Shaun Johnston
British, now living in
Hudson Valley NY
Email address
Wearable easel
For sketching with oil pastels in museums
I created a wearable easel. Basically it’s a
board attached to a sling that I pass
around my shoulders.
My first version was extremely simple. The
sling was a tie stapled at the ends onto
opposite corners of light board, shown
from underneath on the right--a sheet of
brown paper covers the staples. To soften
the pressure of the board against the
stomach that end of the board was
hollowed out and a strip of fabric stretched
across it.
This worked well for small sketches, but
did exert pressure against the neck.
I have since created an “improved” version. I put improved in quotes
because I’m not sure the refinements are worth the trouble. Still, here
it is:
Key features are:
Use of a broad swathe of fabric (I used tulle) to spread the
burden of supporting the board more widely over the shoulders and
back. This works very well.
More swathes of this fabric to spread the pressure of the board
against the belly. See it stretched across my jeans, and in the photo
below. The near edge of the board is held half an inch or so away from
me. This also works well. The board feels weightless.
The board consists of two sheets of foamcore glued together. I
cut grooves in these sheets and glued wooden dowels inside them. I
drilled for and glued eye-rings into the ends of these dowels--see under
my elbows in the photos to the right. Clipped onto them are both the
fabric passing over my shoulders to support the board and the fabric
bands that keeps the board from cutting into my belly--see photo below
right. Plus, on the left side, a string and hook to keep the board level in
use, otherwise the left side drops.
For work that requires firmer support I bought a monopod that I
can attach (with velcro pads) to the center of the underside of the
board. Then it’s like working at a table.
This easel can take paper 16 x 20. It can take my erasable color
sketching board. If I can hold my materials in my left hand I can be truly
mobile while sketching in color.
The main disadvantages are that it’s become unwieldy to transport, and
cumbersome to put on. But it’s amazingly comfortable, and holds
artwork at a very convenient distance and angle of view.