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Easel

arts Maturity 11-13 Next article →

An easel is a stand used to hold things.

Tripod easel
Tripod easel

It holds a surface at a tilt. Most artists use them to hold a painting. This helps them work while standing up.

Hframe easels
Hframe easels

There are many types of easels. An A-frame easel uses three legs. It is often called a tripod. These can be small or portable. Some artists take them outside to paint.

Pissarro mit Familie an seiner mobilen Staffelei, Éragny, 1901. Archives Musée Camille Pissarro
Pissarro mit Familie an seiner mobilen Staffelei, Éragny, 1901. Archives Musée Camille Pissarro

An H-frame easel looks like the letter H. It has straight posts. These are often very strong. Some large studio easels can hold heavy panels. They can hold things over 7 feet tall.

People have used easels for a very long time. They were used in ancient Egypt. Some easels are made of wood. Others use aluminum or steel.

Easels are not just for painters. A darkroom easel holds photo paper flat. This helps when making a print. There are also easels for children. These often have chalkboards or whiteboards.

Artist painting with a Multi Media fully adjustable easel
Artist painting with a Multi Media fully adjustable easel

They are made to be very tough.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Tripod easel.jpg
Tripod easel.jpg
File:StateLibQld 1 102016 Interior of Brisbane Technical College Signwriting class, ca. 1900.jpg
StateLibQld 1 102016 Interior of Brisbane...
File:Hframe easels.jpg
Hframe easels.jpg
File:Artist painting with a Multi Media fully adjustable easel.jpg
Artist painting with a Multi Media fully...
File:Pissarro mit Familie an seiner mobilen Staffelei, Éragny, 1901. Archives Musée Camille Pissarro.jpg
Pissarro mit Familie an seiner mobilen...
File:Maskownica.jpg
Maskownica.jpg
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