Falling in Art Light Weight French Style Field and Sketchebox Ease with Aluminum Tripod, Adjustable Beechwood Tripod Standing Easel with Drawer, Palette

In preparation for a trip to a National Park, I decided to build a plein air painting setup. (Past easel purchases include an aluminum tripod type, H-frame desktop and a floor-standing studio easel.) The fact that this French easel has aluminum legs and is lightweight compared to other French easels is what sold me over other choices.Sadly, the main flaw with this easel is that the height is not sufficiently adjustable (too low for those over 5' tall to use while standing). Another issue I found is that the aluminum legs are held in place by a small magnet. Unless you really tork down the wingnut when the legs are collapsed, it's far too easy to knock the folded legs askew while attempting to transport the easel.The main thing that sets this Falling Leaves easel apart is the fact that it is lighter than other French easels. This is important because the big drawback to French easels, in general, is that once you add your painting supplies to the box they are too heavy to carry all that far.Ultimately, I went back to an aluminum easel I purchased as an art student years ago but had not used for plein air because the manufacturer never thought to offer a carrying case. It became feasible to use my existing aluminum easel for plein air painting once I located beach umbrella carrying case here on Amazon that fits (ASIN B008A0JL3O) — allowing me to carry the easel, at only 2lbs, much like a folding camp chair. I then put my art supplies in a small backpack and bought a "beach wagon" sold on Amazon (ASIN B0B23ZP74G) to complete my plein air setup.Another option for plein air use— seemingly preferred by the pros — is a Pochade (box easel), which are mounted on a camera-style tripod. However, those setups were not any more lightweight than the U.S. Art Supply Aluminum Del Mar easel sold for less here on Amazon (ASIN B00PR8XMJQ). Additionally, the Pochade box easels don't allow for much flexibility in canvas size — so ultimately I couldn't justify investing in a Pochade setup given that I came up with a solution to transport my aluminum easel, which will accommodate a much broader canvas/panel size range (the exception is watercolor; neither this French easel nor my aluminum easel will tilt flat enough for that purpose).If you are buying this or any other French easel for studio use, it is not the best option (H-frame desktop or floor-standing model are the more traditional choices for studio use). Although the French easel is a classic design that has been in use for hundreds of years, it is best suited for those who have a limited amount of art supplies (i.e. children) that can be tucked away in the box when not in use — or for those who don't intend to travel all that far with it fully loaded. For those who don't mind the more substantial weight of a French easel over a Pochade easel, a final advantage of a French easel is that the added "heft" and the wider spread of the tripod-style legs lends itself to better stability in the event of breezy outdoor conditions. Apart from these uses, however, there are better choices than a French easel for plein air painting.

Simple set up, which is always appreciated. The drawer space and the palette was bigger than I thought it would be. Overall, love the product and would purchase again without a doubt.

I used this easel for a live wedding painting, setting it up on grass, on concrete, to use while standing and while sitting, and it worked perfectly. The drawer was great to use as a little table, the adjustable arm clamping the painting at the top successfully prevented the canvas from blowing in the wind, and the fact that the legs were individually adjustable meant I was able to play with it such that I had a perfectly straight painting even on uneven ground. It's light, easy to adjust, easy to carry, and very functional. The only issue is, the magnets on the legs aren't very strong, meaning they can kind of unstick while the easel is folded up, but that's a minor issue I'll be fixing with a bit of extra Velcro.Well worth the money!

I purchased this product for my girlfriend and she absolutely loves it!

Unfortunately it arrived in less than excellent condition. It has one latch that won’t close/lock, which keeps the drawer in while carrying. It has a slot type cut that has actually splintered on the backside of the thin wood. Missing the screw that holds the extendable top in place. And has some kind of black stuff on it. I’m sure the black stuff will come off after washing, so that wouldn’t have been a deal breaker. I’ll keep it and use it because I can repair the things wrong with it we’ll enough and I’m probably going to paint it some weird colors anyway. I do dislike paying for a new item and receiving it in not new condition. Half caused by manufacturing and half delivery/shipping is my guess. Seems pretty sturdy though.