An easel is an upright support for painting. Easels are mainly used by painters to support a painting while they work on it and sometimes are also used for displaying finished artwork. There are many different types of easels so it can be very confusing for a beginner to choose the appropriate one. When you decide to purchase an easel it is important that you know what kind of are you planning to create, will you work indoors or outdoors, do you have enough storage space for it…
For those of you who decide to work indoors on a large canvas and have a studio space with no need to store the easel after use H-frame easel is the answer. One of the very useful H-frame easels I can recommend you is Mont Marte floor easel.
H-frame easels are very sturdy and stable, able to support very heavy canvas without the fear of flipping over. They are usually a bit heavier and not foldable as much as some of the smaller easels so it is important that you see the dimensions of the easel you are about to purchase and make sure you have enough space so you can use your easel to its full potential.
Some of the H-frame easels have a mast that is extendable over 3m in height so that is one more feature you want to pay attention to and make sure the ceiling in your studio is tall enough so you can as I already mentioned use your easel to its full potential.
Easel is not something you will buy very often and if you choose well and take good care of your easel it can last you a lifetime so it is worth sometimes spending a little bit more money to get a good quality one.
In the old days, easels were typically made of wood, nowadays you can find easels made of other materials such as aluminium or steel. The basic design of easels hasn’t changed much over the centuries.
H-Frame Easel
The design of an H-frame easel is based on right angles. Basically, all the posts are parallel to each other and the base of an easel is of a rectangular shape to ensure its stability since H-frame easels are meant to support heavy large-format canvases.
The main front end of the easel has two vertical posts with a horizontal crossbar support and that gives the easel the shape of a letter “H”.
H-frame easels are one of the biggest easels and are used for studio work since they can be very heavy depending on their carrying capacity.
Mont Marte
Mon Marte is an Australian company that produces art supplies that are of good quality and yet affordable.
It started out as a small family company and now they have more than 40 full-time staff in Australia. Today their products are available in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Mont Marte Floor Easel
Mont Marte floor easel is an H-frame studio easel.
It is made out of Beech Wood which is the best choice for an artist easel because it is a dense, light-weight, wood with a very high degree of consistency and uniformity.
If you take care of it properly your easel will last you a life time.
Basic Features
The easel has a sturdy square base with lockable castors on it for better mobility. On the front end right under the mast, it has a storage tray where you can put the tools and paints you need while painting. It is very easy to adjust it to the desired angle and has a trigger action height adjustment.
This is a convertible easel which means that besides the ability to be tilted in many angles it can also lay completely flat. This feature can be very useful to you if you are working with watercolors or more liquid mediums.
Also, the ability to position your easel flat makes it easier for you to varnish your paintings especially if the canvas you work on is of a large format and can not be easily and safely placed on a table.
Approximate dimensions of the easel are 65cm width, 70cm depth and 263cm height. It can accommodate a canvas up to 200cm. The easel is not foldable and if you do not have a studio space you might want to reconsider about purchasing this particular easel since it can not be folded to be stored under the bed or in the corner where it would not be in your way.
Pros
- Made of quality Beech Wood with fittings made from brass plated steel
- Convertible, along with tilting to get the best working angle has the ability to lay flat
- Tool tray that allows you having your brushes and paints at hand while painting
- Sturdy and stable but still mobile with lockable casters
- Affordable price
Cons
- Can not be folded flat and stored away which is bad for painters that do not have a dedicated studio space
Overall Opinion
Overall with Mont Marte studio easel, you get the mobility, adjustability and quality at a very affordable price. This easel is great for beginners and good enough for professional artists with studio space.
It is sturdy and stable and will give you security while you work without any fear of flipping over. It can be easily adjusted to tilt in any angle you need for painting and it can lay flat making it easy for you to varnish your painting or work with more liquid mediums.
All in all one more good quality, affordable product coming from Mont Marte company.
In case you do not have studio space and you need an easel that can be stored out of the way after painting I can recommend you Winsor and Newton Hamilton studio easel which can be folded flat and stored away. This is also a convertible H-frame studio easel. Made of quality Beech Wood. It can accommodate a canvas up to 138cm in height.
If you have any questions about this subject feel free to leave them below in the comment section and I will be more than happy to answer.
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