Finding the right easel can be a real challenge even for the experienced painters. There are so many things that should be taken into consideration when buying an easel. Size, storability, mobility… Some easels are good for outdoor painting, some solely for the studio. One type of easels can support large canvas formats and there are some that are for smaller ones.
It can be very confusing about what to purchase when you are a beginner. If you have a studio space and would like to work on a large canvas Winsor and Newton Hamilton studio easel is the right one for you. That is an H-frame easel.
H-frame easel designs are based on right angles. All of the posts are parallel to each other and the base of the easel is rectangular. The main front part of the easel consists of two vertical posts with horizontal crossbar support. This gives the design the shape of “H”.
Studio easels are the largest easels meant to support panels weighing over 200 pounds and measuring over 7 feet in height. They are meant for use in the artist’s studio with a limited need for the easel to be portable. They can be heavy and not easily foldable to fit into small spaces.
H-frame easels can be very complexed in design including winches, multiple masts and casters.
Winsor And Newton
Winsor and Newton company was founded in 1832 by William Winsor and Henry Newton. The firm was originally located in London at Henry Newton’s home.
This is the company with a long tradition and experience. Only the top quality materials are used in the production of their art tools and supplies.
All supervised by experienced artists. This is enough to assure you that with this company you get only top quality art supplies.
In other words, if you decide to purchase from Winsor and Newton line of products you can not make a mistake.
Hamilton Studio Easel
Built to last, easily adjustable in height and tilt angle this easel is fit for studios and perfect for colleges.
Hamilton studio easel is handcrafted from seasoned Beechwood and designed for many different painting techniques such as watercolor, pastel, acrylics and oil painting.
Performance
This model is fully adjustable which means it tilts forward for glare reduction for painting and tilts backwards to form a table suitable for watercolor painting and other more liquid techniques or for varnishing.
This is really useful if you are working on a bigger canvas that can’t be placed on the table to be varnished.
There is also a fully adjustable painting tray for storing the tools and materials you need while painting.
A nice feature that this easel has and not many H-frame easels do is the option to fold it flat so you can actually store it easier in a smaller space. This is really good since not every painter has a studio space to work in and has to store his tools after working.
The Hamilton easel can accommodate a canvas of maximum height of 138 cm (52″). The height of the easel when horizontal is 93cm.Height of easel 231cm (91″)Width of easel 62cm (24″)Depth of easel 70cm (27 ½”)Folded dimensions: 133 x 63cm x 19cm (50½ x 24x 6½”)Weight: 8kgs (17lb 5oz).
Overall Opinion
This is good in budget easel. I would rather recommend it to beginners and students than to serious painters. Not as sturdy and stable as one would expect from H-frame easel.
Even tho the foldable base is a good feature for those without studio space the lack of casters means the lack of mobility and the foldable base means the lack of stability.
The tool tray on the front mast seems too small and not really that useful. The easel can’t accommodate really large canvas and anyway I believe it isn’t sturdy enough to hold one.
Price really is more than acceptable but then again there is much more reliable easel made by US art supply Malibu H-frame studio easel which is in the same price range but gives a sense of security when worked on.
I could basically say this s a really good almost ideal student or beginner easel because it is light, easily adjustable and foldable which allows you to get it out of the way when you’re not using it.
Also, I do not see the students or the beginners working on large paintings so they will not mind the lack of this easel carrying capacity. And the price is not as high as for the other more serious studio easels.
Pros
- Easily adjustable
- Suitable for many painting techniques
- Foldable for storing purposes
- Not very heavy
- Not expensive
Cons
- Can not support a large canvas
- Not stable enough
- Too small tool try
- No casters for easier moving around the studio
Alternatives
In case you decide that you want something more reliable in the similar price range I can recommend US art supply Malibu H-frame studio easel. Malibu is in the category of in budget easels. It is sturdy enough and good for beginners as well as for experienced artists. Can support a large canvas up to 83″ high.
Malibu Studio Easel Size: 26″Wide x 27-1/2″Deep x 80″High, (Adjusts to 139″High). For this easel, you will definitely need a studio space since it is not as foldable as Hamilton from Winsor and Newton.
For those of you that do not mind spending that little bit extra I do recommend Mabef M18 H-frame studio easel. Mabef is an absolute leader when it comes to the production of easels. Their easels are well known by their beautiful design, durability and stability.
Mabef M-18 studio easel can carry a canvas that is up to 88″ canvas surface, its convertible design allows you to set up your canvas either horizontally or vertically.
The base has four lockable wheels and a storage area below the canvas ledge for tools, brushes and paints. This easel is made for serious artists to last a lifetime. Mabef M-18 easel is one of the best easels that you can get.
If you have any questions regarding the subject feel free to leave them in the comment area and I will be more than happy to answer.
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