Easels Again, as with most artist tools, easels come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and functionality. In this section, we will discuss a few of the more prevalent designs.

	These little guys are known as the "table-top" easels. These easels are great if you are working in a small corner of the garage, or just experimenting with painting. They don't weigh all that much, and generally cost between 50.00 and 150.00.
	Sketchboxes and paintboxes are superb choices for beginners, especially if you buy one of the "loaded" models, which come with a complete assortment of paints, brushes, palette cups, and other necessities.
	Sketching easels and display easels are a good choice for beginners as well, as they are very inexpensive (generally less than 50.00 for the aluminum models). If you are just starting out, and would rather stand to paint, this is the way to go. A lot of experienced artists use these types of easels to display their works, or to let a piece dry.
	French easels are my personal favorite! They strike a great balance between portability and durability. They can be used in the studio or the outdoors. They typically come with a built-in compartment for paints and brushes, as well as a palette. They generally come in two sizes (full, on the left, and compact, on the right). Note how they fold up to make a handy carrying case! They typically cost between 100.00 and 200.00.
	Smaller studio easels are perfect for the amateur or aspiring artist. These are incredibly durable easels, and are designed to hold large canvases. They are a bit on the expensive side, however, generally costing several hundred dollars each.
	Museum grade studio easels are very expensive, costing anywhere from 500.00 to 3000.00! They are generally very heavy, and are designed to support large canvases. Unless you are a professional artist, there is really no need to purchase something this monstrous. Instead, try a sketching easel or a table-top easel.