Artists Easels
There are lots of different things to think about when buying an easel, which by the way makes a fantastic present.
Easels are meant for supporting canvases so that you can step back and look at your work from a distance, seeing more easily the faults and corrections that you have to make. Whether you paint large or small also plays a big part in whether you buy a table easel or a standing easel. Also what has to be taken into account is, how much room do you have? Some standing easels can be folded up and stored in a corner, some are pieces of furniture that are there to stay. This is something to take into consideration before you buy your easel. Most easels, especially the big ones, but not all, come with shelves, drawers or other gadgets to help you store your equipment whilst painting. Then there is also the consideration of do you want to be part of the ‘save the earth’ movement. Easels can be made from protected and managed forest wood, where by the price you have to pay is a bit more, or a cheaper version is made from unmanaged wood which is not so good for the environment.
Table easels also come in many shapes and forms. Some are handmade and some are manufactured commercially. Table easels can be the standard version which is fairly stable and robust which can be folded and stored elsewhere. They can also be flatter and more in the shape and form of an adjustable book reader. These can be folded even flatter and take up even less room.
Then there are field easels that are usually waterproof and used outdoors for plein air painting, these also come in many shapes and sizes. The field easels of which there are many, are usually made of steel or aluminium and sometimes wood which is can be coated with a protective varnish. These usually come with a carrying case for transportation. Make sure you practice the construction of this the easel before you take it out into the field!
There are dozens of easels on the market, some more useful than others. It’s well worth looking around for what suits you the most. Here are a few that we have chosen for you, take a look.
Plein air easels
Stand Easels
Table Easels
