Bill Martin's Guide to Oil Painting
OIL PAINTING MATERIALS ~ Easel
Easels Make Painting Easier
Oil paint takes three days to dry. The long wet time makes it easier to work on the painting vertically. An easel is used to hold the canvas in a vertical position. Easels can be as simple as a nail in the wall on which to hang a canvas or a chair or a windowsill. All easels serve the function of keeping the canvas secure and upright.
Pictured here on the left is the classic studio easel, the best for most purposes. In the middle is tripod easel for small paintings or drawings. On the right a collapsible, portable, paint box/easel designed for working outdoors.