Don't Buy an Easel - 4 Cheap Easel Alternatives 

Yeah. Easels are great sometimes, but if they're adjustable, they're not stable. If they're portable, they break. If they're high quality and do everything you want, they're just too expensive.

This comment and reply are sweet 🙂

you all probably dont give a damn but does someone know of a method to log back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid lost the login password. I would love any assistance you can offer me.

You're welcome. There's certain places to spend a lot of money on art supplies and other places to cut costs down to nothing. Like spending on classes and workshops, certain paint pigments or papers, but not things like studio easels and big sets of colored pencils and paint sets and so on. Let me know how else I can help.

No problem. I'm using 2x4s right now myself.

Hehe yeah. Lots of DIY people are way too good at woodworking. I mean, I'm jealous, but I'd rather spend the time drawing or painting. Happy painting!

Nice. Send me a photo of your easel and I'll use it for an updated video. I like the DIY because the kind of art you make changes over the years and the infrastructure you need changes too.

You're welcome. Best to put the money where it counts most: the paint itself!

You're welcome.

I use the 2x4 and paint can props mostly.

For real. I think the only time you'd really maybe buy one is for plein air painting.

Yeah. Even the most accomplished artists use basic easels all the time, especially for big works.

That's awesome. Figure drawing is where you get good fast because it's so unforgiving and also incredibly rewarding when you get it right.

I actually have a small easel for plein air and tabletop use. But you could also substitute a book stand for a tabletop easel. Or even rig a mount to put a book stand on a tripod. I'm not 100% against easels--if you do plein air every week, yes, get an easel. If you dabble in variety, I lean towards saving money.

I think maybe the only reason to buy one is if you're doing plein aire painting. If you're working in the house or studio, it doesn't seem necessary.

Exactly. The track idea I have thought of, but that's getting too easel-ey. You could also just use clamps.

For watercolor, I just paint totally flat. For a slight angle, I would just prop it up on a piece of board. A bit of that rubber mat stuff you put under rugs will keep it from sliding.

Yeah that sounds complex. I find it's really hard to have one easel that does all sizes. I mean, I still own a small plein aire easel for when I do that, but it's heavily limited on size.

They might slip depending on the angle. You could always use a bit of rubber under each of them to keep it from slipping. Maybe the stuff you put under rugs would work.

@@MeadMcLean I will explore that solution. Thanks!!

You're welcome. I don't prefer crowds, but lately I've been doing some plein aire painting and sketching. It's been really fun. You can walk out to an isolated area and be alone outside for a while.

You're welcome

Yeah. Once you start getting into folding, it can get complicated. Keepin' it simple here. But standard hinges work well.

You're welcome. Cheap easels are best.

Yeah DiY shouldn't mean that you have to gain a ton of skills to do stuff.

Hey no problem. If I could just figure out a plein aire easel alternative, that would be the ultimate genius.

Yeah. Everybody uses it from the unknown people to the most established

Yeah. A lot of that show setup would depend on the space. A booth setup would be different than just a single art piece.

The renaissance era alternative is to attach a brush to a long pole. You anchor the non painting end on a stool or something and use the brush end in a more stable fashion.

@@MeadMcLean Im having trouble picturing this in my head or finding any references online

Also having trouble picture the reply in my head

I get a lot of questions about that. Let me figure something out and get back to you. I used to use a camera tripod with dowels taped to it.

You're welcome. It's a reason to keep scraps handy.

You're welcome. So much easel savings possible.

Right on. Let me know what else I can do for you.

@@MeadMcLean it came out perfect. Thank you!! Saved money and used wood I already had. You are a genius!! ❤️

Pegboard isn't a bad idea. I'll have to try that out sometime. I imagine it would work great for small works or if you're using a variety of canvas sizes.

Hey thanks. Let me know what else you're interested in, and I'll see what I can do.

You're welcome. Let me know how else I can help

The 2x4 props come from some in progress pics of some Hirst production paintings. Makes a lot of sense for large work

You're welcome. Glad to help.

you're welcome. Hope this saves some cash.

No problem. If we can figure out a good diy plein aire easel, then that's a ton of cash saved.

You're welcome. Hope this helps

No problem. I'll have to brainstorm some more easel alternatives sometime.

You could just prop the drawing board on a cross bar on a standard easel, but add wedges or something behind the board to prop it past vertical. Then attach the board with the props to the easel with screws, clamps, or something similar.

@@MeadMcLean I will keep that in mind. Unfortunately I don’t have an easel yet because I spent my funds on art supplies and good quality paper before realizing the necessity of an easel while using pastels🥴🤣. I think vertical with some 2 by 4’s will work plenty for now until I can get an easel to work with. Thank you for your time and this fantastic inventive video!!!

Thank you. Let me know how else I can help.

Glad it was helpful!

Sweet. I've got a draft of a structural drawing book all done. Next is refining all the drawings for it. I want to show every layer of every drawing.

You're welcome

Good idea. I always worry about them slipping.

Thanks. I'm just glad to help. Got lots of support already!

Right on. Money's better spent on good paints!

You're welcome. Let me know how else I can help.

No problem. Let me know if you have other video requests

Hehe. Yeah that's probably a bad habit...

These are super simple for sure. By the time you do one of the fancy easel builds, it's worth it just to buy a nice easel.

Interesting idea. Stonehenge by the roll is a good and relatively cheap paper for drawing and light mixed media use.

You're welcome. Art supplies are expensive when you get them from art supply stores.

You're welcome. Luck!

You're welcome. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.

You're welcome. Let me know how else I can help.

Mine shrank. I'm disappointed. But one surprising thing is how many kung fu people are artists.

Pizza boxes? Also book stands like you'd use to hold up a cookbook.

No problem. Let me know what else i can do to help!

All praise the algorithm. And thank you. I still like having a small plein air easel as well.

Awesome. Let me know how else I can help.

Thank you. I hope it helps

Nice. Send me some pictures when it's done. Put some plastic directly under the painting just in case the acrylic soaks through the drop-cloth--I had a bad experience with that once.

I will. Right now I am working with smaller canvases. I have a few ideas in mind but I will have to build my own canvas of that size. I thought I could simply buy a few reasonably priced, nope. I plan to paint that size with my December retirement check. 1.2 meters x 1.8 metersCertainly, I understand. Currently, I am working on smaller canvases, but I have a few ideas in mind that require a larger canvas. Unfortunately, the reasonably priced canvases available in the market are not of the required size. Therefore, I have decided to build my own canvas of dimensions 1.2 meters x 1.8 meters. I plan to use my December retirement check to purchase the necessary materials for building the canvas. I will post at some point. Thans for the encouragement /@@MeadMcLean

Thanks. I'm sure there are more diy easel methods, but hey.

Truth. I think if you're a plein aire painter, a good portable easel is worth it. But for everyone else, I think temporary setups are the way to go.

@@MeadMcLean I built two with the 2x4s and added some non slip rubber on the ends. Now the wife and I can paint side by side... even in the back yard! Thanks again for sharing your budget easel solutions.

That's actually a genius idea. Going to add that to mine.

Yup it's an old vid. I'm still around.

The easiest way is to just lay it flat to deal with the sides. I suppose you could hang the canvas on the wall also, but you'd be painting bits of your wall. Another option would be to attach the canvas to some 2x4s with clamps on the back. It depends on if you'd be dealing with the edges at the end or throughout the process.

Hey no problem. Feel free to ask questions whenever.

@@MeadMcLean sure sir

Let me know how it works out!

You're welcome

You're welcome. I'm sure there are more easel ideas, but these are the ones I see most often.

@@MeadMcLean Mead McLean I know about one with three legs, one of the legs leaning backwards and is attached to the two in front with two planks and hinches.. it then has holes in the two frontal planks/legs so that you can put in plugs to put another smaller plank to have the canvas standing on and then adjust the height of choice. It's possible to diy. I did actually send you a picture in a dm on Instagram to show you. Thank you again!

Yeah I've made similar variations before. Totally works.

You're welcome. Hope it helps save some cash.

Me too. I feel like function beats out everything else in the studio. Plein air easels make sense to me though because the function is so specific.

I'm glad. Cheap and easy is best. Especially for big work. For small stuff I've been hanging things on the wall. Or using the 2x4 method.

Thanks!

Thanks. Hope this helps.

Right on

You're welcome!

It has to balance on its edge before it can move up to the makeshift easel.

@@MeadMcLean progress training, love it! 😅

Heck yeah. Get after it!

No reason to spend $300+ on an easel. Except if you're doing plein air. Then you may want to buy something.

Thanks!

Always happy to help people save some money. Art supplies are expensive enough.

You're welcome. Maybe the only reason to get an easel is if you're doing a lot of plein aire painting.

THANKS

I’m painting on my bed right now. It’s messy.

Yeah you could. Generally, you'd be in a tent, so some kind of makeshift easels would work. You can also use display racks, lattice with hooks, and similar things.

You live the plein air life

@@MeadMcLean Haha nice. I live the very aggressive painting which would definitely mark walls from wood leant against them and don't have money for a studio life. Your space gives me so much nostalgia from back in the day when I could though.

Yeah I'm doing the home apartment studio right now, too.

That works too. I'd worry about them slipping.

For real. Only reason I can think of to buy an easel is for outdoor painting.

Glad you liked it. There are probably more ways to make an easel. Personally, I use makeshift ones for big and medium pieces, and I have a plein air easel for the tiny pieces.

@@MeadMcLean oh omg thanks for replying But i cant make an air easel am sharing one room with my brothers , and the room is pretty small ._.

You're welcome! Hope it helps.

Cheap and easy is the best.

Welcome.

Thanks.

Thanks. Hope it helped.

Welcome!

I find furring strips wobbly and splintery. But if it's all you got, it's all you got.

Never had one slip :/

Nice. My aunt and uncle were hard core yard salers. Found all kinds of stuff.

DO IT!