Painting Easels

Painting easels are simply a portable stand, usually a tripod, which serves to hold a canvas upright and in place while being painted on. There are easels that also have storage provisions for brushes and other painting tools. The use of these easels in painting dates back to the ancient Egyptian era and is said to have flourished during the Renaissance period. Generally, painting easels are made of wood, steel or aluminum. There are paint easels that are purposely made to stand on the floor; while there are others that are shorter and more fit to be used and to be placed on tables.

The purposes of easels for painting are centered on the painter’s convenience and the painting’s precision. For the former, setting the work vertically would give the painter a nice actual view of his work. For the latter, the work is less likely to collect dust when it is made to hang vertically. Also, the chances of the project getting spilling accidents are minimized.

It must be understood though that not all painting projects require the use of painting easels. For example, painting with watercolors and acrylic paint may be done on any flat smooth horizontal surface. On the other hand, paintings that use oil as a medium do require the use of easel because they tend to accumulate dust on them.

Furthermore, the use of the painting easels vary depending on the kind of project that is on hand. Thus, there are various types of painting easels designed for the particular purpose, such as the following:

First, there are table-top decorative easels, which are great for use on small-scale painting projects. It is said that this is the least expensive kind. From the name itself, these painting easels can be placed on tables or any flat surface. Also, they can be folded up and stored easily. Furthermore, the painter can sit comfortably on a chair while finishing up his work.

Another type of painting easels are the studio easels. These are the bigger kind that tends to take up a lot of floor space. In effect, one would need a bigger room space in order to work comfortably. On the brighter side, since they weigh more, they are very stable. This prevents any unnecessary movements on the work project.

The third kind is the French painting easels. Aside from functioning as an easel, they carry canvas and they could likewise be a sketch box. They have storage compartments for the painting tools and canvas. They are adjustable, which allows the painter to work on different angles. They are also foldable and can be easily carried around.

Next is the sketching, portable and display picture easels. These are very lightweight foldable easels that are great to be taken outdoors. The display easels are suitable for showcasing or for leaving a painting to dry. This latter type is not apt to be used for more actual painting projects because they are not really that stable.

Finally, there are the sketchbox or paintbox painting easels. These are box-type easels with covers to store the painting supplies.

All kinds have both their pros and cons. The best painting easels actually depend on the needs of the painter and the use the latter has for them.