There is very little in the art world as versatile as a board. Boards can be painted and drawn on, cut, carved, decorated, hung with art or photographs, used to build, used to frame, and in just about any other way you can imagine.

Artists have long used boards as support and backing for artwork. In fact, only stone has as long a history as an artistic support. Natural boards made of cedar, poplar, beech, walnut, mahogany, and oak have been desired by artists for centuries because of their rigidity, durability, and portability. Today, a number of man-made boards have also been developed to maximize these advantages:

Canvas Boards—Combining the texture of canvas with the rigidity of board, canvas boards are lightweight and low cost. They consist of artist canvas stretched over heavy board backing. The canvas has usually been sized and primed. Depending on the canvas and primers used, canvas boards are great for painting with oils, acrylics, and watercolors. See Canvas Boards.

Clay Boards—These panels, often of masonite, have been coated with a pH neutral clay that's both uniform and durable. Most clay boards are smooth and will work with a variety of media from pencils to oil paints. Clay boards with a textured surface are also available. The texture makes them great for use with such media as watercolors and pastels that require some tooth. See Clay Boards.

Illustration Boards—The pressed surfaces of these boards make them perfect for illustration and line work. Cold pressed boards possess textured surfaces that are perfect for pastels, charcoal, crayon. They also work well with watercolors. Hot pressed boards are non-porous and smooth, allowing for sharper detail. They work best with marker and pen and ink techniques. See Illustration Boards.

Pastel Boards—Designed primarily for use with pastels, these boards have a sandy coating that holds dry media like no other surface. The fine grain tooth also works well with water media. See Pastel Boards.

Scratch Boards—These boards are coated with a fine white clay and then covered with an opaque black ink. Using a scratch knife or other metal tool, the ink can be scraped off without damaging the clay underneath. By scratching through the ink, unique black and white drawings can be created. Some scratch boards come already coated in ink and are ready for scratching. Others require inking before they can be scratched. See Scratch Boards.

Boards are also great for mounting artwork and photographs. Mounting boards are designed specifically for this purpose. They are solidly constructed and possess striking black or white surfaces that showcase the work. Poster boards, corrugated boards, and foam boards provide a cheaper alternative for mounting. Available in a variety of materials and colors, these boards are a quick and inexpensive choice for making signs and displaying artwork. They also make a great material for craft projects, as they're generally easy to cut, shape, and fold.

For actually framing artwork, mat boards are the way to go. Mat boards add contrast and depth to mounted and framed materials. The best mat boards are acid and lignin free so they won't alter or deteriorate artwork over time.