The Best Easels for Oil, Acrylic, and Watercolor Painting

Painting is such a freeing and joyful activity. You get to play with colors, experiment with textures, and create something that reflects your worldview. But before diving into your next masterpiece, you might want to consider the kind of easel you’re using. A suitable easel can make your painting journey smoother, especially with different mediums like oil, acrylic, or watercolor. In this blog, we’ll walk through the various types of easels and how they suit your painting style.

Different Types of Easels

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all easel for every painter. Different easels serve different purposes, and it’s worth figuring out which matches your goals.

A-Frame Easels (Lyre Easels)

• Basic Design: Shaped like the letter “A,” usually with three legs. One leg is at the back, while the front offers two legs that hold the canvas.
• Advantages: Lightweight, easy to fold up, and budget-friendly. Perfect if you need something to move around without a struggle.
• Best For: Oil and acrylic painters who prefer a more upright position. If you like painting standing up or switching between sitting and standing, this easel allows you to do so.

H-Frame Easels

• Basic Design: Resembles the letter “H,” with two parallel vertical posts and a sturdy crossbar. Usually heavier and more stable than A-frame easels.
• Advantages: Can handle larger canvases without wobbling. This stability is excellent for artists who like more significant pieces or use lots of heavy brushstrokes.
• Best for: Oil and acrylic painters working on large canvases. These easels might not be the best for someone who wants to move quickly from room to room, but they’re fantastic if you have a dedicated painting space.

Tabletop Easels

• Basic Design: Compact easels that rest on a table or desk, often foldable for easy storage.
• Advantages: Perfect if you have limited space or paint in smaller formats. They’re also great for kids or for traveling to workshops.
• Best For: Artists who work with small canvases, do sketches, or want to set up a mini painting station in a corner of their room. Acrylic and watercolor painters often like tabletop easels for quick sessions.

French Easels

• Basic Design: A classic portable easel with a built-in box. You can store paints, brushes, and other supplies inside, then fold everything into a suitcase-like shape with handles.
• Advantages: Plein air (outdoor) painters love them because they’re light enough to carry around. You won’t need an extra backpack for all your brushes, palette knives, or paint tubes.
• Best For: Oil, acrylic, and watercolor artists who want to paint outdoors. A French easel could be your best friend if you love nature scenes, cityscapes, or just the feel of painting outside.

Convertible Easels

• Basic Design: These can shift from vertical to horizontal positions. Some even allow you to tilt at various angles, letting you find the best position for the medium you’re using.
• Advantages: Very flexible. If you paint in oils one day and watercolors the next, it can adapt to both. When painting watercolors, you can tilt it almost flat.
• Best For: Multi-medium artists who switch between oil, acrylic, and watercolor. If you love variety or haven’t settled on a single style, a convertible easel keeps your options open.

Choosing the Right Easel for Oil Painting

Oil paints are thick, and you might use heavier brushstrokes to build texture. An easel that can remain sturdy under that pressure is helpful. H-frame easels are a top choice for oils because of their stability. A French easel is a classic option for painting outdoors with oils. It’s easy to carry, and the built-in box is handy for transporting paint and mediums.

Things You Might Appreciate When Oil Painting:

• Strong support to handle big canvases and firm brush pressure.
• A tray to keep your brushes and medium cups.
• The ability to adjust height so you can comfortably paint while standing or sitting.

Choosing the Right Easel for Acrylic Painting

Acrylics can be used in various ways, from thick layers to thin washes. You might switch techniques within the same session. A-Frame and H-Frame easels work well, but a sturdy tabletop easel can be enough if your space is small. Acrylic paint dries faster than oils, so you might rotate or switch canvases. An easel that’s easy to adjust could be a bonus.

Things You Might Appreciate When Acrylic Painting:

• Flexible angle adjustments so you can lean your canvas forward or backward as you change techniques.
• A storage tray for quick paint changes (acrylic can dry on your palette if you don’t stay on top).
• Portability if you like painting in different rooms to get a change of scenery.

Choosing the Right Easel for Watercolor Painting

Watercolor behaves differently from oils or acrylics. Paint can flow across the paper if it’s too vertical, so a slightly tilted or flat surface is better. Some watercolor artists prefer working almost flat, especially for washes. That’s where a convertible or tabletop easel that can tilt comes in handy.

Things You Might Appreciate When Watercolor Painting:

• A surface that you can angle to control paint flow.
• A lightweight design for easy setup, mainly if you paint outdoors and want a quick start.
• Stability that holds your watercolor paper securely, preventing it from buckling or sliding.

Quick Comparison Table

Below is a simple table summarizing how each easel might align with each medium:

What Features to Look For?

Material and Build

Wooden easels look traditional and sturdy. Aluminum or other metals are lighter and more portable. A heavier easel is more stable if you paint heavily with oils or thick acrylics. However, a lightweight metal easel could save your back if you move around or plan to paint in different rooms.

Adjustability

Look for ease of changing the angle or height of the easel. If you paint seated, you might need a wide range of height adjustments. If you like trying different mediums, you’ll want an easel that can tilt from upright to flat.

Portability

Do you travel for workshops or paint outdoors? Then you need something foldable and light. If you stick to a home studio, you can focus on stability instead.

Canvas or Paper Size

Double-check the maximum and minimum size the easel can hold. If you enjoy painting large-scale abstracts or vast landscapes, you’ll need an easel that can handle that size without tipping over.

Where to Buy

When you’re ready to pick up an easel, you’ll find many options online and in physical art stores. One place that has a wide selection is Blick Art Materials. They carry an array of easels to fit every budget and medium. You can visit their website or a nearby Blick store to check out the easels in person. A hands-on look can help you gauge whether the easel’s height adjustments, weight, and material feel right for you.

Setting Up and Maintaining Your Easel

• Unbox and Familiarize: After you open up the box, take a moment to see how your easel folds and locks in place. Knowing this can save time when you’re itching to start painting.
• Adjust for Comfort: Make sure the top clamp (if any) and bottom ledge are positioned so your canvas is at eye level or slightly below. You shouldn’t have to strain your arms or neck.
• Clean After Each Session: For oil or acrylic, wipe away any stray paint on the easel. Using watercolor, lightly blot any drips that might have landed on the wood or metal.
• Store Properly: Fold up your easel and store it in a dry area if you’re not using it for a while. This keeps the materials from warping or rusting (if it’s metal).

Final Words

Choosing the best easel doesn’t have to be confusing. You just need to think about how and where you paint. Maybe you do oil portraits in a small apartment, love painting abstract acrylic pieces in a dedicated studio, or perhaps you’d instead practice watercolor flowers in the park.

When hunting for that perfect easel, don’t forget to check out Blick Art Materials for a diverse range of options. Browsing online is convenient, but seeing these easels in person is worth seeing. That way, you can test how they handle it and imagine yourself setting up your canvas, mixing paints, and creating something beautiful. Once you find the right easel, you’ll wonder how you ever painted without it.

So unfold that easel, set up your paints, and let the creative sparks fly. Here’s to many inspiring hours spent in the blissful zone of making art. Happy painting!