Jackson’s Aluminium Painting Panels are great for painting. They are specially treated for paint to adhere to and they offer a great value with a 100% conservation-quality stable support for your painting.
Aluminium art panels make even, rigid and lightweight painting surfaces. Unlike canvases (with wooden stretcher bars) or wood panels, aluminium panels are artwork supports that will not release gases over time and barely react to changes in humidity and temperature. The conservation benefits and archival properties of the metal mean that aluminium art panels can easily be stored in damp studios where traditional painting surfaces would warp. Areas on the aluminium painting panels can also be left exposed, as the material won’t tarnish due to its resistance to oxidation. The lightweight nature of the aluminium panels makes them ideal for large artworks which need to be transported. The panels have an industrial finish with slight marks or imperfections.
These panels have an anodised aluminium surface that is ready-prepared for use with all types of painting media, including oil, acrylic, watercolour, gouache and ink as well as some drawing media like pencil and pen. No priming is necessary. The paint will adhere very well to the metal. Either side of the panel can be used. Jackson’s Aluminium Panels are the perfect solution for those who like to paint on ultra smooth, hard surfaces. The smooth panel means that paint can easily be spread and that brushes never need to be scrubbed into the surface. Jackson’s Aluminium Panels have a smooth, light grey, satin finish, but can be primed with any of the Jackson’s primers should a different colour be preferred.
The Jackson’s aluminium panel is an anodised aluminium surface, which is widely considered the best process for preparation of an aluminium surface for the application of paint. There is no residue from the process as it is a change to the structure of the aluminium face, above and below the surface. The process modifies the surface by creating aluminium oxide within the surface, creating an extremely hard porous surface that allows fantastic adhesion of paints.
The very fine, regular, porous surface suits fluid paint best as it can get into the small pores. But the paint still needs plenty of binder so it will cure to a durable paint surface. After complete drying and curing both acrylic and oil colours are permanently bonded to the surface. If you wish to use thicker paint you can gesso the surface with a fluid gesso that penetrates the pores and then paint on top of that. The gesso will be permanently bonded to the surface.
The 3mm thick panels are available in 10 ready-cut sizes: 6x8inch (15x20cm), 8x10inch (20x25cm), 12x12inch (30x30cm), 11x14inch (28x36cm), 12x16inch (30x40cm), 16x16inch (40x40cm), 16x20inch (40x50cm), 18x24inch (46x61cm), 24x24inch (61x61cm) and a 5x5inch tester size. Or they can be cut to your specified size up to 100 x 100cm, please ring our order line to order a bespoke size.
A hand study in oil done by a staff member on a Jackson’s aluminium panel.
Hanging the Aluminium Panels
To display them – like all flat panels with no edging structure they will need to be framed or have a hanging system glued to the back.
You can adhere a wood strip to the back that will take screws for hanging.
For the panel shown below we used regular pva to adhere a thick strip of plywood to the panel. It is so well adhered it seems permanent.
Be aware – as with all glues you need to create a firm contact between the two surfaces and the glue. Clamping is best, a heavy weight will work.
Because clamping might damage a painting you can glue the wood strip on using a clamp before you paint or if you need to add the wood strip after you can use weights.
Jackson’s Aluminium Panel with a wood strip adhered to the back that will take screws for hanging.
Aluminium Painting Panel Testing
Multiple Painting and Drawing Media
I wanted to see how different media worked on the smooth metal surface.
I expected the paints to bead up like they would on plastic and for pencil and pen to wipe off.
I was surprised.
- Acrylic inks, Liquid Acrylics and Acrylic Paints all are permanent and can be glazed over each other when dry. They dry fairly quickly.
- Oil Colour grabs on nicely, it is not the slick surface I expected.
- Graphite Pencil goes on beautifully with subtle gradations possible. It will smudge slightly for blending and erase completely with a rubber.
- Coloured Pencil makes beautiful marks and doesn’t smear.
- Sketching and Brush Pens like Pitt Pens and Sakura Micron draw crisp lines with no feathering and give a great tonal contrast. They dry in a few minutes and do not smear when brushed with water.
- Watercolour washes flow nicely and dry fairly quickly with a beautiful satin surface. They are the least permanent medium on the panels as they will lift off completely when re-wetted. You cannot build up layers of colour.
- Soft Pastel doesn’t work, it brushes right off.
Testing Images
Acrylics- Phthalo BlueGS appeared darker on the area with acrylic primer applied, on the right, than on the left where it is on the bare aluminium panel.
Acrylics- Acrylic colour glazed over with liquid acrylic colour, Dried quickly and there was no lifting of the first colour.
Acrylic Inks- Thin applications dried quickly. Waterproof when dry.
Oils- Oil paint moves beautifully on the aluminium panels.
Oil colour after it has dried for a few weeks.
Pens and Pencils- Graphite shown with slight smudging and erasure, coloured pencil with almost no smudging, Pitt brush pen and Sakura Micron pen each has a puddle of water on top and no smearing.
Watercolour- Watercolours flowed beautifully and dried fairly quickly.
Watercolour- Top row watercolour is directly on the aluminium panel, lower watercolour is on a coating of acrylic primer. Colour on primer took longer to dry and looked darker. Colour lifted from both surfaces equally well.
The Colour of the Metal
I was surprised that transparent colours did not appear darker because of the colour of the metal showing through. Its light grey surface acts nearly as white.
I tested a portion with acrylic primer and both the blue acrylic and the umber watercolour took longer to dry on the acrylic primer than on the bare aluminium and the colours of the paint were darker, even with the white behind them.
The Surface
It is a super smooth surface that is lovely to stoke your hand across.
Yet because of the chemical treatment of the surface it is porous enough to be absorbent.
Unfortunately the surface is not pristine it has scuffs and scratches which you may wish to take into consideration if you are doing precise work or want to leave parts of the metal unpainted. If you are covering the whole surface with oil or acrylic colour I don’t think you will notice the slight imperfections at all. The surface could be given a smooth ground, clear or coloured, if you don’t mind changing the surface.
Click on the underlined links to go to the aluminium painting panels on the Jackson’s Art website.
Postage on orders shipped standard to mainland UK addresses is free for orders of £39.
82 Comments
informative, thank you. Inspiring …
These panels look fantastic, I will certainly be buying some of these and trying them out, looking forward to receiving them, I will of course keep you updated with my experiments using these with my mixed media work.
Very informative results on aluminium painting panels, which I look forward to using in the near future
I’m not sure it’s quite as straightforward as portrayed.
There is no mention of the chemical treatment, which is the *actual* surface to which any paint, etc., has to adhere (rather than the aluminium underneath the treatment).
There is a claim that, “Unlike canvases (with wooden stretcher bars) or wood panels, aluminium panels are inert artwork supports that will not release gases over time or react to changes in humidity and temperature.”
As anyone who works with metal (or has studied chemistry to GCSE level) will tell you, metals, including aluminium, *do* react to temperature, more than many other materials. They expand and contract. A problem is that as the paint, etc., is not sinking into the aluminium itself, as it would into supports such as canvas and paper, it is effectively a separate layer subjected to stress and strain as the underlying metal expands and contracts. The repeated stress and strain are likely to cause the separate paint layers to separate from the underlying aluminium layer more than might be the case with traditional supports.
Hello.
You are right that it is a bit complicated.
In response to what you rightly pointed out we have changed some of the wording a bit now and removed ‘inert’ as it’s a very specific term which probably doesn’t apply to the panels, we used it too broadly. You are correct that the panels will react to changes in temperature and humidity but only minute changes by comparison to paper or canvas, so we have clarified that as well.
The chemical treatment modifies the surface to allow paint to adhere extremely well. We are considering the treatment a proprietary process, so are not being more specific than that, I’m afraid.
You are incorrect in saying that the paint does not sink into the surface of the metal, the paint is drawn into the surface. I think you are also incorrect in saying that paint on canvas sinks into that surface because it’s actually attaching to the primer, as I understand it with oil paint the primer provides a barrier from direct contact with the canvas as the oil can damage the canvas.
There will be differences depending on the paints – some oil paints for example, are fairly lean when used straight from the tube so might not adhere quite as well as others, and since oils take longer to fully cure they will be a bit fragile for a longer period of time (until they are completely dry) compared to say acrylic.
I hope that helps.
It is a lovely surface to paint on!
What I have not found on the internet yet, and is
strongly needed, is for someone to get specific and
accurate about the linear thermal expansion
coefficients of different painting surfaces and display
the differences. Manufacturers are strongly implying
how great aluminum is for archival purposes. If so,
then be specific. What is the thermal coefficient for
wood? For copper? For steel? For canvas? For
Gessobord? For aluminum? Don’t tell us how great it
is. Be specific and back it up with scientific data for
us to see. And give us a comparison of the surfaces
as well with microscopic detail. If you’re etching into
the surface with acid or brushes, that’s fine as long as
there is zero residue. Saying you have a proprietary
procedure makes me not want to buy these for what if
you put some kind of varnish on it that doesn’t prove
to last or will react with paint badly in 30 years? If it’s
a pure, clean aluminum surface, say so. Metal panels
are the future no doubt, but it may not be aluminum.
We need to know the thermal expansion coefficients
between them and manufacturers need to be more
detailed. An artist who really cares about archival
materials needs more than ‘trust us’ talk. We may find
that aluminum was all the rage in 2017 because it was
cheep to make, but that in 2018 we found that
aluminum wasn’t all that great after all and we should
have been using steel instead. I don’t care if it’s $5
more for another metal. I will use it if it truly doesn’t
react to temperature swings as strongly. Again, it’s
about, in the end, strength (will it dent?) and how
MUCH it expands and contracts… then price. Get
specific guys. Give us DATA. And show us the
surfaces in fine detail. Thanks
Hi Sarah
We have updated our description of our aluminium panels so artists have a better idea of what they are getting.
I hope this information is helpful.
The Jackson’s aluminium panel is an anodised aluminium surface, which is widely considered the best process for preparation of an aluminium surface for the application of paint. There is no residue from the process as it is a change to the structure of the aluminium face, above and below the surface. The process modifies the surface by creating aluminium oxide within the surface, creating an extremely hard porous surface that allows fantastic adhesion of paints.
The very fine, regular, porous surface suits fluid paint best as it can get into the small pores. But the paint still needs plenty of binder so it will cure to a durable paint surface. After complete drying and curing both acrylic and oil colours are permanently bonded to the surface. If you wish to use thicker paint you can gesso the surface with a fluid gesso that penetrates the pores and then paint on top of that. The gesso will be permanently bonded to the surface.
About conservation considerations – it is not just heat expansion but also expansion caused by humidity absorbed into the wood and canvas of a stretched canvas.
You should be able to find a thermal expansion chart on the internet to compare materials.
I agree I would love to see a study with facts
based on oil paint and all the different reactions
it has with different surfaces. For example
luiquitex primer on a non porous surface is
flexible…. add an oilpainting and it stiffens up
and can crack like wafers when the surface
changes. I’ve never seen a fact filled study for
primers or unprimed surfaces but if you find one
I would be soooo interested to read it.
Good post. For hobbyists, not
bothered about selling their work,
they might not be that interested
what the surface treatment of this
aluminium is. However, if you sell
your work it’s very, very important
and vague claims or lack of specifics
isn’t good enough.
Hi Gwen
Professional artists use our panels.
The Jackson’s aluminium panel is an anodised aluminium surface, which is widely considered the best process for preparation of an aluminium surface for the application of paint. There is no residue from the process as it is a change to the structure of the aluminium face, above and below the surface. The process modifies the surface by creating aluminium oxide within the surface, creating an extremely hard porous surface that allows fantastic adhesion of paints. The very fine, regular, porous surface suits fluid paint best as it can get into the small pores. But the paint still needs plenty of binder so it will cure to a durable paint surface. After complete drying and curing both acrylic and oil colours are permanently bonded to the surface. If you wish to use thicker paint you can gesso the surface with a fluid gesso that penetrates the pores and then paint on top of that. The gesso will be permanently bonded to the surface.
Per one linear foot a temperature change of 1.8 degrees
Celsius (35.24 degrees Fahrenheit) can cause an
expansion of .0000131″. Larger dimensions like 90′ feet
can case a 3/4″ flex in aluminum sheeting. Most
paintings on aluminum comp will be hanging in a
temperature controlled environment, i.e. homes, office
buildings, museums, galleries, etc with HVAC. The
extreme temperature effects on aluminum comp in a
controlled environment is null.
I am so excited about the aluminum panels. I have a client in South Carolina with an open fronted outdoor room overlooking the swimming pool. I have already painted a large summer picture for her on primed and varnished wood for this area but she now requires an even larger (probably 2 or 3 panels ) winter painting for this area. These would be ideal as the humidity, heat and cold are quite extreme there. Also these would be comparatively light for shipping.
That sounds exciting 🙂 Let us know how it goes!
Great to hear that you like the Jackson’s Acrylics. We are very proud of them.
I forgot to put in my last comment re aluminium panels that I use Jackson’s acrylics for all my work and get amazing results from this high quality, versatile medium
I would love to try these panels
Thank you Julie for a really informative and interesting article. I bought a panel recently and loved working on it – I have been looking for reasonably priced aluminium panels to paint on for a long time! However when I tried to order some more panels they were all out if stock! Any idea when Jacksons will be getting further supplies in?
Hi Mandy
We are expecting them on May 5th.
Now that we know how popular they are we should now get the amount in we need.
I have let our IT team know there is a problem with the due date not showing on the website.
Thank you for that
[…] Read this earlier blog article for in-depth information about the Aluminium Painting Panels. […]
I have used one of these aluminium panels for the first time and love the effect of oil paint on them, painting a beach scene and leaving a clear area to show the sun on sea on the horizon, it works fantastically.
However, what I now need to know is do I need to varnish with artists retouching to protect the painting from scratching. Can anyone advise?
Hi Annette
I can almost see your shining sun! Sounds like a great effect.
As varnish is protecting the top of the painting, the oil paint, then the substrate (canvas or panel) doesn’t matter. So I would varnish it the same as normal, with a retouching to protect it.
Hi…I am intrigued by the use of aluminum for my painting surface. I want to
leave areas for the metal to “shine through”. As I seem to gather from your
description, the metal is actually covered by a colored primer. Is that correct?
Could I scratch through that primer? I work with acrylics. Thank you so much,
Beah
Hi Beah
No, there is no primer of any kind. It is chemically treated to make the surface molecules ready to bond with paint, ink, graphite or a primer. But the surface is light grey bare metal, with a texture like it has been rubbed with a steel brush.
I hope that helps.
Hi Julie
I am very interested in trying out your aluminium panels,
especially because they are archival. I also like painting
on your inhouse linen panels, because I prefer them to
stretched canvas, but am wary of any kind of wooden
backing board, whether MDF, pliwood or hardboard,
because of the risk of warping at some time in the future.
So here’s a suggestion which you might take on board:
Source some cheaper Dibond composite aluminium
panels, then glue your linen canvas to them,
thus offering a museum quality, archival art panel which
will never deteriorate or warp. From browsing the web, it
seems to me to be what most artists are looking for.
Regards
Stuart
Thanks Stuart. Sounds like a great idea!
I have been discussing it with our director.
It looks like we may go ahead with sourcing the Dibond.
I will keep you updated.
Hi there,
Love working on these panels- so smooth! Just wondering about hanging them .. The
panels look great as they are so would be a shame to frame them. You mention glueing a
hanging system to the back- but the large panels are quite heavy.. Can you recommend a
suitable glue?
Thanks
Hi Felicity
Great news, you can adhere a wood strip to the back that will take screws for hanging.
We have a sample here on which we used regular pva to adhere a thick strip of plywood to the panel. It is so well adhered it seems permanent.
Be aware – as with all glues you need to create a firm contact between the two surfaces and the glue. Clamping is best, a heavy weight will work.
Because clamping might damage a painting you can glue the wood strip on using a clamp before you paint or if you need to add the wood strip after you can use weights.
Here is an image we took of our sample. I will add it to the product information shortly.
https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Jacksons_Aluminum_Panels_Wood_Mount.jpg
If you try it please let me know how you get on.
Just wondering if anyone has tips on how to get all the fingerprint marks off once you’ve
finished working on the panel.
Hi Willow
It’s possible that rubbing alcohol or Isopropyl alcohol could help remove fingerprints from the bare aluminium as alcohol is a good degreasant and won’t leave any other residues. But the fingermarks are happening because the surface is meant to be porous and oil from your skin is getting into the pores of the aluminium – the aluminium is made to be this way so that the paint will adhere firmly. I think it’s just something you might have to live with or try to avoid in the first instance.
Do let us know if you try the alcohol.
Wondering if it is possible to etch into this surface and if
so, is it safe to this ? Any recommendations or suggestions
welcome.
Hi Dale
I can see what I can find out. What materials do you plan to use?
Julie Calves wrote: “… creating an extremely hard porous
surface that allows fantastic adhesion of paints.”
In practical terms the surface is not porous. Whether the
adhesion is “fantastic” remains to be seen over time (50
years). Having said that, oil paint will usually stick
permanently to a non-porous surface. I have proven this
to my satisfaction with old paint stuck on my palette
knives and the shiny edges of the palette itself. It is my
belief that oil paint adhesion problems are more likely
with a surface that is too absorbent, not less, and
spreading paint too thin.
I am part way through my first oil painting on one of these
panels and have just ordered another. I like the material
but for me the bare surface is too smooth and the paint
slides too easily across it to achieve solid colour in the
first layer. It has almost no “tooth” so needs primer or a
paint layer on it before the painting itself is started.
The panels are also quite heavy for their size. They could
be at least one millimetre thinner and still be stiff enough.
Sorry. I spelt your name wrong.
I would also add (in response to some of the comments)
that I don’t see expansion or contraction being an issue
with oil paint on these panels. The tiny amount of
movement, if there is any, will easily be accommodated by
the paint. I would guess it is actually more stable than
other supports in common use. My MDF and hardboard
panels are all a bit warped and while they can usually be
straightened by framing, the non-warping nature of
aluminium seems a big plus.
Hi Patrick
No worries!
Yes, the amount of movement should be the lowest of all the rigid surfaces. Thanks for pointing that out!
Hello
Can you use art resin on aluminium panels???
Thanks
Anna
Hi Anna
I have checked with another user to be sure, and we think it should work well. Neither of us have used resin on aluminium but it is logical that it will adhere well.
As always when trying a new technique or material, I recommend approaching it as an experiment and testing what you can do with it.
I’d love to see your results, if you’d care to come back and share a link when you’ve tried it.
Hi There
I am an artist from South Africa and introduced a new
method of painting on aluminium. I called it
Julio in the New Millenium Medium..Hallmarks of this
medium are brilliant colours, a pleasing high tech finish
and a quantum leap in durabilaty. It is considerably less
vulnerable to chemical. fire and weather damage.
Because of the techniques employed in generating the
artwork no copies or changes can be made to the artwork.
I would love to hold a exhibition in USA New York.
Any surgestions
Thank you
Julio Rossouw
Hi Julio
We are purveyors of aluminium panels (along with many other great painting surfaces and artist materials) so are happy to hear that you are using them also and are happy with them.
Good luck with your future exhibition plans.
Hi Julie
I’ve been experimenting with your aluminium panels. I work
in thick oil paint with palette knives. I love the smooth
surface as it doesn’t offer any resistance. I use a medium to
increase the impasto, but I don’t prime the panels first as
recommended. It seems okay, but can I expect any problems
in the future?
Also, I’ve found the panels in the larger sizes very heavy. Can
you produce a composite panel with a lighter core? This
would make framing and hanging much easier.
Hi Lesley
It’s good to hear that you like the panels.
It is fine to work directly on the metal, it does not need to be primed. The surface is absorbent enough that the paint will adhere without needing to be primed. There should be no problems in the future.
Unfortunately the lighter composite panels we have seen have not been archival, they are designed for advertising purposes and are not meant to last.
We have not found an artist-quality lightweight metal panel that we want to put our name on.
[…] https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2014/03/28/aluminium-painting-panels/ […]
Hi Julie,
I like your panels the best. I have tried the composite panels
and at larger sizes, 18 x 24, they warp.
Can I use Gamblin oil ground on your panels? I have not
primed them before, but I just wondered.
Hi Jane,
Thanks for your comment. Yes these panels are ready to
be painted on with oils, including oil ground.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hello
I would like to adhere my fused glass to these panels. Will
that work? I would use a silicone or mastic product. thank
you , Carolyn
Hi Carolyn
You can adhere something porous to the panels with PVA or other glue and clamping while it’s drying.
But I have no experience with glass I’m afraid. It sounds like you have more experience with that. So if you have a glue that works with glass then it should work for this as the porous surface of the aluminium works well with glue. But it needs to be clamped while it’s drying.
As with anything you are not sure about, try it the first time with the same materials but not important artwork. You might want to try one of our £2 offcuts and a spare piece of glass.
It was mentioned that it is possible to gesso the aluminium
painting panels, am I right in assuming the I can also apply
thinned down gesso via an air-brush?
HI Joshua
We don’t have anyone here who is an airbrush user.
But if you can get it through without clogging it, it seems like it should work.
Or you could brush it on and sand it smooth or roll it on if you want the roller texture.
Or you can use it plain metal.
Hello!
I’m an artist based in Sweden and I was wondering if you are
able to ship Aluminium painting panels to Sweden.
My preferred size is 120cm x 150cm.
Best,
Gazi
Hi Gazi. We do ship to Sweden. If you create an account on our website and login so it knows where you are shipping to, the website will tell you what the shipping is for the order.
We only do the aluminium panels up to 100x100cm. For this size you will need to have it cut special for you. To place an order for a size larger than 60x60cm up to 100x100cm please email sales@jacksonsart.co.uk
Hi ! I’ve just received a small
sample if your aluminium panels. I’ve
read carefully though all the
comments and am still undecided. I
really want to keep the lovely,
smooth surface and paint directly in
oils on it, without priming it. Will
that work? And if I decided to prime
it, what primer can you recommend on
your site ? Thanks a lot, Kim
Hi Kim,
The possibilities are as varied as they come with the Aluminium Panels. You can paint directly on to the surface, or prime with acrylic or oil based primer…if priming it might adhere better with a light sanding beforehand.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi Julie, I’m a painter (oils)living in the Netherlands and
would love to try one of your Aluminium panels, how
heavy(aprox) would a 100x100cm panel be?
Regards,
Luz Elena
Hi Luz
If it is about shipping, the approximate weight – with packaging – of the 40x50cm panels (which is the biggest we do ready-made) is 1.69kg so a 100x100cm would be about 4kg.
If you need the weight of the panel alone I can have someone weight it on Monday.
Thanks,
Julie
Hello
An aluminium panel 100x100cm is a bespoke product. Richard from the framing department provided an estimated weight of the panel and it is 10kg.
If there are other sizes you’d like to check, you could choose a panel near the size and add it to your basket when you are logged in so it knows your delivery address and you can see the shipping charges then.
Hi Julie / Lisa,
Nice to see people still answering comments and
questions on a blog post over 4 years after the original
article was written! Way to go! I just wanted to add, that
painting aluminium is dependent on the surface treatment
of the aluminium being used. I have not had much
experience with painting anodised aluminium, but I can
tell you that painting aluminium in general is dependent
on the removal of the natural oxidization layer found on
the aluminium. I recently wrote an article about painting
aluminium (
https://www.aluminiumtrading.co.za/2019/03/11/guide-
painting-aluminium/) and although the article is more
focused on general or handyman painting of aluminium
around the house, the principles of aluminium having a
natural oxidisation layer still remains true. You guys
stated in the article “The process modifies the surface by
creating aluminium oxide within the surface, creating an
extremely hard porous surface that allows fantastic
adhesion of paints”. This process happens naturally which
is why anodised aluminum is generally sealed after the
anodizing process. I’m very curious to know what you are
doing differently to standard aluminium anodisers that
you consider propriety. One user commented on the
fingerprints being present, this is usually a sign of no or
poor sealing of the aluminium after the anodising
process. Is this perhaps one of the secrets to your
product 😉 Or is it maybe something your anodising
service provider is not doing properly? Interesting either
way. Thanks, Shea.
Hi Shea
This is very interesting, and I must contact the team who manufacture the panels to clarify how the panels are treated. I’ll be right back!
Many thanks
Lisa
[…] Glue needs to be firmly in contact with both side of what it is gluing. If it does not have pressure pushing the canvas against the glue and board, then the glue will shrink away from the fabric, create a dried skin between itself and the board or canvas and you may only have a few spots glued well. (This is true for all PVA type gluing, including when you are gluing a wooden batten to the back of an aluminium panel.) […]
Hi Julie – any info on how oil paint/cold wax
will adhere to the aluminum panels?
hi Alison
There is information in the post about using oils on these panels. Cold Wax will also adhere although we don’t have experience of this as yet at Jackson’s HQ. We suggest giving it a wipe with some solvent before you work. If any readers use Cold Wax on Aluminium please let us know your experiences!
Many thanks
Lisa
[…] Jackson Art: https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2014/03/28/aluminium-painting-panels/ […]
Hello
I was wondering if using exterior house
paints for a larger project, a school
mural would adhere to the aluminium
panels ?
Are your panels the same as the
aluminum composite board signwriters
use ?
Hi Gillian
The panels are not the same as aluminium composite boards that signwriters use, because these are coated with a varnish so that they are inkjet compatible, and this is not designed for use with liquid paint. House paints should work fine for your project on the boards but we always recommend testing out on a smaller scale prior to any bigger scale projects.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi Lisa, did you get any more info on using
oil mixed with cold wax on your aluminum
panels? Has anyone at Jackson’s given it a
go yet? I’m intrigued. Now, if only you’d make
some round sizes, too. Any plans for that?
Hi Mary,
We’ve not yet tried it out ourselves, but the aluminium surface has a slight tooth and its characteristics resemble a primed surface, canvas or wood, so we’ve no reason for oil and cold wax to behave any differently on this surface to primed canvas. That said we are in the process of giving it a try in order to get some concrete evidence that we can share.
Presently the panels are not available in circles, however if you were interested in purchasing multiple circles we may be able to arrange a special order for this! Please contact the shop at 0207 254 0077 should you wish to discuss this further.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi, I’m planning on using acrylics on one
of these panels but have read you need
to use a binder too. Can I not just use
the acrylics straight from the tube?
Thanks
Hi Susan
We have tested acrylics straight from the tube and they work great on the alumnium panels. They adhere very well.
If you could tell me where you read that they need a binder I can go take a look to see what they are referring to.
I’ve just had to destroy 3 paintings of mine
which were on aluminium composite boards
which weren’t from you as I needed larger
boards than you supply .After 3 months
they started to bloom . I primed with a
shallac based primer thinking this would
stop any chemical reaction but obviously
not . Could you suggest a primer I could use
on the boards ? And how to treat them …
i.e. Do you key the surface with a light sand
before priming . I think we need to know
more about the material before we invest
our time and money in the product
Hi Rose
I don’t know how you should treat the composite boards you have as I am not familiar with them. But you can use our aluminium panels without any treatment, they are porous so do not need to be keyed for paint or primer to adhere. What chemical reaction are you concerned about?
About the blooming – do you mean that you varnished an acrylic painting and it later went cloudy? Blooming is caused by water trapped under the varnish, usually because it was varnished before it was fully cured. Could that be the problem?
We can do larger sizes of our aluminium panels, but they need to be made to order. Please ring our office to find out the available sizes and prices +44 (0)207 254 0077.
I would like to use my homemade inks –
water based with gum arabic added- on your
aluminium panels. I did a test but even when
dry some of the inks rubbed off. Any tips for
a sealer I could use to prevent this
happening?
Hi David
I will do a test to see if I could figure out the problem.
Could you tell me please how your inks with gum arabic are different to watercolour, or could I test using watercolour?
Hello.
Julie Caves wrote
15 March 2017 at 3:28 pm
Hi Willow
It’s possible that rubbing alcohol or
Isopropyl alcohol could help remove
fingerprints from the bare aluminium as
alcohol is a good degreasant and won’t
leave any other residues.
This is “durin the work fingerprints”
And what about new panel?
Are there fingerprints of workers or
emploees on the surface?
Than you very much
Hi Jiri
I have not seen any noticeable fingerprints when I get a panel.
They are wrapped in cardboard so our staff do not handle the metal surface. And since the metalworkers are working with sharp edges I assume they’d be wearing protective gloves. So that is probably why there are no fingermarks when you receive it,
Hello! I have a question, can oil color be
removed from the panels and the panels are
ok to re-use? Instead of guessing over it?
Can the color be stripped somehow?
Hi Elke
Dried oil paint forms a permanent bond with the surface of canvas and panels. You won’t be able to remove much paint using any kind of solvent. But dried oil paint can be sanded down on any surface, including aluminium panels. You can sand it down to the bare surface with a power sander or you can sand it partway to get rid of any impasto texture and then paint on top. You do not need to gesso over the paint, you can just start a new painting on top. The sanding will give enough tooth so that the new wet paint will stick to the old dried paint.
I hope that’s helpful.
Hi Team,
Wow, this comment section gives me
faith in the world 😉 Kidding aside,
awesome to work with a company that
relies to its customers!
Unfortunately, my dimension needs (89”
x55”x0.25”) has grown to exceed the
options here, however, I have a critical
question in my efforts to source the
right Aluminum I’ve come to know and
love thanks to you.
What grade Aluminum are these panels
composed of??? Thanks!
AL 1100 (99% pure aluminum)
AL6061 (1% magnesium + .6% silicon)
AL5052 (2.5% magnesium + .25%
chromium)
Hi Lewis.
Sorry it took so long for the answer. And it might not be quite what you need, either.
I’ve been told that it is 5005-H14 aluminium.
The link that explains it is here: https://www.makeitfrom.com/material-properties/5005-H14-Aluminum
And he said from the choices on your list, it is the closest to AL 1100 (99% pure aluminium).
Hi Julie,
I am struggling with your aluminium
panel. I have tried to gesso it with Gold
Black Acrylic Gesso but it scratches off
far too easily. It can be scratched off with
my fingernails or the blunt end of a pencil.
I have tried thinning the Gesso with a little
water but it is even worse! What am I
doing wrong??
Hi Freddy
I have used acrylic on the panels and it adhered very well, so acrylic primer should as well. How long did you let it cure before scratching it? Let me know and I can do a test.
I would like to mount painting on canvas
on to aluminum panels. Please advise as
to size availability and cost. Looking for
20 supports 20”x40”
Thank you
Hi Cynthia
Ours don’t go quite that large and our largest sizes are very heavy. It might be a different kind of aluminium panel that you are looking for.
Hi. Can you supply a spray primed aluminium
panel?
Hi Davie
No, we aren’t able to supply that. But you can apply primer to the panels yourself and we sell a spray gesso that might work for what you need.