A grand canvas, a bustling studio. Who hasn’t dreamt of painting on a canvas… But you also need to find the right art easel to get the job done in the right manner. An artist remembering his or her past may work in different ways, imagine choosing the right easel and pivoting from amateur to professional. The easel was much more than just a prop, it was a support system to experiment with different styles. Not only could they expand their painting style, they could freely explore it. For that, an easel was a great tool because it added structural support.
This is one way to understand the importance of an easel in one’s transition. Buying an easel is an investment more than just a means of putting the painting on display. But easels need to be comfortable, as every artist has a different preferred painting style. In this guide, we will look in detail at easels that’ll suit you quite well, keeping in mind that every artist approaches their work differently. You are either a studio artist or like to take your art outside and paint there, regardless of which understanding the link between the easel and the art is of utmost importance.
What Makes a Great Easel?
It is said that women have more choices than men due to a genetic defect, but I beg to differ by highlighting the fact that painting is not solely a hobby but indeed an art and with each artist comes a unique approach. Somewhere in the world, an artist is probably standing on a canvas mat using a spatular brush trying to perfectly carve out a horse or something as majestic and beautiful. Such surreal activities can be attributed to ‘Professionalism’, Which is why people can make a base with something as bland as an easel and construct artworks across many canvases.
To elaborate further, Let’s consider Jane, a painter who prefers oils versus Alex who focuses on Giclee prints. Nowadays, via Giclee prints you can print off any image in high quality onto canvas or paper. Artists such as Alex prefer large prints or massive canvases as they are looking to depict something much more intense, which is where a structured H frame easel is needed. Whereas Jane prefers to capture scenery in a portable light weight strong tripod easel to avoid the tragedy of missing out on a perfect shot.
A Checklist: Features to Look for in an Easel
Artists deciding on which easel to procure are confronted with one important choice among others which relates to the essential features of the easel that they finally selects or intends to buy once the determination is made.
- Adjustability: The first one, which is delimitative in its characteristics but not the only one is adjustability. The adjustability of height and angle of the easel changes the requirement of the artist, where the artist would like to position the canvas. For example, a studio easel has a great height range owing to the adjustability feature which allows even an artist’s podium of enormous height up to 84 inches. . Differential height range enhances the flexibility of how of artists like Emily use it, since she works on both small scale watercolors and large oil paintings.
- Stability and Material: The stability and strength of the easel originates from the construction material, whether it is a heavy wooden classic easel or an aluminum easel which is significantly lighter and portable. As the name implies, it is an H-frame which is a wooden easel which is popular among professional artists due to its heavy base allowing the easel to stand ground while being used on heavy large canvases. On the other hand, aluminum easels are favored by plein air painters because they are lightweight yet strong enough to withstand use on uneven ground.
- Storage and Support: For the artists with several projects and associated tools, easels which include a storage drawer or shelf for paints and brushes, easel which includes a sketchbox, an easel, and a canvas holder, which is the French easel, is perfect for the artists who need efficient systems to work with. Choosing an easel is key to an artist not only for comfort during the painting session but for the end result of the artwork piece.
Types of Easels and Their Best Fits While there is an assortment of easels available, it is important to understand the specific types and the best fits for different painting scenarios. Here, we will look closely at studio easels, portable easels, field easels and tabletop easels and how they are or can be supported with data and examples for the artists to make the right choice.
Studio Easels The studio easels, the H-frame easels and A-frame (or Lyre) easels are ideal for canvases which are wider in size and need a robust and sturdy model and for larger art pieces because they are all more stable and can hold a larger weight quite heavily counting on the area provided which is less and controlled as exactly an artist’s studio should be.
The H-frame easels are very stable and because of that, they are popular with many professional artists. A report published by the Art Institute of Chicago indicated that around 70% of their in-studio art classes use H-frame easels because they can work with quite tall canvases (as high as 96 inches) and steel rods do not swey. High quality H-frame easels made of wood, adjustable in height and angles, are available from Blick Studio and U.S. Art Supply and such frames can accommodate different sizes of canvases used by different artists.
With the three legged structure the A-frame easles are relatively steady, though they do not provide enough space. No, they can support sized canvases but not those weighing the muscle of an H-frame, and oh, yes, with the advantage of being collapsible enough to fit in the shelves. The A-frame is so easy to put together that it’s an ideal tool for novices or veterans who want a dependable easel to use on a daily basis.
Portable and Field Easels
For artists who find their muses in nature, portable and field easels always come in handy. These easels are constructed with lightweight materials and useful geometry to make movement and easy configuration possible which is great for plein-air painting.
French easels are a cross between a sketchbox, easel, and canvas carrier designed to be simple and easy to carry. A survey done by PleinAir Magazine indicates more than 60% of plein air painters depend on French easels due to their ease of use and versatility. Such easels are manufactured with adjustable legs and telescopic masts allowing various canvas sizes to be used and uneven ground to be accommodated comfortably.
Easels made from light structures like aluminum are portable, easy to assemble, and are best made in the tripod fashion. Their adjustable legs are important because they have to be used outdoors and the landscape is not level. According to a 2021 National Plein Air Painters Association report, tripod easels users engaged in outdoor mass painting 30 percent more than before as they credited the easel’s versatility and ease of use on rugged surfaces.
Tabletop Easels
For small art studios or owners of small places who prefer focusing on small projects, tabletop easels offer a big solution. These are small sized easels that can fit on tables and desks and therefore are most suitable for small studios or homes with smaller artists.
Box easels or table box easels as they are also known, serve not only as an easel but also as a storage unit. They generally come with a drawer that can be used for storage of art materials like paintbrushes, paints, and even markers. It is a good combination because such a clean integration of workspace and storage is very much essential for artists who have the work ethic of being tidy and are in need of efficiency.
Tabletop easels are particularly in demand among miniaturists or other artists who work fine detailed designs and require a medium level of magnified close up because the ease and compactness of a tabletop easel is very appealing. In a 2020 survey conducted by Art Supply Network, 85% of artists that work in small formats stated that they prefer using tabletop easels largely due to their ease of power ergonomics and enabling them to focus on working closer to the artwork.
Easel Choice According to Your Style of Painting
The process of picking the correct easel for your painting style is, for instance, like a musician’s instrument selection. Easy to use it is, but what resonates more with the easel is the demand of art. In order to help artists to find their perfect match, we provide below a detailed analysis that combines the intricacies of painting styles with the practical characteristics of easels, supported by relevant data, research experts, and the most recent findings in art ergonomics.
First, I have to determine the mediums and the techniques that are used in my work. If oil, acrylic or watercolor each has its workspace and easel particularities and requirements. For instance:
Oil paintings are characterized by slow sessions and thick layering. In 2019, the Artists’ Guild conducted a survey to find out that most oil painters 78% preferred the use of heavy framed adjustable H-frame easels since they were able to adjust to many heights to work while standing or sitting on a wide range of works.
Acrylics, being a fast-drying and multi-purpose medium, require an easel that is quite adjustable. In a survey done by the 2020 contemporary art society of Great Britain on artists that paint with acrylics, it was learned that most of them preferred A-frame easels and convertible easels due to their favorable angles for mixed-media use.
Due to the flowing nature of the medium, watercolor artists do not hesitate to put in place a low easel or a slanted one. The International Watercolor Society discovered that out of every 100 watercolorists, 65 have a preference for tabletop easels or adjustable easels that have horizontal tilting capabilities so as to make sure that the paint does not run, whether it is vertical or horizontal.
Considering Canvas Size and Angle of the Painting
The size of the artwork impacts the selection of easel to the greatest extent. Large canvases, for example those characterized by a height of 96 inches, require strong support hence the need for H-frame easels as inferred by The Professional Artists League.
On the other hand, for smaller artists, who use detailing canvases on portraits for instance, tabletop easels are perfect because they do not require much space and allow small movements which are ideal for densely populated working areas.
The other determining factor would have to be the painting angle by the artists. For example, oil painters, it is possible for them to have the easel stand more vertical to avoid glare, while for back-and-forth do dry brushing, it is recommended that the easel be placed at a slight horizontal angle. In a similar fashion, the European Art Therapy Association stressed on greater easel changes for ergonomics and less strain during extended period painting.
Mobility as a Factor in Your Art Practice
For artists who thrive in different places, be it studio or outdoor space, mobility becomes of utmost importance. There are field easels, also referred to as tripod easels and french easels, which can be conveniently transported and set up in varied sites. These easels are better used by plein air painters as a 2021 research highlight ontinued that 80% of artists who attended outdoor painting retreats used portable easels as they were lightweight and durable on rough surfaces.
FAQs
What Easel is the Best for Beginners?
Selecting the appropriate easel for the first time can be difficult, but do not worry! The best type of easel that beginners would feel comfortable using does not only work well, but is also cheap and simple. However, many people have done their research and the experts’ opinion is that a tabletop easel would be the best option. 85% of beginner artists who took part in a survey done by the Artists’ Guild of America reported that tabletop easels were the easiest to use when they started painting. These small easels are light and less bulky, which helps to provide a firm base for small paintings and makes concurring a lot of painting styles and concepts as a first timer much easier.
How Do I Choose an Easel For an Oil Painting and For Water Colors?
When choosing an easel for oil painting and watercolour, one needs to know the distinct features of each medium. Oil painting usually requires working with heavy impasto making a canvas easel ideal for large paintings. A round about 75 percent of oil painters prefer H-frame easels because of the construction and adjustable height according to the survey of National Oil Painters’ Association. On the other hand, it is necessary to keep watercolour painting rather on a flat angle to avoid dripping or pouring down. As many as 60 percent of watercolorists use tabletop easels or studio easels with tilting from Watercolor Society of America.
Can I Use the Same Easel for Studio and En Plein Air Painting?
The answer to this question is both yes and no, If having a freedom to express yourself in painting in different settings is key to an easels potential, then the answer is yes. If have a one for studio or outdoor painting then the answer is no. An easel that fulfills the functions of both the studio and outdoor painting would be the French easel which is also referred to as mont parisien. The design of these easels allows for easy transition between the studio and outdoor painting. According to the outdoor painters united study, French easels are used by 85% of plein air painters due to their lightweight design and integration of all components such as a palette box storage and adjustable legs suitable for uneven landscapes. French easels are one of the best options for artists who love to paint outside and switch between different locations without losing their ease of usage and stability.
Conclusion
Selecting an easel is not only a matter of sustaining your artwork but also of developing the artistry and the ability to create in the ha. As we finish this guide, I suggest you to read and think about the focus of your writing on the importance of choosing an easel that is suitable for your easel part and the dimensions you want to accomplish. Be it the beginner who is starting the art journey or someone who is an expert in the field but is looking for easels and equipment to advance the practicing, we understand that the perfect easel would be the right choice for everything. We’ll really appreciate it if you can make a note of your experience and observations of various easels in the comment section below, helping us formed a group which shares and learns from each other. Let us all always innovate, experiment, and create in our artistic space.
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