Tremors can ruin a line or ruin a perfectly good hand in wet paint. Steadier brushwork can be aided by use of traditional mahl sticks EZ rests or other alternate spelling maul sticks. The palm rest is the place where your working hand rests while using a support, A steadier support can help with detail work and help you avoid getting your working hand in the paint.

Key Takeaways

• Rest your hand lightly rather than put all of your weight on the support.
• Check clamps’ mounting requirements before determining if it will fit.
• Test the contact points and reach on a flat surface.
• The first choice is how the support attaches and where it rests your hand.

EZ Rest Painting

Mahl sticks and EZ rests differ in their means of support. The traditional mahl stick is supported by your non-dominant hand and the EZ rest is supported by the easel.

A traditional hand-held support is a long slender rod made of a variety of materials such as aluminum fiberglass or wood. The tip of the support should be in full dry contact with a surface. It should not touch wet paint. The clamp-on design fits on a compatible H-frame or A-frame easel. With the clamp-on design you do not need to hold a support in your free hand.

Always make sure the contact point of the support is fully and completely in contact with a dry surface. It should never touch wet paint.

Traditional hand-held mahl sticks

The lower end of the support may be covered in a cushioned material or a ball and may be made of rubber leather or suede. The non-dominant hand holds the lower end of the support and the padded tip is placed on the easel border of the canvas or frame. It should be placed wherever is convenient to give the most support while working.

A mahl stick is a support for the artist’s hand and is not a brush nor is it used for surface preparation. Artists may also use a mahl stick for striping or lettering for the same purpose which is to support the hand of the artist while working on a surface above paint.

EZ Rest Clamp-On Handrest

The clamp-on design of the EZ Rest allows it to be attached to a compatible H-frame or A-frame easel. Like the traditional hand-held mahl sticks the support is attached to the easel meaning your free hand does not have to hold the rod. The shape of the easel and the clamp design of the support should be taken into consideration before assuming it is a good fit.

“Maul stick” is another way to spell “mahl stick.” “Mahl” is pronounced with the “a” like “all.” The following table describes various mahl stick arrangements including a simple home-made version.

Traditional mahl sticks place the rest of the stick on the easel frame or border of a dry canvas. The painter rests the hand on a padded stick or rod. The painter holds the other end of the stick in the hand farthest from the stick.

An easel-mounted clamp-on mahl stick supports the hand in a rest that is mounted to the easel. This gives the painter a free hand to help hold the stick.

A home-made version of a hand-held mahl stick is easy to make. The painter holds the stick and positions the stick where it is needed.

Knowing the options you can choose the easel support that best fits your needs.

Which Mahl Stick Setup Fits Your Easel?

A tabletop painter and a standing painter at a H-frame easel may need different support setups. You should consider your easel and your position when painting. A traditional mahl stick is better for a painter looking for a portable manually positioned support and a hand rest that is easel-mounted is better for a painter using a standing H-frame or A-frame easel.

The ideal mahl stick for painting is the one that fits your easel and allows the tip to clear wet paint. There is no best product for everyone. When making a decision consider how you work where you paint and where a contact point is safe to use.

Decision between a hand-held and clamp-on support

Traditionally a support stick can be held by the easel with your non-dominant hand and is therefore free to move with you. This option is good for switching between easels or for painting surfaces that can’t be fitted to a support.

For a painting support that relies on a clamp to stay in place the easel must have an H or A frame. Not all clamps are adjustable so check the product to make sure the clamp is large enough to mount to your easel. For table-top easels verify the clamp fits your work surface.

It is important for the support to extend your brush stroke but the contact point needs to remain on a surface that doesn’t get painted. This is often a frame edge or the border of a canvas.

When is it appropriate to make your own mahl stick?

Making your own mahl stick is a good option for experimenting with a hand-held support prior to purchasing the real thing. For the time being just concern yourself with finding a smooth rod that you can rest on the table without it snagging your hand and provide it with a secure padded end to rest on the table. The end of the mahl stick must come to rest on something that will support the hand and not allow it to slide around.

Practice on a dry surface and test a homemade version of a mahl stick. Loose pads a rough rod and unstable support will mark your work. Use the support only over a dry area.

Practice with a homemade mahl stick will help get the feel for hand position and support without marking your work.

How do you use a mahl stick without smudging wet paint?

A mahl stick supports your hand in the same position you would hold the brush to make your strokes, Prior to the first strokes of the day place the mahl stick support tip on a dry area. The support must reach the area you are working on without pressing on wet paint.

Support can be bridged from an easel frame or the edge of a dry canvas keeping the tip from smearing wet paint. Keep the padded support end between the contact point and your hand.

Position the support before doing a detail stroke.

Rest the padded tip on the dry surface and hold the support steady with the hand closer to the tip. Let your working hand rest on the support then make sure the brush does not contact the wet paint and will not touch the support.

For EZ Rest place your hand on the palm rest and use forward pressure to hold the shaft in place. Keep that pressure controlled: the goal is to steady your hand not to push the rest into the canvas or easel.

Move the support as the painted area changes.

As you work a previously useful contact point becomes less useful. Lift and reposition the support to a dry area instead of sliding the tip across the wet paint. Pause to check brush stroke before continuing.

Use the same method to find a comfortable and steady contact point while drawing, A contact point that sits on the drawing surface is not useful and may ruin your drawing, Make sure you are using a safe surface to rest your hand while drawing.

Use your support hand to steady your drawing hand and find other ways to steady your hand if a support is not available.

What are some Ways to Stabilize Your Hand for Fine Detail Work?

If the line starts to wobble first see if your arm is getting tired and relaxed if needed. Relaxed hands are better for finer control. Hand supports can help elevate the hand and offer some relief while doing detail work.

Painting takes a good deal of physical control. If your arm is getting tired pause. A support should not be used to lean on. A mahl stick is great for detail work and helps a lot for hand control but it can’t correct every unstead force.

Improve your posture and support your arm

Let your shoulders relax and hold the brush as lightly as needed, Bracing your arm on a surface can help, Make sure the support is dry and at a good distance from the wet edge, You should not be painted at an awkward angle to reach for a small line.

Minimize fatigue protect surface

Your strokes should be planned in advance especially for lettering and striping which may require strokes to extend across wide areas. Detailed work may also require careful planning of strokes. A support can help elevate your hand but it will not help if strokes still need to be planned.

Wet paint and soft canvas are even more delicate. Applying and removing paint needs control. Use a rest to steady the hand and arm and avoid relying on or leaning on the surface being painted to gain control.

A mahl stick can help provide control but it will not help if the real issue is tremors or pain. Tremors and pain need to be addressed prior to any painting.

So what other tools can help you with control?

A handy support will steady the painter but it is useless without the tools that help paint be applied and managed. For painting the essential tools include a brush a medium a means to mix the medium and a support for the work.

Conclusion

When doing detailed work especially with watercolors choose a support that fits the easel you will be working at. Keep contact points and the support itself off the wet paint and use light pressure, A support should help your hand rest not put you in an awkward position or block the brush from going in a certain direction.

Before you start detailed work make sure your easel is set up the way you want it and check its contact points and stability, Use an unfinished or practice surface to check your setup before using it on a wet or finished area.

FAQ

What is a mahl stick for painting?

A mahl stick for painting is a hand support that helps steady your working hand and keeps it above wet paint. A traditional mahl stick is a rod you hold in your non-dominant hand, A clamp-on hand support attaches to an easel and supports your hand at a palm rest.

What tools do artist painters use?

Painting is a fairly simple art form in terms of tools required to make a product. The basics typically include brushes paint a palette of some sort to mix colors and either an easel or other way to display the work. The type of brushes and paint depend on the medium being used.

What are three important tools all painters should have with them at all times?

There are not necessarily three tools that all painters should have on them at all times though the example of a palette and brush to mix and apply color is a good basic example. A larger painter may need a larger brush to cover more surface area than a smaller painter who is working on smaller studies and projects.

What is the 80/20 rule in painting?

The 80/20 rule is typically used to argue that approximately 80% of the effect of a given product service or result comes from 20% of the causes. This is not a hard rule and is often used by painters to determine emphasis in a given piece. Used this way the rule should be a tool to help determine an approach rather than a rule which all painters should obey.

What is the golden rule of painting?

There isn’t a true single golden rule to painting. However a strong principle to consider is to make sure to preserve values and contrast to help the focal point of the painting so the viewer can determine the area they are supposed to look at.

What are the 5 procedures for painting?

There are five major procedures; preparing the surface planning the image blocking in major areas developing forms and finishing. They are not always done in that order. For example a painter could develop a form then prepare the surface. There could also be differences in the procedures for a certain medium like preparation could be different for paper and canvas.