Types of Easels for a Seamless Painting Experience

If you’re just getting started with painting, you’ll need to be fully aware of all types of easels out there.

There are portable easels, tabletop easels, and a lot more types. You’ll want to learn about each type and what it does. This way, when it’s time to choose, you make the right choice.

Whether you’re looking for an easel for your new painting hobby or your professional painting job, here are the common types on the market.

Types of Easels – A-Frame

A-frame easels are pretty standard on the market, so you’ve undoubtedly encountered one or two before. They’re otherwise called Lyre easels.

These easels are mostly triangle-shaped with a broad base and three legs. They come with two legs in the front and one in the back.

They’re called A-frame easels because the broad base and narrowing poles give the impression of an A letter.

These easels are ideal for people with limited storage spaces. You can tuck them away into a corner easily, and you can push their back leg upfront. This way, you flatten the easel, and you can store it under a bed or above a wardrobe.

These easels are mostly budget-friendly, but some professional or high-end models can reach $300.

H-Frame Easels

H-Frame easels have the same design concept as A-frame easels, but their poles stay parallel. So, they look like H letters with their wide bases.

These easels are best suited for large and heavy canvases because they have solid bases. Of course, they take up more room, and they’re more challenging to store. But that’s only because they’ll fit any canvas you throw at them.

On top of that, there are small versions available for tight spaces, so finding a suitable one for your studio shouldn’t be hard. You can aim at a foldable model if you’re worried about storage.

These champs mostly come with trays or sketch boxes to store your painting supplies. They can handle canvases up to 96 inches and maybe more. That’s why some of them can cost as high as $1500.

There are still some pretty solid options for $100, though.

Types of Easels – Portable

Portable easels come in a variety of designs. They may be A-Framed, H-Framed, or even tabletop easels. However, what’s common between all of them is that they can be stored and carried anywhere. In addition, they mostly have foldable frames to make moving around with them more accessible.

And, of course, they’re lightweight for ease of carrying. They’re mostly designed for outdoor use because they’re meant for painting trips and similar activities.

Most portable easels have tripod legs because they’re more compact. They’re also either made of aluminum or wood, depending on the quality and the price.

Some portable easels have drawers for supplies, and some models have shelves for paint palettes. That being said, most of them only come with a small tray, and some don’t even have it. They’re meant to be stored in the tightest place possible, so they don’t come with all the needed features.

Portable easels can hold canvases up to 80 inches high. You’ll find some affordable models at $17 and some high-end ones costing $500 or more.

Tabletop Easels

Tabletop easels are meant for artists who work in tight spaces. They supposedly don’t have enough room for a standing easel, so they resort to easels that sit on top of the counter. Unfortunately, these easels only carry small canvases, so they’re not suitable for large works.

However, this gives them the advantage of being portable and lightweight. You can accompany your easel anywhere. You can also store it anywhere or use it as a showcase for your finished painting.

Some tabletop easels have drawers for your supplies, which is a bonus for their small size. Some of them also have an H-Frame design to offer better stability.

Generally, tabletop easels can hold canvases up to 32-inches high. They can cost anywhere from as low as $15 and up to $200, according to their construction and features.

Types of Easels – Convertible Easels

Convertible easels are the best type available for artists who work on different media frequently. They’re called convertible because you can literally convert them to tabletops.

This comes incredibly in handy for artists who use multiple paint types. For example, if you work with acrylic or oil paint, you’ll need your painting to be upright. On the other hand, if you paint with watercolors, you’ll need a horizontal surface to prevent the water from trickling down the paper.

In this case, a convertible easel is the best option for you.

These fellows come in various sizes, but they mostly handle a maximum of 85 inches tall paintings. They come with trays for your supplies, and they need ample space for storage.

You can get a pretty decent convertible easel for $300, but there are more affordable options at $100 and less.

Oversize Easels

Oversize easels, or giant easels as they’re commonly called, aren’t for the faint-hearted. They’re designed for large-scale painting, so they’re mostly the target of professional and renowned artists.

These fellas can hold canvases up to eight feet long, which is more than impressive. They can also handle canvases with 120-inch height and more. They’re too sturdy to hold the canvas weight well, and they’re bulky.

Of course, they need ample space for storage, but some models fold down on themselves to make your life a little bit easier.

Oversize easels will cost from $300 to $2000, depending on the model and the features that come with them.

Single Mast Easel

Single mast easels are primarily meant for users on a tight budget and artists in cramped spaces. They’re too compact for their own good, but they do the job just right. If you don’t have any room for storage, you may want to opt for one of these fellas.

They’re not sturdy, so you’ll have to be careful dealing with them. However, they’ll do what’s needed for students and beginners.

Single mast easels can hold up to 72 inches tall canvases. They can cost anywhere from $50 and up to $600.

Bench Easel

Bench easels are perfect for outdoor use because they double as a bench seat. So, you only need to carry the easel while going outside, and it’ll already have an integrated seat you can sit on while painting.

These easels fold down on their frames for storage and transportation. They’re convenient when you’re going outdoors because they eliminate the need for a separate chair. Some of them also have wheels for easier transport.

If you’re giving demonstrations or teaching students outside, these are the best options for you.

Bench easels aren’t too high, so they can only carry canvases up to 30 inches in height. But you may find some bigger options if you need them. Their cost ranges from $200 to $500.

Types of Easels – Wrap Up

As you can see, the market is full of different types of easels. To choose right, you need to first decide what you’ll use the easel for. Of course, you’ll also want to consider the space you have for storage.

Some large easels, like oversize ones, will need some planning for their storage space.

You can always opt for a convertible or a foldable easel if you don’t have enough space for a fully-fledged one.

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