Stand Up For Oil Painting

Interesting, had never thought about this. I started painting at 5 and think you just naturally lay your canvas on the floor to paint on (so can reach everywhere. Scooting around so can approach (or turning) for closest side, jumping up to put on an easel to study. To this day I tend to be either sitting, lounging, or laying down while I paint.
-- mary ellen anderson

I paint sitting in a chair with an easel in front of me. I move the easel back very often and stand about ten feet away and inspect what I have done. From up close, things look really pretty, then you step away and they do not!

I used a table easel. My largest canvases were usually 24 x 36 and that was about the limit that the table easel could handle. I have also oil painted flat on a tillable drawing table with the table tilted 25 to 30 degrees. I found it very hard to oil paint completely flat, except at small sizes.

Yes I do Roger. I have a large H-frame easel Robin bought me and I paint like that

I realised just the other day that I always paint with one hand on my hip when doing detailed work and my tongue sticks out LOL As I paint at the window I hate to think what my neighbours think

Abbie,

With that image you portray, I'm sure your neighbors must comment. "Now, there's an Artist!"

Hahah ! I do hope so but well....

LOL Mary Ellen, love it!

I've never lived in a place large enough to have a full sized easel. As a graphic designer I've always painted with the canvas propped up with some books on an already tilted drafting table. My favorite, even over an easel, were the "L" wood benches we had in college. You propped you canvas or sketch pad against the back then sat straddled on the bench. Easy to get a little distance for viewing by standing up and more distance by backing up. Though the person in back of you using the easel would ask you to move if you stood in their way for too long. lol.

No, most of my paintings are relitively small, painted on canvas mounted on foam core and stretch and varnished after completion. They are painted on a table or in my lap and they are designed to be viewed close up. My theory is if it looks good close up, it looks good from afar.

I used to stand in front of my easel and oil paint.

I was told to do just that. I find myself standing wile painting. It does help to step back from time to time.

I almost always stand up since most of my work is big. I've learned to walk away at least twice an hour or my legs will really cramp up later that night. Also arm stretches help too. As far as perspective goes, I usually have the area I am working on at face height.

Yes, I was taught that also. I have a large H frame easel and always stand. On some small works I will sit using the table easel but still get up a lot and step back to view.

I have both an H-frame and a table easel. I tend to use the table easel the most, but I have a rolling chair so I can push back to get a good look. Canvas is always upright. I can't imagine trying to paint with it flat. I use the H-frame when I'm doing larger work and then I stand.

Yes Roger, I do paint that way, but since my illness stops me standing all the time I get up and down and stand back - rinse - repeat :)

I wonder how many artists still do the glazing techniques? I do. Take months and months.

Roger, I must do everything wrong. I don't stand up at an easel, I like painting butter flies and flowers, guess painting things upside down or whatever comes in my head would be considered wrong too.

I don't paint in oil, but I have always stood up to paint in acrylics. both in studio and plein air. Never could understand sitting, although I do realize some painters have physical situations that prohibit standing for very long.

I don't think anybody's said it's wrong to paint however one paints. I paint sitting/with/at the computer = electric art; I paint standing at the easel = traditional Art.

When I paint with oil I stand. When I paint with acrylics I sit.

Darice Machel McGuire

"When I paint with oil I stand. When I paint with acrylics I sit."

Hi Darice. Just curious why do you sit for painting with acrylics

Darice, why?

When I painted oils I sat on the floor - frame propped up against the wall .

And like Abbie you can tell when I have been painting - my lips are all chapped . I must look like a maniac.

Whether standing or laying on the floor painting, than only God knows what's happening in the world (or room) when you're in 'the zone'.
-- mary ellen anderson

Great thread Roger! I paint standing at a large H easel and do a lot of backing away from the work. Being at eye level with the painting does help me keep focus (tri-focal glasses). I can paint sitting, but I like standing better as it easier on my back. I have also used the truck tail gate to work on. Whatever works for you is the way to go.

It seems to me that

When sitting the movement of the hand dominates.

And painting standing up the movement of the entire arm controls.:

If l were painting say, a still life; a live portrait or figure ; a landscape from real life surely I would stand as long as I were looking down or out. I would sit if i were looking up.

I understood Darice’s logic way of painting with two different media: acrylics and oil.

I think that it makes sense to sit while painting with acrylics simply because they dry fast - really too quick that they provide no time for artists to waste by standing and moving back and forth in front of the canvas. Oil stays wet much longer. It gives the flexibility and much more time for artists. (Artist can leave the WIP as is then come back to paint within the next 12 hours. The oil on canvas is still wet and can be blended with new mixture on the palette.)

I paint very small paintings, the smallest size is 2 x 2 inches. I use acrylics for these tiny paintings because they dry fast. I hold the tiny canvases in my hand while painting. I can stretch out my hand when I need to get a better perspective on the painting I'm working on. I can do between 5 to 7 miniature paintings in one sitting. I also need the tight control I get from using very small short handle paint brushes. Sitting gives me the control I need.

When I paint in oil I paint much bigger paintings on an easel. I like to stand back away from the painting to get the full effect of how it looks. I also use longer handle paint brushes so I need more space between me and the canvas.

Cool, thank you for explaining! Makes perfect sense.

Great discussion thread! I generally paint oil on canvas standing at a large easel. I frequently stand well back from my work to get an overall view. Has anyone noticed, however, that when people view paintings in a gallery, they always seem to stick their faces just inches from the canvas to peer close up, as if they are searching for mistakes, rather than standing back to see the effect!

I paint standing up whether I'm doing watercolor, acrylic or oil in any size. Small oils and acrylics flat on a table. Watercolor on a table, but pick it up to move the paint where I want it go. Larger oils and acrylics are done on an easle. I don't think anyone told me to do it the way. It just makes sense to me to paint this way. While painting oils and acrylic, I also put my unused hand on my hip or behind my back.

I do draw sitting down most times though. Figure drawing and portraits standing up because of how I hold the pencil. Sitting restricts movement when I draw large pieces.

Yes, Elaine. It's Very annoying to be viewing a large piece as you should, only to not be able to see as everyone stands in between you and the work. Grandpa used to 'loudly' educate everyone in the gallery.... Embarrassing much!

I paint primarily in acrylics and do so (mostly) from a sitting position in a rolling chair. For small to medium sized canvases I use a French easel and for my larger work I have several large easels. They move up and down so I can keep an area at eye level. I have a large enough studio to be able to back up for a better view of the WIP. If it is a smaller canvas I often move it to other rooms to get a different view point.

F Abbie Shores
"Cool, thank you for explaining! Makes perfect sense


Ditto on that.

"To this day I tend to be either sitting, lounging, or laying down while I paint."

-- mary ellen anderson

If I layed down to paint I'd be asleep in 2 minutes. Hmmmmmm...could be a cure for insomnia? :-)

@ Bill,
Well its the floor or ground you usually have to lay on, and they make floors and ground more uncomfortable now than when I was a kid. lol
-- mary ellen anderson

@ Bill,
Well its the floor or ground you usually have to lay on, and they make floors and ground more uncomfortable now than when I was a kid. lol
-- mary ellen anderson

Mary, I don't care if I'm laying on a pile of rocks, I'll be asleep in 2 minutes. lol

:::raising my hand:::::
it is he only way I paint.
I really don't care for easels...I just drive a nail into the wall and hang the canvas.

Marlene Burns

15 Hours Ago

:"::raising my hand:::::
it is he only way I paint.
I really don't care for easels...I just drive a nail into the wall and hang the canvas."

Here I go again, Marlene...

But what if you're painting en plein air?? Just drive a nail into the nearest tree? :-))

I don't paint outside. No need to, Bill.
I don't paint landscape and my climate is far too sunny to be healthy outside for hours. I use acrylics. They dry out indoors fast enough!!

Marlene Burns

"I don't paint outside. No need to, Bill.
I don't paint landscape and my climate is far too sunny to be healthy outside for hours. I use acrylics. They dry out indoors fast enough!!"

Lived in Phoenix-Ahwatukee area-for 12 years. Painted plein air all the time we lived there..in acrylics. Check out my blog to see some recent acrylics painted in Feb. "Art by Tomsa" (www.billtomsa.blogspot.com/) Sat. March 18, 2014 "Back from the Sonoran Desert" Painted in the White Tank Mountain Regional Park, Scottsdale and Ahwatukee. Not bragging just trying to dispell myth that "you can't paint plein air with acrylics because they dry too fast." :)

I will repeat.
I do not paInt landscape.
It is not healthy to be outside in the hot sun for hours.

Acrylics dry much faster in the sun. My exact comment was that they dry indoors fast enough.

Can it be done? Sure.
I just had no clue you were merely challenging me. More importantly, I have no clue why. Rogers thread is about using an easel.

Marlene Burns
"I will repeat.
I do not paInt landscape.
It is not healthy to be outside in the hot sun for hours.

Acrylics dry much faster in the sun.

Can it be done? Sure.
I just had no clue you were merely challenging me. More importantly, I have no clue why. Rogers thread is about using an easel."

My apologies, Marlene. Didn't mean to offend or "challenge" you. Sorry I got off thread.

no problem.

Marlene Burns

34 Seconds Ago

"no problem"


peace

When I was younger, I paint while standing, now I am older I sit while painting. Whenever I paint large acrylic on canvas I do it on the floor.