Preparing a Surface to Paint on Easel and Carrying Safely

I have a video about how I prepare to paint, but decided to post some photos, too.  It is inconvenient to have a board or paper on the easel and try to paint on it.  There are shadows from the easel clamps and you cannot comfortably paint on the edges or corners.

You can see it is hard to get to the edges with a pastel as well as a brush.  See the shadow from the top clamp on the board as well.

I tape my paper or board to a piece of foam core or board of some kind.  I did not want to cover the edges because I paint right to the edge and frame against the glass.

I put the board or paper face down and put tape on the board.  Size determines how many strips of tape I use.  If I am taping paper, I use framing tape because you can remove it with heat and not tear the paper.  You can use watercolor tape, too.  On Pastelbord I just use masking tape.  It will stick to the foam core and damage it if you leave it for too long.  It doesn't matter if the foam core is rough in this case.

I then turn the surface face up.  I position it on the foam core and tape the strips to the foam core.

Your board is ready to go.

You can paint right to the edges very comfortably.

Another bonus is that if you are going to be storing or moving the painting around (plein air) you can place another piece of foam core over the painting and carry with no smudging or damage.

 Your paper taped down and the extra foam core.

 Place them together.  Put it straight down if you have a painting on the paper.

 Clip the "folder" together or tape it together.

Put it in your bag or suitcase.  You can layer multiple paintings with glassine or smooth clean paper in between the paintings.  Then you can label it on the outside for storage. Open on a flat surface and lift the cover off the painting.  It is ready for the easel to paint on for the first time or to finish at home.

For plein air you can tape two small papers on the board, paint on the bottom one, turn it upside down and paint on the other one.  You can tape papers on the opposite boards and put glassine in between so you have two canvases/papers ready to paint on.

Have fun!