studios
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classic
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Being just a beginner myself, I have no dedicated place for art occupations. I usually take my stuff at my work desk to make some pencil drawing or some watercolor / acrylics exercises. Since the pandemic I work at home through the net on my company's computer. Unfortunately I have tons of hand written notes about my professional work all around (most of the times I make a draft on paper, I work on it a lot before writing the final report to the computer).
Sometimes, late night, I use the table of the living room for my art work, however I have to not leave anything like brushes, paint tubes or water containers, before the next morning.
I'm afraid things become more complicated because I took a decision to try oil colors. I did already buy color tubes, brushes, special oil paper pads, canvas panels, linseed oil and solvent. Oil materials are much more smelly than watercolors or drawing pencils. I have to find another solution.
A cousin of mine, professional artist, owns her own nice studio in a flat given to her by her parents: 3 rooms plus an entrance space, the kitchen, the bathroom and a corridor. Two of the rooms are separated by a large door, so they form a big room. There is storage space for materials too. There is nice natural light from the windows. The only "problem" is that it is located quite far away from her home.
Sometimes, late night, I use the table of the living room for my art work, however I have to not leave anything like brushes, paint tubes or water containers, before the next morning.
I'm afraid things become more complicated because I took a decision to try oil colors. I did already buy color tubes, brushes, special oil paper pads, canvas panels, linseed oil and solvent. Oil materials are much more smelly than watercolors or drawing pencils. I have to find another solution.
A cousin of mine, professional artist, owns her own nice studio in a flat given to her by her parents: 3 rooms plus an entrance space, the kitchen, the bathroom and a corridor. Two of the rooms are separated by a large door, so they form a big room. There is storage space for materials too. There is nice natural light from the windows. The only "problem" is that it is located quite far away from her home.
MurrayG
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Ha! Thought I would share my "studio".
I didn't know this was taken while I was painting the GoatsHead the other day in the car park. The easel is a Heathrobinson affair I created out if a much hated Proart outdoor easel. I hacked it up and made a mini H frame with scraps. Not stable enough when high but ok for sitting and at only about 6-7 pounds weight I can carry around cos it folds up. In this case the chair was from the house
. But sometimes I just use my home made pocharde box and sit on the ground.
I didn't know this was taken while I was painting the GoatsHead the other day in the car park. The easel is a Heathrobinson affair I created out if a much hated Proart outdoor easel. I hacked it up and made a mini H frame with scraps. Not stable enough when high but ok for sitting and at only about 6-7 pounds weight I can carry around cos it folds up. In this case the chair was from the house
. But sometimes I just use my home made pocharde box and sit on the ground.
MurrayG
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But yes I do have a corner upstairs for my home made big H frame easel. It fully adjusts so I can stand or sit and can take a big board or canvas. I put an old sheet on the floor for dust and drops. It's my quiet place and refuge and can loose myself even in this small space when the black dog isnt around.
john
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What started as a project to organize my paints has become a monster project involving redoing my entire office/studio.
Moving the bookshelf unit to the basement. Remember books? Well I had too many and so I had to remove some. The bookshelf has old photos, old books that aren't useful anymore now that all this stuff can be found on the internet. It was a bit traumatic going through all the memories etc.
The good thing is that I can now make it more suitable for painting. My furnishings were umm, low budget? and now will be more like actual furniture? Like a real cheap drafting type desk from Amazon? Amazing what a hundred bucks will buy now.
And it was so cluttered with stuff. I had many of my old very meh paintings on the walls etc. The walls are a mess and I'm spackling, painting etc. Going from dark red to sort of white on the walls.
So it's a big project but it feels like a new chapter.
Here's a before and hopefully in a week or so there will be an after that looks much nicer.
Moving the bookshelf unit to the basement. Remember books? Well I had too many and so I had to remove some. The bookshelf has old photos, old books that aren't useful anymore now that all this stuff can be found on the internet. It was a bit traumatic going through all the memories etc.
The good thing is that I can now make it more suitable for painting. My furnishings were umm, low budget? and now will be more like actual furniture? Like a real cheap drafting type desk from Amazon? Amazing what a hundred bucks will buy now.
And it was so cluttered with stuff. I had many of my old very meh paintings on the walls etc. The walls are a mess and I'm spackling, painting etc. Going from dark red to sort of white on the walls.
So it's a big project but it feels like a new chapter.
Here's a before and hopefully in a week or so there will be an after that looks much nicer.
john
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Nice easel. I know one is supposed to keep oil paintings vertical for the dust thing but I think I find painting that way awkward. Do you find painting on a vertical painting comfortable? I usually paint on a slant while sitting but wonder if standing at a vertical canvas would help in some way. But last painting I was lying it down flat, standing it up at almost vertical and I was both sitting and standing.
My new studio will have drafting type desk but it only tilts to 45 degrees? I'm wondering if I should get a real studio easel also or if I even need one. Does your easel tilt also? If so maybe something like that might be the ticket for me.
Hermes2020
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Good luck with the renovation. On the wall colour: beware of grey; it's a treacherous colour that will stab you in the back unless you spend many hours testing possibilities on the walls of that very room. Best to go with the most neutral white you can find.
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MurrayG
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Hi John. The easel can tilt back up to 45 degrees without problems and forward, over vertical about 10 degrees to stop dust dropping on the painting but then I put something heavy on the base to balance it. The shelf and upper clamps can move full length so a canvas can be 2.4 meters high. I mostly use a board for pastels like the one in the photo. To stand i Lean it back a bit. I adapted a plan online to suite the scraps I had. There is an adjustable support in the rear the allows you to set the angle.
If you want I can find the link, it had lots of instructions.
Oh. Sorry.
I had a Big Black Dog named Miracle, call name, Mira. She had long hair, a LOT of it, and she shed a LOT! She was my Service Dog, my constant companion. I'll share her Spirit with you when you need or want. She loved people, and would be with you as you need.
She's still around at times. She lived in my studio. Surprisingly, none of her hair got on my work. Just everyplace else!
I had a Big Black Dog named Miracle, call name, Mira. She had long hair, a LOT of it, and she shed a LOT! She was my Service Dog, my constant companion. I'll share her Spirit with you when you need or want. She loved people, and would be with you as you need.
She's still around at times. She lived in my studio. Surprisingly, none of her hair got on my work. Just everyplace else!
MurrayG
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That's a black dog I can cope with. ThanksOh. Sorry.
I had a Big Black Dog named Miracle, call name, Mira. She had long hair, a LOT of it, and she shed a LOT! She was my Service Dog, my constant companion. I'll share her Spirit with you when you need or want. She loved people, and would be with you as you need.
She's still around at times. She lived in my studio. Surprisingly, none of her hair got on my work. Just everyplace else!
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john
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Hi Murray, I see that one can buy a tilting easel that will go to horizontal but they start around 2 hundred dollars. But I'm handy with wood working so maybe I'll look into making one. I can probably make a sturdier one then can buy for 2 hundred.
Andy_in_Vienna
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MurrayG
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If you are handy then you should have no problems. There are plans for all sorts on the web as a starter. Good luck. I'm glad I built mine, saved heaps. In the old days, it was the first thing a student had to do is build their easel, it teaches you a lot and makes you think about your work style and form. My first "easel" was 2 pieces of wood leaning against the wall with holes for pegs to sit a board on
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