DIY ARTIST WALL EASEL

Studio

Dec 29

I get a lot of questions about my wall easel so here is the low down on how to make one yourself.

Firstly I will explain why I have a wall easel. My studio is tiny, it does well for what it’s purpose is for but I could not fit in a free standing easel without losing valuable floor space.

I like to paint both standing and on the floor so having clear floor space and a wall easel gives me that flexibility.

This was something I have researched and looked into before getting the materials but in the end we decided to make it up as we went along and I have to be honest it turned out pretty great for what I need.

you will need

Drill

Level
Screwdriver
Hammer

Wood batons
Wooden dowels
Handsaw
Screws
Raw plugs

how to install

Now you have all your supplies you will need to do a bit of DIYing and unfortunately a bit of maths.. (I know I’m sorry!)

Working out the measurements will depend on the size of panels or canvases you use. I started with 12 x 12 inch panels, so I took the batons and worked out how many dowel slots I would need. I then drilled my holes to match and there you go. Now that will hold 12 x 12inch panels and bigger, it will just need some slight moving here and there and a little getting to used to things before you get the hang of it. But other than that it is pretty straightforward.

hanging your work

How this easel works is each baton has holes drilled into it to place a handful of wooden dowels. These are what I use to hang my panels and canvases up on my easel. This is my favourite thing about the wall easel it is super flexible. I can easily move and add more dowels into the holes as needed for the size or amount of panels I have to hang up.

tips & tricks

This can be made renter friendly, my friend Beni Martial has made this as a lean to wall easel. Click here to see hers.
I use mine to display my collections as I work on them, this way you can put everything up and see the whole series together. This is great for any finishing touches, seeing which work is the strongest and which pieces need more work.
If you are working on deep cradled wood panels, make sure they are not too heavy with the dowels you have chosen. I have dropped one of these panels on my foot before - not ideal!
If you work on uncradled panels ( i.e flat mdf etc) you can still use this easel. I use large bulldog clips to hang them up.
If you don’t love the bare wood, give it a fresh coat of paint in any colour.
There are a few of us now who have put together a wall easel like this so if you do make one for yourself, I’d love to see it! Tag me on instagram @emmalockart or send me a photo via email. emma@emmalockart.com