In this video I'll show you how to make a James Gurney style sketch easel like mine, step by step, using minimal tools.

UPDATE

In the video I recommend buying precut boards as the easiest way to get a really nice finish. I still think this is true whether from this company or any other selling small drawing boards. However as a few people have noted in the comments, they do come at a price and there are cheaper alternatives. Getting ply chopped for you at your hardware store is one option B&Q will do it here in the UK, and there are online companies too. You could buy the timber and chop it yourself using a hand saw or a jigsaw, and then sand the edges the finish might not be quite as good, but then again you might not care about that it will still be perfectly functional and a lot cheaper. One viewer recommended getting offcuts from a carpenter, which is a nice idea. Likewise the hinges and the tripod the ones I recommend are excellent but there are cheaper ones on Amazon. If you're on a really tight budget, please don't be put off, you can still make one!



Links:

Benro Slim Carbon Fibre Tripod

https://amzn.to/3lXUUFz

Plywood Boards

https://www.thenaturalworkshop.co.uk/...

Osmo Oil

https://amzn.to/3aTJc8K

Hinges

https://www.wdscomponents.com/engb/t...

T Nut

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IMPERIAL1...

Magnets

https://amzn.to/2ZhB3bX

Liz Deakin Palette

https://www.jacksonsart.com/lizdeaki...

Water Pots

https://www.jacksonsart.com/jasartis...

Araldite Rapid

https://amzn.to/3B1DQmC

Soudal Fixall

https://amzn.to/3DYF6IR

Bolts
The bolts I used I already had in my toolkit, so I can't supply a link, but they're M5 x 10mm with a 9mm dome head. The best place to look is probably eBay, but note that the screw holes on those hinges is 1cm, so the head width needs to be smaller than that.

James Gurney Blog

http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/

James Gurney Youtube

   / gurneyjourney  

James Gurney Books Colour & Light, Imaginative Realism (both amazing).

https://amzn.to/3E12O7C

https://amzn.to/3aWcGTv