Start with the honest question: do you need one? For a numbered canvas at 12x16 or 16x20, a table and something to prop the canvas at a slight angle does the job. Easels earn their place when the work is large, when you need to step back and judge it from a distance, or when you paint standing up. Below is what each type is actually for, so you can tell which of those applies to you.
A-frame easel
Three legs, folds flat, cheap and light. The most common first easel and the most commonly outgrown one.
Good at: taking up almost no space when folded, and carrying anywhere. Poor at: stability. Three legs on an uneven floor wobble, and pressing a brush against the canvas moves the whole thing. It also cannot tilt far forward, which matters for watercolor or for anything where you want the surface closer to horizontal.
H-frame easel
A rectangular base with uprights, usually with a mast that cranks up and down. The studio standard.
Good at: holding still. This is the whole point — you can work vigorously against it without the canvas moving, and it holds large and heavy pieces securely. Poor at: going anywhere. It is heavy, it does not fold usefully, and it needs a permanent corner.
Single mast easel
One vertical post on a weighted or splayed base. A compromise between the two above.
Good at: a small footprint with more stability than an A-frame, in a room where a full H-frame will not fit. Poor at: very large canvases, which need the wider support.
Tabletop easel
A small stand that sits on a desk or table and holds the work at an angle. Some are simple folding supports; others are boxes with drawers for supplies.
Good at: exactly the situation most people painting at home are in. It fixes the neck problem of working flat on a table, costs little, and puts everything away in a cupboard between sessions. Poor at: anything above about 20 inches, and at letting you step back to judge the work.
French easel
A folding wooden box with telescopic legs that becomes an easel, a palette and a supply case, and carries over one shoulder.
Good at: painting outdoors. Everything travels in one unit and sets up on grass. Poor at: being light. Loaded, it is a real weight to carry any distance, and the folding mechanisms need looking after. If you are not painting outdoors, this solves a problem you do not have.
Convertible and bench easels
A convertible tilts from vertical through to nearly flat, which matters if you also work in watercolor or ink where a horizontal surface is needed. A bench easel combines a seat with the easel frame, which suits long sessions and small studios.
Display easels
Not for working on. These are the small stands that hold a finished piece upright on a shelf, a sideboard or a mantel. Cheap, and the right answer for a finished canvas you do not want to put a nail in the wall for.
What to check before buying
- Maximum canvas height. Stated by every manufacturer, and the first thing to check against what you actually paint.
- Weight of the easel itself. Heavier is more stable and less portable. Decide which of those you need before you look at anything else.
- How far it tilts. If you work in more than one medium, a fixed near-vertical easel will limit you.
- Whether it holds still under pressure. Push the top of it in the shop. If it rocks empty, it will rock worse with a canvas on it.
What comes with our kits
Our framed kits include a small tabletop easel, which stands the canvas at a working angle while you paint and holds it up afterwards. Unframed kits do not include one — they arrive rolled in a tube and need framing before they can stand on anything, which is covered in our guide to framing a finished canvas.
For most people working through a canvas over a few weeks, that small easel plus a lamp positioned to the side is the entire setup required. If you want to see finished work photographed in ordinary rooms rather than studios, the customer gallery is a good indication of what people actually use.
New to the format? The beginner guide covers setup properly, and there is more on the tools that make more difference than an easel does in our notes on choosing brushes. The designs themselves are in one collection.
