I've been guilty of tilting back for the last 30 years so my light could come in from above and YOU are absolutely correct and this is exactly why I've subscribed to your channel. I am astounded that I didn't give this more thought before your excellent presentation. thank you.

When I created my easel and it's also completely vertical, I hear people say, "it looks weird painting that way." My point is my paintings will be hanged on the wall vertically, NOT in an angle. So I just wanted to see how my colors and brush strokes would look like in the process, and know exactly how it would look like when it's on display. And now that I see you're also using a vertical easel, I feel much better now. Thank you.

You are so informative about everything and this is why I watch every video you do. No other professional artist that I ever watched does this. Covering so much information has really helped me improve as an artist. I wish I had an instructor in my college years like you but I praise you for teaching us. Thank you so very much!!

I have just last night discovered you, watched several video's and am so happy i did. I am just a beginner, {at 70,} and need all the help i can get. Hahaha ...I ordered some paint and am so looking forward to receiving and find you so generous to offer all that you do with your videos. I am very impressed and looking forward to learning more from you as i move along with my painting endeavors and wanted to thank you very kindly for what you do!!!

I appreciate what you share with us. Your talent goes beyond you skill as a painter and it is your willingness to share info that helps so many painters. You are a good teacher. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your videos, especially the once you build Art Supply in. I live in germany, so i can not buy your stuff, like brushholders or your palett stand. But with your videos at hand, i can build them on my own. Your videos are very educational and easy to follow, after years off from painting with oil color, you motivated me to set up a studio and work again. Thanks and Greetings from germany.

Since watching this I have mounted my easel to my studio wall. Wow what a difference. Thank you so much for your channel I have learned so much from you :)

I can vouch for his paint and supplies...some say his paint is a bit too wet but it's a learning curve that once you understand the consistency it's like painting with butter ...friends have bought everything from Geneva and are extremely happy...can't wait for the easle

Thank you Mark. I enjoy all your videos. I'd like to see Emily do some more. She has a natural way about her painting process, not afraid to make her mistakes known , and when she said "it seems like I'm always going back to fix something" , I thought "yes! Me too !!! " But, that said, Emily, love your work. .

Thank you very much for the insight about the dust! I had been searching on the web for a solution and lo and behold I found it here with you. I will certainly make the adjustment.

At 48, I am just starting out painting and your channel has taught me so much. Thank you!! This makes me feel better knowing that I was atleast doing one thing right😊 I can’t paint with the easel tilted back, it just doesn’t feel natural to me it that makes sense.

Your welcome, and thank You very much for all the knowledge You share.

The reason that I tilt my easel is for comfort. It's awkward for me to paint straight on/verticle but I really need to rethink how I want to paint because everything about my painting/studio set up is uncomfortable because I'm confined to a very small space and I have to put away all my things after each time I paint.

Wow great tips. I'm just beginning to look into buying an easel and starting to paint and I'm really glad you posted this video. Thanks

Thanks Mark for your everusefull advices..after working for ages on factory made easels,i noticed they all come with the "tilting " option.didn't mind that,only i allways had my canvas ,if not vertical,rather"falling on me"from the topside,just to avoid the problems you mention..now i use an easel i made myself that keeps the canvas vertical,and that does the job

An other amazing video. Thanks for all your knowledge and humor. A pleasure to watch!

Thank you.... this is great... I had been researching on making an easel and came across a video of yours about making the same.... I was going to make the same.... but was still searching as well.... because I realised that the easel you showed how to make didn't have the tilt feature... I have been tilting most of my painting and I am a complete novice.... but now I am convinced... I too have glaze problems.... you r a very good teacher.... thank u...

I long time ago, I was told to place your painting in your easel on the same angle as it would be when hung on a wall. This way the light would be the same when you are painting your picture as it will be when displayed (hung). From what I've seen, paintings rarely hang perfectly vertically but rather tilt slightly forward.

I like your calmness in instructing your lesson, very helpful professional tips, would be glad to be one of your students. I will try to make my studio as dark as yours because the lighting in yours is very beautiful. Thanks a lot for your videos.

Good advice Marc. Hope the weather improves for you its on all the news here in the uk

Really sir you are the right, today you have open my eyes.Thanks ,I wil never leaning back my painting.

Really good advice. One thing I do, since the placement of my lighting and where I sit to paint are fixed, is have another light coming from the side. It especially helps with getting rid of the shadows from my hand, arm, head.

Makes sense. Good point.

This is what I want to see That Geller problem me to paint That's why I search for And you gave nice information Thanks

Back some 45 years ago I was told to use a 35 degree light source for taking photos of one's completed paintings. This was shared by a professional photographer friend. Naturally he shared that the glare would be lessened by having the canvas vertical. I immediately observed that the glare on the canvas was ameliorated when one painted. I use an old trout net between the legs to keep the easel firm. One or two brain size rocks works quite well. I rather think that if I were using that method inside in my art lab would keep the easel from wandering as well. Good show. Strange isn't it that good ideas aren't subsumed to be used in other techniques.

I fixed my easel before you finished the video, and the lighting right after. Thanks!

YOUR SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW TO MIX COLOURS AND THEN PAINT ARE VERY VALUABLE TO YOUNGESTERS AS WELL AS AMSTEUR ARTISTS LIKE ME MANY THANKS TO YOU SIR .

I just bought an easel and thought I'd better look up some tips on how to use it properly. I never even considered having the canvas upright! Makes total sense - thank you.

Omg! I'm fairly new to painting, but I've been wondering if someone had thought of a different style of clamp. I love gallery canvases, these are perfect. It looks like I will be able to get all the way around the edge. Thank you for the redesign.

Mark's a cool dude he's just so cool thanks for all your information bro

Good advice. I like the intro music too.

I'm probably doing completely the wrong thing but I've never used an easel and have always had the canvas laying flat. I find gravity is user friendly that way where as with an easel my arms don't want to work on it.

Not going to tilt my easel back anymore. Thank you for this Mark.

Hi, thank you very much for sharing!

Wooow thank you I have been making that error for some time now

I salute this man: very very intelligent and practical observations, yet he is still a modest man. Normally this type of individual is egotistical and in love with themself. Thank you for the great video, great observations and great presentation of such. God bless

Thank you Mark!

all good points. I have even light and no glare issues, and no dust issues but good to keep in mind. I thought you were going to say that tilting the canvas makes it harder to get the perspective right.

Holy moly this video is right on time! That glare issue has been killing me

You've convinced me. Thank youu

Vertical easel is great! Though angled is great for ergonomic reasons, depending on what type of brush stroke someone is trying to achieve.

Ordered the complete set for a strawberries painting I'm going to be working on (should be arriving tomorrow!) . 120x120cm hopefully got enough paint! Will be posting video of painting in a few months :)

Also it can mess up the perspective a bit I’ve noticed. :)

That's some bad ass advice. Thank you

You're smart! Thank you this video!

You did it again!

Hey there Mark, been thinking about you and your family. Hope all is well with you all during the Harvey Hurricane. Also, the great paints you make, hope the production process has not been destroyed. I have been meaning to write back to the e-mail sent to me asking what I thought of your paints. I absolutely love them. I had to get used to the clove scent, and I need to figure out how to take them on Plein Air outings, because they tend to slide into each other when I move my Plein Air station with me. I love how the drying is balanced so that all the paints appear the same, no matted areas or shining areas. I love that the paints do not dry out and that I can work on a painting for several days in Alla Prima Style. And lastly, I love working with the limited palette. Thank you so much for putting so much thought in what you do and for sharing. I look forward to one day having a studio big enough to design it in your fashion. Take Care!!!!!

It makes sense. 90 degrees make it easy to see and photograph!

I think I finally found something I know that you don't, I can tell you exactly why those easels lean back. When drawing it is best to draw at a natural 45 degree angle. Most of the weekly painting classes are taught to draw their images on the canvas, at that point they are painting inside the lines and I've heard the glare argument beforehand but I paint upright for perspective.

Yes, i agree 200 percent

thank you 👍👍

Good points on the vertical canvas and lighting. I plan to get a real wood easel for my birthday (Monday.) I'll look for a vertical one. As for lighting, I'll have to take what I can get for now since I usually paint (and draw) in my kitchen. We plan to convert a spare room to a studio later.

great advice.

I was thinking the same, but i thought i was just crazy and i was overthinking so glad i saw this video before buying one

Wow I never thought about that before

I like your attitude

If you're getting glare, you need to soften your lights. And you should have side lights so there is no shadowing.

I always paint vertical , started with pastels and yeah , dust settling can be a killer with pastels , now I do acrylics. Nice video. Winks Lisa

I'll lean my canvas anytime I want pal!!! lol kidding this was actually great info, guilty of that as well but plan to fix it! Enjoying all your videos, very informative. :)

Thanks for great info as usual. Do you have the plans for your easel for sale?

thx never really though about that , I always try to have it straight but on my small easel that I have in my motor home, its really leaning , things we don't really take in consideration

Hi Mark, Do you ship your Geneva paints internationally yet?..I'm in New Zealand REALLY looking forward to trying them out. thanks for your informative videos.

Amen ! I need to when I get oils . I am doing acrylics atm. That is why Bob Ross made his own straight ladder one and so orher not have to spend much. I don't want to bpay for leaning piee of woird sticka. I'm poor I have to studio light and I am on Twitch & hopefully develop my KZfaq one back to back, but if i haveqhie xancas and ansee ok in bad yellowish white ceiling fan lights ok when checked camera then i professional light though my las artists sitting down coloring and b4 trying to draw a horse in a lern to drawhorsea book go by chance out of it corresponding section

Mark you are almost at 100k members to your channel

Another reason not to do it - it distorts your perspective! People are going to be looking at your art when it's hanging vertically on a wall, not leaning back. Paint it for the conditions people are going to view it in.

speaking of which what happened to that really nice easel you built that looks like a piece of art itself. There was a link to it but it never went anywhere. Are there plans for a home build?

Hi Mark, this is not directly related to the video but do you recommend linen canvas over cotton canvas or it doesn't matter? The price is definitely a factor so I would start with cotton if the quality is equal. If anyone has an opinion you're welcome to comment. Thanks in advance. Phil

What do you think about the late artist, Claudio Bravo?

Mark can you find a way to send your palettes in Canada. I really want two of those but can't get it because it is only US. If there is a problem I will go in US just to order them and come back to Canada after.

I've got a question: once my painting is dried it turned super white, so I varnished it, and because my varnish is slightly yellow, my painting turned yellow. Is it the type of paint or varnish I'm using causing this issue?

Changing the position of the light would be a far easier option?

Would this apply to drawing on an easel as well?

Another important point is if you are photographing your work you will have your painting vertical and shot directly on horizontally onto the perpendicular plane to get a free of distortion image with a slightly telephonic lens.

I tilt my Canvas just to have a good hold on painting , that way you can draw more precisely and effectively . Further you are leaned down which rules out shaking .

Agree partially on glare issue, but only partially, because I mostly paint in natural light, that should come from the north and is constanly moving anyway. Second issue on dust, particals and or hair depends on taste. Even Rembrandt accidentally put his own hair in the painting . And what about Van Gogh? He went to the beach to paint "en plein air" in stormy weather. This often resultet in sand, plants and bugs in his paintings. Even a grasshopper has been discovered lately: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/nov/08/dead-grasshopper-discovered-in-vincent-van-gogh-painting

so hard to find vertical easel, looking for everywhere couldn't find it and I'm not comfortable using leaning ones... I am about to purchase my 4th easel then I will give up and do watercolor instead of oil painting... I can work only on flat surfaces.I would like to know if your design is available.

Is that the same for charcoal drawings ?

what if ..for those who does not gave easel yet... painting by keeping the canvas horizontal. ..will work same thing as vertical?

You can totally lean a painting back. Much more aerodynamic for your back, so long hours at the canvas will be more comfortable.

Can you please comment, I always paint on flat horizontal table...

Hi thanks for the tip. My question is about how one should mount or secure the canvas on the easel it is to be vertical? Some people put a piece of wood on the bottom edge of the support to prop up the canvas a bit so the support isn’t in the way of the very bottom edge of the canvas and it can be painted easier. What about the top edge of the canvas? If the clamp thing is locking the the canvas’s top edge how is one to paint that very top edge? Thanks.

What kind of easel that can set the canvas vertically? Sorry, I'm new😭

Does this apply to graphite drawings too?

On glare... Angle of reflection equals angle of incidence, this is physics. So, how you place your lights really matters here. As an avid photographer, one of my favorite books is "Light: Science and Magic" and it teaches you how to light highly reflective materials, including art. Well worth a look, even if you're not into photography. To stabilize a tripod, first you should use a good one as cheap tripods are not stable, ever. Good tripods also have hooks for sandbags which stabilize and are probably a little easier to handle than taping a brick. :)

‘I can’t think of a single reason why an artist would lean their canvas back’ Because when working in oils, you don’t want your washes dripping straight down making a mess on the floor. Having it at an angle is also good to have to rest your hand on vs the vertical canvas which can fatigue your hand more. Having it at an angle is also good because it gives you a better visual of your piece because you’re using standing (or you should be standing) and looking a bit down when working. Not all lights in your studio, are directly above you. Dust doesn’t always fall straight down. Sometimes it floats all around, before it settles down and lands. This is how you can get dust on a wall…which are also vertical. Anyone who’s ever dusted a house can tell you this.

Painting portraits vertically will cause most people to distort the mouth and chin of the subject. Assuming you aren’t projecting your sketch. Sometimes even then , the eye compensates for the perspective and you end up with a flat eye on one side of the face, and a superhero chin. Not looking to debate this. This IS the reason easels tilt. Doesnt mean you have to, or that it is the best practice. Just stating the facts. Have you ever seen anyone trying to hold their sketch pad vertical while sketching? I appreciate this guys talent, but dont try to reinvent the wheel to stand out. Ps- a trick to avoid glare is directional studio lighting that you can aim slightly over the top of your canvas, and start tilting down until you find the sweet spot.

how munch per tube/ jar ?

I find tweezers are useful if dust does settle on the paint.

None of these scenarios apply to me. Paint how you want to paint that's my advice.

I paint with my easel vertical, I use weights to counterbalance the easel to keep it stable, and my paint drips straight down when I screw up. =).

Could you possibly do a video on brush work and more specifically layering oil paint? I use student oils and student brushes and each time I try and layer paint it gets pushed around or just mixes on the canvas yet I always see artists laying doing colors on top of colors and seemingly are able to lay down the new paint as if it were the first layer. Do artist oils or more expensive brushes the difference maker or is it just poor technique?

Even with Watercolor? 🤔

I paint in a small room where I can't change my light or add lighting. So I'll just have to manage and do the best I can.

To me to bend my neck is killing me .I starting using my music stand. It goes up high and is adjustable for glare

hey that's his pair painting in the background.

well what do you know..

or, in the case of a tripod easel, you can put the back leg on the brick, to keep it vertical and balanced. no need to ducktape

wow that's so far of what i was thinking , i thought you gonna talk about perspective angle ! but you not

Or maybe the primary and basic reason is to tilt the easel is to be perpendicular to your eyes while working sitting.

I just happened to cross your KZfaq channel for a guy who's never painted before if you hold your canvas vertical what's holding it? I'm sure that's a stupid question for painters but I don't know