Oil painting easels

Whether you are going to do your oil painting indoors in your studio, garage, living room, or on location, here are some things you need to consider when buying an oil painting easel:

• will you be able to leave your easel in place, or will you have to store it at the end of each session.
  If you can leave it in place you can purchase a full size painting easel such as the Mabef Studio Easel

  Mabef Master Studio Easel M-04 Since 1948, Mabef easels have been manufactured in Italy by skilled craftsmen who have perfected the art of making easels. Each Mabef easel has a simple, functional design that is strong, solid, reliable, and long-lasting. That is why all Mabef easels are backed by a lifetime warranty. The largest studio easel in the Mabef line, the M-04 is made of imported oiled beechwood, crafted in the finest tradition of Italian woodworking. A convenient crank adjusts the height of the working area, and also ensures control as the canvas is being elevated. A simple adjustment of two large brass wingnuts on the base customizes the painting angle. The M-04′s specially designed base features two drawers for holding brushes and paints, and four lockable casters for stability. The easel measures 120"H × 27½"W × 26¾"D. It weighs 70 lb.

  
  
  If you have to store your easel in between painting sessions, you should consider a pochade box or French easel.

  Jullian Original French Easel With a design that has stood the test of time, the Jullian easel combines a sketchbox, easel, and canvas carrier in one, saving time and money for the location or demonstration painter. It is handcrafted of naturally dried beechwood, which will develop a beautiful golden tone with age. It has brass-plated fittings in the tradition of fine cabinetry. The easel stands up to 70-1/2" high, and holds a canvas up to 31-1/2" tall. Folded, the full box easel measures only 16-5/8" wide × 7" deep × 22" high. The two front legs fold away compactly to the side, while the adjustable rear leg disappears neatly into the underside of the easel’s sketchbox. Adjust the legs and the tilt to whatever height and angle best suit your painting style — forward for pastels, vertical for oils, and flat for watercolors. The Jullian comes with a set of spikes, to further enhance the stability of the easel when needed. The weather-resistant, metal-lined box holds paints, brushes, and accessories. Remove the upper drawer, and there’s even more storage space underneath. When not it use, the easel serves as a canvas carrier. A finished painting can be positioned on the outside of the folded easel and carried until completely dry. The Jullian comes pre-assembled and includes a mahogany finish wooden painting palette, a leather carrying handle, and a leather shoulder strap. The Full Box Jullian Easel comes with a Free Carry Bag.

  

• will you be painting small sketches or do you plan to work on large canvases.
  If you are painting small sketches only, you can use a table top easel.

  Jullian Plein Air Travel Box Table Easel This elegant table easel turns into a travel case for painting on the go.The oiled elmwood box is made in France by Jullian, and holds a canvas up to 34" high. It has a tin-lined, locking pullout drawer for supplies. Organize supplies the way you like — drawer compartments are adjustable. Details include brass-plated hardware, a leather handle, and a tag holder made for long-lasting durability and style. Ships fully assembled.

  
  If you are painting on large painting supports you will need a full size easel.

• are you very tall and want to use your easel outdoors as well as indoors
  You will need an easel that has extendable legs so you do not have to crouch down to paint.

  Testrite #100 Standard Easel Testrite’s portable aluminum easels are an outstanding choice for the artist who needs a second easel for travel. They’re strong, yet lightweight. They support a lot of canvas, yet they fold with ease to fit into a trunk or luggage compartment. This easel weighs only 3 lb (1.3 kg), yet it supports a standard 12" × 16" (30 cm × 41 cm) sketchbox, and can hold canvases up to 55" (140 cm) high. It opens and extends to a height of 83" (211 cm), yet it folds down to only 33" (84 cm) long. It can also be used as a table easel. An "auto-lock" canvas clamp maintains stability. Lower canvas holders are adjustable. Extremely sturdy construction, including special center support geometry, makes it suitable for both studio and outdoor use. Its telescoping aluminum legs, measuring 3/4" and 5/8" in diameter, are easy to adjust, with leg-locking devices. Each leg has a rubber tip to prevent slipping and sliding indoors, and leg spikes for outdoor use.

  

• do you want to store your brushes and paints in the easel, or is it only for holding the painting support
  If you need a multi-purpose easel, then choose a pochade box or French easel.

  Adapter Sets Now you can securely carry panels in the lid of your Guerilla TravelBox or support wet panels in your Panel Carriers. Each adapter holds two wet panels or a watercolor block. Sets contain two adapters of different sizes. Adapters are constructed of laminated basswood with stainless steel hardware.