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  • #479449
    Grey_red
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        Hi!
        I am oil painter and I am currently traveling a lot and also getting more and more interested into plein air. So, I decides to get myself portable studio/home/plein air easel&box so I don’t waste time while traveling. I decided to go with french easels, which seem like most convinient option considering I don’t paint pochade box small pictures. I first wanted to go with Jacksons french easel (full box), but quicky found out that top brands are Mabef and Jullian. I was at first interested in Jullian classic french easel , but than I run into complaints in reviews and forums about quality eversince Jullian moved its production to China. The more reviews I read, the more I am worried what quality of easel I am going to get. JB45 version is “original”, French made, as Jullian said, but again, from user reviews (however biased they might be), I got impression that JB45’s quality doesn’t justify its almost double price. In fact, quite opposite.. I am now totally unsure weather I should expect Classic line to be economy or “quality” version of the easel. So…..what to expect from classic french easel? Any experiences? Is Jb45 worth extra money (which I don’t have, but still..)? Should I go for Jacksons easel? Is there third option I am unaware of?

        #897977
        Humbaba
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            #897975
            timetobe
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                I own the above Jacksons French Easel and it is good quality.

                I’ve had one for over 10 years. I paid £45 for mine.

                Ignoring the palette (because it is cheap), the only minor complaint is that too much weight in the paint draw can buckle the legs. But, I do have a lot of paint! – I could open my own paint shop :lol:

                So, for me anyway, the Jacksons’s own brand French Easel has been a good buy. Would I pay £116? Yes if I used it regularly.

                David

                [FONT="Georgia"]Painting the world a better place.
                #897979
                Richard P
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                    I use a Jackson’s own brand desk easel and I am very happy with it. I know that’s not a french easel, but perhaps another indicator of good quality of their easels.

                    #897978
                    dustlilac
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                        No easel, no matter how well made will stand up to the abuse of being dragged around constantly + unpredictable weather. You are much better off getting something in $50-70 range and replacing/repairing as needed.

                        #897972

                        A pochade box and tripod setup will hold up extremely well for many years. Indefinitely, barring some terrible accident. French easels do tend to fall apart or need replacement hardware.

                        Lady Mars Orange Marmalade Stapleford
                        Moderator: OIls, Pastels, Plein Air

                        Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. -Oscar Wilde

                        #897970
                        Delofasht
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                            I own the Blick version of the French Easel and use it on my desktop often. In fact, I am painting with it today while my wall easel has a different painting on it. Sometimes ya need multiple easels set up for all the works. Fittings are tight on mine, mild adjustments are sometimes necessary. Legs have held well in field usage. I have owned and used mine for the past 5 years, see nothing wrong with the cheaper ones overall.

                            - Delo Delofasht
                            #897982
                            Grey_red
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                                Okay, let me clarify my intentions with that french easel. I am mostly studio artist, working primarily indoors, but looking forward to some plein air sessions with which I have little experience. I keep traveling between my hometown and town where I study, and also to some other places which reduce my work hours in half (almost). French easel (of its existence I was unaware of till I was looking for something compact and portable) seems like a good set up- tidy, neat and clean, acting both as storage, tabletop easel, indoor and outdoor. I do not intend to go with pochade boxes for one reason only- size. I never painted smaller than 30x40cm, and recently 50×70 is the lower limit. Around 80-90 offered by french easels is fine.
                                Now, back to my question. Where I live I can’t get any french easel bellow 100$ at all (except on Whish, but I highly doubt its quality), with taxes and shipping, and from “legit” manufacturers Jackson’s easel is actually cheapest one. Jullian’s classic series is just a bit more expensive, so they are in the same ballpark. Hence, my question was what to expect from Jullian “Classic” easel and from Jacksons one… The reviews got me confused but now I see it is a combination of personal preference, low/high expectations and pure luck of not getting bad easel..I guess.

                                #897980
                                Richard P
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                                    I think I remember seeing youtube videos where they show you how to adapt a desk easel to fit onto a standard camera tripod. Would that help?

                                    #897981
                                    TomMather
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                                        I’ve used a Mabef half-size French easel for years, and it has held up well. The half- easel works well for me because it is much lighter, and I often hike into areas when painting plein air. I bought mine on sale and probably paid about $100 for it, but I’ve had it so long that my recollection might be wrong. I’ve attached shoulder straps so I can carry it like a backpack.

                                        I also have a Gorilla box in the 6×8 size. It is much smaller, compact and lighter but you have to carry a tripod as well. Both options work well, but I can carry more brushes and paints in the Mabef easel.

                                        #897971
                                        Delofasht
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                                            Tom brings up a good point regarding weight though, as a fully loaded French Easel can get heavy for a hike, even for young strapping kids like myself (out of shape nearly 40 and feeling older every day).

                                            Honestly, if I’m going on a hike though, I grab my watercolors and paint like it’s gouache or Casein (which I sometimes take instead of watercolor, but it’s heavier… short hikes only).

                                            - Delo Delofasht
                                            #897976
                                            chamisa
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                                                I’ve had a Julian French easel for 25 years. It’s been to Europe three times, to Mexico, to British Columbia, and all over the USA. Nothing has ever broken on it. I’ve made some additions to keep the drawer from opening when carrying. But that’s all. Practice makes it fast to set up and take down.
                                                I switch between the French easel and my pochade boxes, but often prefer French easel for less wobble, more general stability, more palette space, and for more general convenience.

                                                I just recently bought a large Coulter Palette box with a Sienna Panel holder and am REALLY LIKING this set up — the compact smaller Sienna panel holder is even more stable, less wobble even when pressing hard with palette knife than the French easel, and the Coulter palette box is large with two side shelves. Very convenient for travel, but Not as travel convenient as French easel.

                                                #897974
                                                AnnieA
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                                                    There are other easels that accommodate larger panels and are also much lighter than a French easel. The first one that comes to my mind is the Soltek easel, which many people love. There are other alternatives as well that you should probably check out. Be sure to consider how easily the easel travels; in my experience, a French easel’s many outside parts can make it a little problematic on trips. Maybe you should try the Studio Tips and Framing forum, where there is a lot of info and advice on choosing an easel.

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                                                    #897983
                                                    Grey_red
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                                                        Dear everyone, thank you for your inputs, they were most helpful.
                                                        Considering all options I decided to go with Jullian french easel for many reasons, primarily because I never found anything as convenient and ready to go at all times while accepting medium canvases. Whether it was a mistake, time will tell. Also, I am still a student and I am well aware that my scholarship will be spent either in two directions, one being useful, other..wel, not so much. So, that’s that.
                                                        As far as a model, something I was far more concerned with, I decided to go with “cheaper”, (but not the cheapest)- Classic model. Jullian customer service was very kind in their explanations of differences and I got the impression that the Classic easel is very much like the original JB45, except it is produced in greater number and with some very minute details being different. Also, something weird is happening with that particular model. Half of the online stores say it is made of Elmwood, and on Jullian website and other stores, beechwood. I choose to believe Jullian and consider the possibility that someone is typing wrong or selling some other model under “Classic”. That would explain great range in reviews of Jullian easels.
                                                        Anyway, I will receive the easel in a few days and will review it afterwards, as I found no credible reviews of that particular model, so I want to do future buyers favour. I was really hoping to hear from Classic model users.
                                                        Again, thank you again for your advices!

                                                        #897973

                                                        Happy painting and let us know! :)

                                                        Lady Mars Orange Marmalade Stapleford
                                                        Moderator: OIls, Pastels, Plein Air

                                                        Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. -Oscar Wilde

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