We moved house a few weeks ago. I’ve been busy setting up the new studio (and training Kobe, our golden retriever, on how to conquer the stairs). It’s a nice upgrade from the garage I worked in at the last place, and my apartment bedroom before that, and my parents’ living room table before that.
I had a laugh to myself this morning at the sheer number of workarounds and patch-ups I have in place to get things working the way I like. I’ll take a photo for you later, but for now, here’s a brief description:
- Behind the easel is a large whiteboard with a black bed sheet over the top. This acts as a cheap backdrop for filming.
- My palette rests on what I can only describe as a frankenstein cabinet. It has bolt-on legs, wheels, and extra storage for my paints and brushes.
- My camera is attached to a small, flexible tripod, which is attached to a large, extendable tripod. Tape holds it all together. The alternative was a very expensive tripod that’s overqualified for the needs of my studio.
- My tablet (which I use to view reference photos) is clamped to a metal stand, which is clamped to the top of an old tripod.
- A kitchen tray filled with solvent sits at the front of my easel. It holds wet brushes.
- Tape holds the back of my french easel together. It’s hanging in there.
- Two recently purchased studio lights aim at the easel. These supplement the ceiling lights, which are too weak by themselves.
- Cords run everywhere behind the scenes to power the lights, tablet, phone, music player, etc.
It’s not pretty, but it works. It’s like a rough impressionist painting. Messy up close but from afar it all comes together nicely.
It would have been much easier to hire someone to help, or buy a ready made solution from IKEA if such a thing exists. But it wouldn’t feel like my studio. Doing it myself and getting creative in the process is the only option.
Keep this in mind the next time you’re sorting out your studio. There’s no perfect, cookie-cutter solution and you’ll probably need to do most of it yourself. That’s the only way your studio will feel like your studio.
Anyway, I better get back to painting. I’ll keep you posted on how this one turns out. I’ll also give you a look at the studio when it’s in a somewhat presentable state.
Thanks for reading.
Kind regards
Dan Scott
drawpaintacademy.com