Opinions on angles

Jimmyfingerz

Mac-Valve Maestro!
Hello
Just a quick question on how people like to work.
I know it obviously comes down to preference but what angle do people prefer to have their artwork at when they work?
I’m following Mitch’s course and he seems to always be standing and painting with his canvas vertical or just sligntly off.
I have got my workstation set up now and quite enjoy painting standing but would like to be able to sit and paint too.
Does anyone paint with the canvas flat on a table or is it mostly advised to work standing due to free body movement and better control over distance from the canvas.
Just wondering really more than looking for advice :)
 
Being I paint on everything from paper to automotive to include tractors it makes no different on the angle, What defines what angle you work at is your end goal. If you end goal is only canvas work then fine what fits you the best but if you end goal is in the automotive /Motorcycle world then thinking of what angle works best goes out the window unless you have a huge budget and can afford a full frame on Rotessiory so you can rotate the vehicle to suit you.
But on canvas I have a standard artist easel set up at about 85 degrees then it all depends on the size of the piece if I am standing or seated while painting.
 
I tend to work while sitting, with my work surface elevated - I adjust the angle as I work depending on my seating position, but will say that it almost always mimics the angle of my forearm. So, that while seated (tend to lean forward a little too) my forearm is about parallel to the work surface...

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Im usually in the same boat as @Mr.Micron but if I have a choice I most often end up working like @DaveG. Just like a drawing or drafting table setup.
If Its a big "canvas" Like 32x48 and I'm just freehanding/freeshielding everything then I end up working like Mitch
 
I bought a drafting table of ebay that goes to about 85 degrees then bought an easel that goes vertical so i’ll probably end up trying all sorts of angles to work at.
Just so used to sitting and drawing it feels kind of weird standing and airbrushing.
So with sitting and airbrushing Mitch teaches to move your weight from one leg to the other to pull lines whilst standing, how would you do it seated? Do you rely more on pivoting hips and using elbows?
 
For me it's usually a lot of small details if i'm sitting. So it's just like drawing, either its just a hand movement or im sliding my arm along the table edge.
I think the way Mitch does it is the same way you would paint a car panel or something, it's a result of the style. He's standing and freehanding almost everything, It's sort of a t-shirt artist method in my mind. It's just how you keep the same distance and stability while standing making a side movement.

Where working like Dave is an illustration thing. When im sitting its lots of tiny details, lots of guides, masks, frisket, erasing. Pulling a long smooth stable line thats entirely made from your spray stroke just isn't often an issue. Most free strokes are tiny.
IMO it is not the most conducive to making an entirely freehand image
 
I bought a drafting table of ebay that goes to about 85 degrees then bought an easel that goes vertical so i’ll probably end up trying all sorts of angles to work at.
Just so used to sitting and drawing it feels kind of weird standing and airbrushing.
So with sitting and airbrushing Mitch teaches to move your weight from one leg to the other to pull lines whilst standing, how would you do it seated? Do you rely more on pivoting hips and using elbows?

It's all about how you move you're arse, if you can move it from left to right and back again without going up or down you get nice straight horizontal lines:)

I prefer standing with my work almost vertical but tilt the board back when working on the lower parts of my work, but I normally work on a magnetic whiteboard and hold my substrate on with magnets so I can slide it up and down allowing me to do as much as possible vertical, I have a bad back and get pain crouching, but I also have bad legs which forces me to sometimes have to sit but still try to do as much vertical as I can, vertical also makes for better progress photos.
 
I forgot to mention when you move your bum to keep everything above the waist as still as possible, as for everything below the waist, "dance like nobody is watching" :)

I’m like John Travolta in saturday night fever on the dance floor...........
I’ll bust moves infront of anyone lol
 
The space I have available to paint is pretty small. So I start sitting with a small desktop easel. But at times the angle I want to shoot means I end up standing lol. It’s really whatever works for you Bud.


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Thanks bud, i’ve yet to work out about angles of spraying so I think once I get it down i’ll probably realise it will be whatever is comfortable.
 
I always paint sitting down but on a special chair designed for architects this chair can be set real high if I want /need it
standing is not a real option for me as my right leg will give in after a few hours depending on how much I walked any given day
my angle is the same as stated above except when I do custom work then every thing goes
 
What @DaveG posted is almost the same as how I work. It is actually eerie how much out setups corresponds. But if needs be, I have a table top easel that can hold my board upright.
 
What @DaveG posted is almost the same as how I work. It is actually eerie how much out setups corresponds. But if needs be, I have a table top easel that can hold my board upright.
hehehe, eerie indeed :). My drawing table is capable of being set vertical - I normally leave the table flat, and use a separate board to work on, as it gives me some level area around the work surface to lay stuff. In my photo, it is a magnetic white board that I am working on, which I can secure down to the drawing table when need be.
 
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