any medium: Unprimed Baltic birch, prepped the way you like with our Panel Prep supplies.
- Oil, ready to paint: Oil Ground, Oil Primed Linen, Quadruple Oil Primed Linen, Lead Primed Linen or Gesso Primed.
- Acrylic, ready to paint: Gesso Primed or Universal Primed Linen.
- Watercolor and gouache: see our panels for watercolor, or prep an unprimed panel with Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground.
Every Surface
| Surface | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Unprimed | Raw, sanded Baltic birch. | Any medium. Use it as is for acrylic, gouache, ink, drawing, collage and wood burning, or prep it with our Panel Prep supplies for oil, watercolor and pastel. |
| Gesso Primed | Hand rolled acrylic gesso with a light tooth. | Oil or acrylic, ready to paint. |
| Oil Ground | An oil ground that's less absorbent, so colors stay rich. | Oil only. |
| Universal Primed Linen | Claessens #113 fine linen with a universal primer. | Oil or acrylic on real linen. |
| Oil Primed Linen | Claessens #13 fine linen, oil primed, with a subtle texture. | Oil. Portraits and detail. |
| Quadruple Oil Primed Linen | Four coats of oil primer. Almost no texture. | Oil. Realism, glazing and very fine detail. |
| Lead Primed Linen | Belgian linen with a lead oil ground. | Oil, for painters who want that traditional lead primed feel. |
Shaped Panels
Our arches, coffins, altars and other shapes are cut from Baltic birch in our Hesperia, California shop. Browse them in Gothic and Shaped Panels, and check Limited Edition Panels for seasonal shapes while they last.
Still Stuck?
Send us a message and tell us what you paint. We'll help you pick a surface.