38 ArtistDrawingandInspiration
Product Featuresize of work it may hold and if the lid
opens to the back or on its side. You
will need to rest it on a table or chair.French style box Easels are an all-
in-one solution perfect for outdoors
or studio use. It is like a sketchbox
easel, described before, but with legs.
It provides support for your work, a
handy draw with compartments to
hold your brushes and paint while you
work, some come with a palette and
it all collapses to a very portable and
convenient way to transport securely
your work and art materials once you
are finished. Be mindful that once
you have packed your art materials
and your work is secured to the lid,
the final carrying weight may be
too heavy for long distance walks.Portable Tripod Easels also
known as Sketch or Field Easels
(ref. EB336400), are lightweight,
sometimes made out of wood, metal
or aluminium, that folds up small
and fits into a carry bag or case for
ease of transport. These are usually
intended for outdoor work (or
‘plein air’ painting) or as a second
support for work in progress once
you are back in the studio. If you
work outdoors, it is recommended to
secure the easel first, before you rest
your canvas on it. Being a portable
and lightweight style can easily fall
over or blow away. A hint is to hang,
via cord or rope, a heavy object
(brick, stone, etc.) attached to themiddle wherelegsandcanvas
support meet. This will provide
stability while you work. Some of
the larger versions of these easels do
not fold into a bag but have a carry
handle attached to one of the legs.Display and Mini Easels.
While most models are used for
creating artworks, others are
mainly used for display. The small
display easels are a good example.
If you have a few small artworks,
drawings or photos that you want
to display on a shelf, a small easel
may be just the ticket. Although
you can work at these easels,
the very small (mini) models are
often too lightweight to handle
too much pressure from a brush or
pencil without moving. Displaying
is what these models do best.
As any product available in the
market today, cost is a consideration
when choosing your “ideal” easel.
The larger and more features the easel
has, the more will it add to the price.
Also the material and finish used to
manufacture it can have a direct effect
on how much you will pay eventually.
If you are just beginning in the
field of painting or drawing, a basic
A-frame may do the job. Once you
know and settle for a style and scale
of work, it will be easy to decide
on the size and features your easel
should have. One with all the “bells
and whistles” may not be the most
practical or appropriate. If you workin traditional painting, a medium size
“H” frame will always be the most
efficient solution. If drawing is more
your style, then a well made “A”
frame easel will be more convenient.
Although some easels are
beautifully stained finished (best
suited as display easels), consider
that the more you work on it, the
more spills, paint, charcoal, pastel,
will eventually cover your support. It
is not the finish but the manufacture,
style, size and features for what it
is intended that will influence the
decision to buy one or another easel.
So while the choice of easels
can and may seem overwhelming,
the main things to consider are:
What you are going to use it
for? (how is the canvas support
adjusted?; what is the maximum
size of canvas/drawing it can safely
hold?; painting, drawing or both?,
outdoors or indoors?), and
What amount of space you
have? (how high does it go?; does
it fold flat for ease of storage
in a cupboard or behind the
door?; can I move it easily?)
And if you are in an art store, ask
for Prime Art easels and request if
you can place a stretched canvas
on the easel to see if it adjusts
to the height or viewing angle
you prefer when painting; if the
features will be an advantage for
the type of art you do or even just
to have a good reference point
for comparison between them.
So while you may not paint in a
garret, or drink lots of wine, with the
right easel you can create a little bit
of the romance of painting right there
in your home or studio. And the best
thing about easels is the older and more
paint splattered they get, the better they
look. There really are few things as
intriguing as a half finished painting
sitting patiently on well-used easel.For your nearest stockist
of Prime Art Easels please
contact Artworks Essential on
02 9736 2022.Art box table easelTripod Easel H-Frame Easel