Sit-down or stand-up to paint?

[Karin Wells]

I am a sit-down painter and cannot seem to break this long-time habit (even though it might improve my work).

It started long ago in art school. I have always had crummy vision (not glassed correctable) and have to be on top of something to see it. We drew from life 3 hours per day, 5 days per week - for three solid years.

Because I am tall, nobody behind me could see unless I sat down. I got used to this and just never seemed to be able to stand up and draw or paint.

How do others on this Forum work?

[Michele Rushworth]

We drew from life 3 hours per day, 5 days per week - for three solid years.

Lucky you! You seem to have had a real solid foundation in your art education. Mostly what I learned to do in art school was scrap metal welding and making abstract shapes with light. Fat lot of good that did me!

On the question of standing up or sitting down: I mostly stand. It lets me back up more often. I only sit down if I'm doing detail work for several hours. Even then I get up often and stand across the room to see where I'm going astray.

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

I stand. I need more mobility than I'd have if I tried to sit. When I did plein air I sometimes sat as I painted, but I don't recall why I did that.

Vision issues contribute to this preference; I can see the easel without glasses but only with one eye; for true three-dimensional vision I have to use my glasses, and for that I have to back off. My glasses are Varilux but the near prescription is at the bottom, of course, so I'd have to tilt my head to see close up. An artist on a painter's list I belong to actually had a special pair of glasses made up which offered near vision closer to the center of the lens for use while painting.

Today I painted from about 11 to about 6 and I'm tired, despite having a rubber mat (nicely decorated, to be sure) on which to stand.

[Lynn T. McCallum]

Sitting is not ideal but sometimes I am forced to sit more than I really want.

My favorite thing in a life class is to start far off from the model with the glasses off. Squinting is not needed and as the painting develops I start pulling up closer. When I'm up close enough to the model and getting finished with the study the glasses are put on and then I can get the details in. Sometimes I get in a situation where I can't pull this trick but when I can get away with it I will.

Back to the standing thing. I really do prefer standing but I can only stay in one position for so long. Walking and moving is the best thing for the beat up back. I haven't figured out how to walk and paint at the same time.

[Margaret Port]

I mostly sit to paint but get up often to check on progress. I've got Varilux glasses (not very strong, according to the optometrist) which magnify and distort everything Consequently I fuss over some small details and then when I back off without glasses, I can't see them anyway and they were unimportant. I like the idea of the magnified bit in the middle. I suffer from a permanent crick in my neck. I finish up moving the painting around on the easel so the area I am working on is at about waist level where I can see it properly. I bought contacts which you wear close sight in non dominant eye and distance in dominant eye but I've been too chicken to try them. (can't stand poking my fingers in my eyes) I also can never figure out if I should wear glasses or not and which bit to look through when I go to life drawing. The model is below eye level (magnified) the paper is above eye level (distance) I feel like Noddy!!!

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Margaret, I have monovision contacts and love them, but my eyes seem to be becoming increasingly sensitive to airborne allergens and it makes it hard for me to wear them much anymore. While they worked they were a wonderful solution for me; I could paint quite well with them. You should definitely try 'em. You get used to putting things in your eye sooner than you'd think.

[Jeff Fuchs]

This is an issue that will give me trouble. When I go to life drawing sessions, I've tried to stand for the 20 minute poses, but started to poop out, and had to keep standing because everything looks different from a sitting position. I have an artificial leg on one side, and an artificial hip on the other, so long-term standing isn't easy.

When I begin to paint, I'll probably get some kind of stool that sits me at my standing height (I'm very short, so that'll be easy). That way, I can stand when I need to, without messing up my vantage point.

If I had my choice, I'd stand more. The Whitaker Waltz seems like an excellent tool for capturing realism. Can't do that sitting down.

[Karin Wells]

I have a chair/stool that I sit on at close to my standing height. This chair is on wheels and I do push back a couple of feet sometimes.

Bill Whitaker's Waltz (see subject specific demo section) is ideal...except my focus range is narrow so it doesn't work for me. Rats. I could use the exercise.

I try to sit, but I can't. Before I know it I'm standing again. I have a stool which is nearly at standing height, as most things are, because I'm short. This is the first thing I trip over when I stand up and walk around. I trip over it at least once a day, but I leave it there so I'll try to sit, because man, this is hard work!

Does everyone have one muscular shoulder and one wimpy shoulder too? Luckily I have a 25 pound baby I carry on my left hip, to balance it all out.

I read somewhere that professions where you keep your arms elevated (like conductors) have lower risk of heart disease too.

[Morris Darby]

I saw a picture once in a book of a popular artist in the 1950's (can't remember who) and he had an easel specially made to fit his easy chair. He smoked a pipe and sat back and painted all his work there in that chair.

Conscience might not let me make a living like that (grin). However, I stand when doing oils, but sit while doing charcoal or pastel. That might stem from the classroom doing some drafting projects.

Sit or stand, it's the most pleasurable work I've ever done.