How to choose an easel for painting

It might seem that choosing an easel takes only a few seconds: walk into a store, pick one you like, and buy it. But it turns out there are many types, and making the right choice is quite a task.

In terms of design, easels can be floor-standing or tabletop; in terms of material, they can be plastic, metal, or wood (wooden products made from lightweight pine or birch are most often chosen, while oak, beech, or ash are used less frequently). By type, there are lyre, studio, tripod, convertible, A-frame, mast, frame, and sketching easels.

An optimal easel is considered to be one that includes:

— a drawer for brushes and paints; — a crossbar between the supports — it prevents the easel from accidentally falling; — holders for the canvas — both top and bottom; — adjustable height, so you can work both sitting and standing (just like real artists).

Ideally, an easel should fold into a flat structure for convenient storage in a closet, behind a door, or even under a bed.

At the same time, telescopic legs are undesirable in the design — they make the product more compact, but increase its fragility.