What Is A Mahl Stick Used For

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What is a mahl stick used for.

The art of painting by johannes vermeer portrait of eva gonzalez by edouard manet self portrait by sofonisba anguissola utilizing a mahl stick. 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. This is because the hand is not used to being suspended in the air. Rest the soft ball end of the stick on the edge of the canvas some artists even have a ledge for their mahl stick to slide along or on a part of the painting.

What is a mahl stick. The mahl stick is an essential tool for the professional painter. This is useful for both right and left handed people. Mahlstick definition a stick with a padded tip used to support an artist s working hand.

Loxley mahl stick painters rest at amazon for 16 99. But don t underestimate this ubiquitous little branch of cliché. 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. Painting on an easel the vertical position of the canvas makes it difficult to paint small details.

In this article you will learn how to build your own mahl stick. It s a very handy tool to have at your disposal for a multitude of applications. In 16th through 19th century paintings of artists including self portraits the maulstick is often depicted as part of the painter s equipment. Using a mahl stick can be somewhat tricky but with practice it can be a helpful tool.