Easels are available in many styles.
An easel is an upright support typically used to hold up a canvas, sketchbook or object. Commonly used by artists, easels provide a frame to rest a canvas against during painting or for display. Easels range in shape, complexity, size, weight, material and carrying capacity.
Single-Mast Easel
Single-mast easels are small and affordable. T-shaped and supported by hinged rear legs that fold flat for storage, this type of easel provides enough stability to support a small canvas or display. Often made of wood and simple in design, single-mast easels are lightweight and less expensive than other types of easels.
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A-Frame Easel
A-Frame Easels are popular with artists.
A-Frame easels are more sturdy and portable than single-mast easels. For stability an A-frame easel relies on a triangular arrangement of posts and a supportive rear leg. Typically, the single rear leg can be flattened for easy storage and portability. A-Frames adjust in height and hold small or medium sized canvases or objects.
H-Frame Easel
This type of easel is sturdy.
H-frame easels are larger and more complex than A-frames, and H-frames are the most expensive and difficult to move. An H-frame easel has a supportive rectangular base to handle larger objects and canvases. An H-frame adjusts and tilts, allowing the artist to modify the easel for his needs. According to Dick Blick easel retailer, though this type of easel can be collapsed for storage or transport, due to its size and sturdiness, the H-Frame easel tends to be heavier in its collapsed state and more difficult to manage than other easels.
Table Top Easel
Table top easels allow you to paint horizontally.
Table top easels are inexpensive and work in smaller spaces. Madison Art Shop indicates that this type of easel is an ideal choice for someone who does not have the available space for a floor easel or an artist who has trouble standing. Table top easels are also lightweight and collapsible.
