Do you sit or stand when you paint?

Please tell us why you came to this decision and what you sit or stand on.

I highly prefer to stand when I paint. Not only does it keep me moving around (better for my body), but it means I back up far more often than if I sit, which is great for noticing things that aren’t working in a painting (new perspective). I have a soft mat that I stand on. It is 3’ wide and about 12’ long. I call it my runway. : ) I back up all the way to the end of the mat on a really regular basis. I would say at least 100 times for a 6"x6" painting!

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I should stand more often, I know you’ve told me many times! (art byte, book, post :smiley: ) It is usually when I run out for a fresh coffee or coke that when I come back and look at it from standing, it does give me a different perspective. It is VERY helpful.

Though I am not in your playing field Carol, all of your tips have been true and worked great. Do I sound like a groupie now? Well, I am…and now I am for all of DPW!

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I stand.
This comes from when learning how to paint at the academy, we used to paint in somewhat larger format (50cm x 70cm). Painting when standing will allow me to move my arm more from the shoulder or elbow, rather than from the wrist. This is good for more confident brushstrokes.

As Carol says, turning around, walking away and looking again from a distance is a must.

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I always stand. While I’m painting, I’m drinking a lot of coffee and listening to a lot of loud music, and that’s just a recipe for moving around a lot.

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I tried sitting when I paint but I wound up getting up to step back and look at my work from a distance every 5-10 minutes. It just became pointless to try and sit through an entire painting session. I also stand so that I can stretch every now and then. I stand on a mat I bought at Lowes that’s springy and keeps my feet happy.

I sit when I paint, but I’ve thought about teaching myself to stand while painting. If I put the painting up against the wall and come back after a bit, I get a whole new view of it and it is very helpful.

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I sit when I’m online, so I try to stand when I’m painting. My art studio is actually the top of a concert grand. The height is perfect and the curved top just feels good. It’s also convenient for piano practice. Like Carol, I feel like I’m more active in the standing position. In addition to backing up to see what I’ve been painting, I try to photograph and view it in thumbnail mode either on the back of the camera or on iPhoto.

I stand and sometimes dance depending on what music is on.

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I stand. It forces me to step back often. This is very helpful in spotting problems with my composition early enough to fix.

I have a nice cushioned stool that I have for half sitting and half standing. But I find that more often than not I am pushing the stool out of my way so I can move around more. throughout my painting process I tend to leave the room, take frequent breaks, stretch, get more coffee etc. (just for a few moments) and I like the fresh look I get of my painting when I return.

I could not paint sitting, I constantly step back to get a better look at the whole painting, even more so if I’m working on a larger painting. It’s nice that from what I read standing during the day is actually better for you :slight_smile:

I stand so that i can stand back and look and paint. I have always stood. :smile:

Both…I have a large table to sit at and an even bigger art table to stand out. If the truth be known, it all depends on which surface has less stuff to move! LOL

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Always stand, every 20 minutes or so I put down the brush and do a couple minutes of yoga. Helps both my body and my mind …

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I prefer to stand. I had a teacher that insisted on it. However, recently I’ve gotten into ACEOs which are only 2.5"x3.5," so for those I sometimes sit and sometimes stand.

I used to sit all the time, but now I’m doing Yoga and being more active I can stand for alot longer than before, so now I am doing a mix. I have a table easel though and not a floor easel. Some of the pen work I can do I have to sit down for.

I have done both and also kneeling on the floor in the days when I had no easel. Unfortunately, age and body-joints tend to dictate the best method; I have been setting up easel in the kitchen, with no option but to stand in order to work properly. However, someone mentioned ACEOs…I have to sit to work on anything that’s really small because of the sharper focusing and getting in close. Sitting for more than an hour cramps my back up, so stopping to move around is essential. However, standing at an easel now works better for me

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I used to sit, but over the past year I have been standing. I still sit occasionally when I want to tweak some little detail. But that’s not very often. I find I feel better physically and mentally when I stand.

Both…probably stand more than sit.