Drawing at an Art Board Person at an Easel

For centuries artists have been working on an easel. But why is that? And should you be working on an easel likewise?

The short answer is: yes, you lot should! 🙂 Information technology really is important to work on an easel and in my online fine art classes I e'er recommend to apply an easel. But why is that? Let me give you three reasons why you should work on an easel.

Easels have been used by artists for centuries. It is believed that easels were already used by the ancient Egyptians, and in the 1st century Roman scholar Pliny the Elder mentioned a "large panel" that was placed upon an easel.

Easels come up in various types, and in a future blogpost I'll discuss the differences between them. But what they all take in common, is that they are a structure onto which you lot tin can place your canvas or newspaper.

Now, when you lot commencement kickoff working on an easel, information technology may feel a bit foreign. From a young age we've learned to draw or paint with our paper flat on a table, so information technology takes a bit of time and practice to get used to working with your newspaper upright. Information technology may exist bad-mannered in the beginning. You may experience a flake insecure and experience a lack of support for your hand, because you don't rest it upon a tabular array. But it is worth the endeavour. Why? Let me give you three reasons.

1. To come across your work at the right viewing angle

Near artworks are meant to exist viewed in an upright position, hanging on a wall. That's why it's important to create our art with the paper or sheet in an upright position likewise, so that the viewing angle isn't distorted.

If nosotros work with our paper flat on a table, the viewing angle changes. This also changes the perspective. We all know that things which are farther away, expect smaller than things that are close by. This principle likewise applies to our newspaper when it'southward lying flat on a table. The objects that nosotros draw at the top part of the paper – which is further away from us – will await merely slightly smaller than the objects that we draw at the lesser role of the paper. Unconsciously we will compensate this by drawing the objects at the top of the paper just a bit bigger.

As long as we are drawing and keeping the newspaper flat, it may await perfectly fine. But when nosotros're finished and we concur the newspaper in an upright position, the cartoon may seem wonky and top-heavy.

When we describe with our paper upright on an easel, our viewing bending is less distorted because we can come across well-nigh of the artwork merely looking straight ahead. This makes it a lot easier to keep the proportions and measurements correct.

Now, this distortion effect is subtle and also depends on the size of your paper. The bigger the paper, the bigger the difference in perspective, and therefore the more likely that your measurements will be off. Merely the principle always applies.

I remember really well when I discovered this for myself in practice. I had just started out drawing portraits, and I was working with my paper flat on the table. I never idea of using an easel – I kind of felt that easels were for 'real artists', not when you are simply cartoon for fun. So I had been working on my portrait for some fourth dimension, and I was actually happy with how it was going. And then when it was ready, I held my newspaper upright to take a look at the final portrait… And information technology looked totally wonky. The top part of the head looked strange, besides big, while the lower part of the head seemed to exist as well minor. I hadn't noticed that at all when my paper was flat on the table. But then I realized my viewing angle had been distorted. And then that was the last time I accept been making portraits with my paper flat on the table. Afterwards that I've always been working on an easel.

This is peculiarly important for artworks where measurements and proportions come up into play, like portraits. When we want to draw and paint faces, it'south key to have the measurements and proportions correct. Otherwise the face volition look wonky or unbalanced. That'south why in my in-depth portrait form Drawing in the Soul we spend a lot of time working on the proportions for diverse face directions (forepart face, profile face, and three-quarter face). And therefore, when creating portraits, it's really better to work on an easel. So that yous have your work in the right viewing angle and see information technology in the right perspective.

Now, there are situations in which yous tin can't piece of work with your paper in an upright position. For example when you're working with very fluid mediums, like watercolor paint. In those cases you'll just have to put your paper in an angle every bit straight as possible, maybe even simply slightly upright. Every at present and then you can stand up and await at your piece of work from the top down, or concur your paper upright, to bank check the proportions. Simply if possible, I really recommend that you work on an easel.

2. To have more freedom of movement

Another reason why it is and then important to piece of work on an easel, is that it gives you more freedom of movement. When you draw with your newspaper flat, you rest your hand or wrist onto the table. That way your movements are more restricted than when you piece of work at an easel, where you can move your whole mitt and fifty-fifty your arm to make your marks and strokes. And that is especially important if you want to draw in an expressive or loose fashion.

When you piece of work standing at an easel, it'south also easier to motion around and to take a step back every now and then. It'due south practiced to view your work from a further distance, because information technology helps to get a practiced overview and to see your work with 'fresh eyes'.

Now, if you're not able to stand for long times on your feet, you lot can too sit down downwardly in front of your easel. Brand certain that your easel can be lowered, and then that you have your work at the right hight in front of yous and you don't have to tilt your head.

Another option is to use a table easel. A tabular array easel is an easel that y'all tin place on your tabular array and information technology will hold your paper upright just like a regular easel. Even though you don't accept the advantage of being able to motility around, yous however have your paper at the right viewing bending and you can move your hand and arm meliorate than when you lot have your paper flat on the tabular array. Table easels are also usually not very expensive, and so if a big easel is too much for your budget and then you can besides choose to work with a tabular array easel.

three. To keep a good posture

Lastly information technology's good to work on an easel because it gives you lot a better posture. If you work with your paper flat on a table, chances are that you are leaning over your drawing. Afterward a while that posture can cause a lot of tension in your neck and shoulder muscles, which in turn can lead to headaches and pain the neck, shoulders and even your dorsum. Information technology'southward much better to stand upright at an easel, so you can keep your caput and neck straight up while you're working.

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Source: https://junabiagioni.com/blog/3-reasons-why-you-should-work-on-an-easel/

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