What Is A Mahl Stick Used For

This is useful for both right and left handed people.

What is a mahl stick used for.

The mahl stick is an essential tool for the professional painter. What is a mahl stick. Loxley mahl stick painters rest at amazon for 16 99. Mahlstick definition a stick with a padded tip used to support an artist s working hand.

A mahl stick is a stick or thin pole that is about 1 meter 3 feet in length with a ball shaped pad at one end. But don t underestimate this ubiquitous little branch of cliché. The art of painting by johannes vermeer portrait of eva gonzalez by edouard manet self portrait by sofonisba anguissola utilizing a mahl stick. This is because the hand is not used to being suspended in the air.

Users appreciate that the wood comes pre oiled hence lasting for a long time without any worries. In 16th through 19th century paintings of artists including self portraits the maulstick is often depicted as part of the painter s equipment. They are one of those iconic artistic props akin to a floppy beret and painter s smock both i blushingly admit to owning myself. Using a mahl stick can be somewhat tricky but with practice it can be a helpful tool.

It is used as an aid in painting particularly in oil painting because it takes so long to dry. Painting on an easel the vertical position of the canvas makes it difficult to paint small details. The resting end of the mahl stick is padded so as to ensure there is no damage to the glass or canvas which is being used to create the painting. A mahlstick or maulstick is a stick with a soft leather or padded head used by painters to support the hand holding the paintbrush the word derives from the german and dutch malstock or maalstok painter s stick from malen to paint.