What Is A Mahl Stick Used For

But don t underestimate this ubiquitous little branch of cliché.

What is a mahl stick used for. 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. They are one of those iconic artistic props akin to a floppy beret and painter s smock both i blushingly admit to owning myself. 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. What is a mahl stick.

The mahl stick is an essential tool for the professional painter. Using a mahl stick can be somewhat tricky but with practice it can be a helpful tool. Users appreciate that the wood comes pre oiled hence lasting for a long time without any worries. 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. In 16th through 19th century paintings of artists including self portraits the maulstick is often depicted as part of the painter s equipment. Mahlstick definition a stick with a padded tip used to support an artist s working hand. This is useful for both right and left handed people.

It s a very handy tool to have at your disposal for a multitude of applications. 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. It is used as an aid in painting particularly in oil painting because it takes so long to dry. Loxley mahl stick painters rest at amazon for 16 99.