The Easel
Almost every painter will tell you that the easel is the foundation of artistic creation.
Choosing a good easel is just as important as brushes, pastels and paints.
The easel is a solid platform for your creation and while you may want to choose something inexpensive when you first start, you'll want to replace it later when you've got a better idea of what you want.
It's important to know what kind of wood or metal will suit your needs.
The grade of wood, if that's the medium you choose, can be light or heavy, sturdy or portable.
A good studio easel can be large and unsuitable to take into the field while one that is too light would break easily if you tried to use it outdoors.
Wood or steel are the best choices for easels that aren't often moved, as they provide stability.
If you'll be painting outside you should consider aluminum or wood.
What kind of canvas will you be working with? If you like to paint large canvases that are often heavy you won't want a lightweight easel.
Imagine yourself at work on a painting; are you an aggressive, physical painter or one that uses delicate strokes and sweeps? Whether you prefer to sit or stand when painting, or a combination of both, dictates whether you want an easel that is easily adjustable.
Likewise, if you have limited space in your working area you may want to choose a tabletop easel over a freestanding one.
You may want to invest in a French easel which are a type of portable floor easel that doubles as a traveling easel.
This type of easel features a sketchbox to store your supplies in and a carrier for the apparatus.
It will fold up easily for carrying with the canvas attached to the back for support.
You can also position your canvas in a variety of ways, making this type of easel suitable for nearly any purpose.
The shape of your easel also has a lot to do with its functionality.
Floor easels come in the tripod styles which most people think about when they envision an artist at work, and H-frame versions.
The H-frame consists of two vertical posts and a crossbar, hence the term "H" frame.
Tripods are the most easily moved from room to room while H frames are easily stored in small spaces.
Choosing a good easel is just as important as brushes, pastels and paints.
The easel is a solid platform for your creation and while you may want to choose something inexpensive when you first start, you'll want to replace it later when you've got a better idea of what you want.
It's important to know what kind of wood or metal will suit your needs.
The grade of wood, if that's the medium you choose, can be light or heavy, sturdy or portable.
A good studio easel can be large and unsuitable to take into the field while one that is too light would break easily if you tried to use it outdoors.
Wood or steel are the best choices for easels that aren't often moved, as they provide stability.
If you'll be painting outside you should consider aluminum or wood.
What kind of canvas will you be working with? If you like to paint large canvases that are often heavy you won't want a lightweight easel.
Imagine yourself at work on a painting; are you an aggressive, physical painter or one that uses delicate strokes and sweeps? Whether you prefer to sit or stand when painting, or a combination of both, dictates whether you want an easel that is easily adjustable.
Likewise, if you have limited space in your working area you may want to choose a tabletop easel over a freestanding one.
You may want to invest in a French easel which are a type of portable floor easel that doubles as a traveling easel.
This type of easel features a sketchbox to store your supplies in and a carrier for the apparatus.
It will fold up easily for carrying with the canvas attached to the back for support.
You can also position your canvas in a variety of ways, making this type of easel suitable for nearly any purpose.
The shape of your easel also has a lot to do with its functionality.
Floor easels come in the tripod styles which most people think about when they envision an artist at work, and H-frame versions.
The H-frame consists of two vertical posts and a crossbar, hence the term "H" frame.
Tripods are the most easily moved from room to room while H frames are easily stored in small spaces.
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