Rainy Day Studio Activity #2 - Mahl Stick

Rainy Day Activity That Won't Break the Bank or Burn Down the Studio

Jan Vermeer "The Art of Painting" 1666

Use of mahl stick

A mahl stick is an aid painters use to steady their hand while painting. Like me, they have found that trying to hold their hand rock still when making thin, controlled tree branches or tiny highlights usually ends up with the fat heel of their palm smearing across the surface of wet paint. This then leads to swear words or some animal-like scream of despair that echoes through the neighborhood which can frighten your neighbor's kids and lead to inquisitive police officers at your door. Most importantly, a wayward hand on your canvas undoes lots of hard work.

The mahl stick is usually a stick approximately 3 feet long made of wood or aluminum with a padded end covered in suede. I have been using a cheap wooden yard stick from Sleepy's Mattress and before that, a cane I inherited from a relative after their foot surgery (pretty sure they were done with it).  Anyway, today is dark and rainy which makes for lousy light in the studio which makes for bad painting. So, I decided to make a proper mahl stick.

Items:

Items- 1/2 inch round Dowel rod about 3' long, extra large cotton balls, string, cloth rag, packing tape, 

suede/leather, glue, sewing thread. I also used a hot glue gun and added a swiffer dust rag.

Step 1:

I chose a wooden dowel (from local craft shop) so the glue and material would adhere better. Apply glue to the end of the rod and gather the cotton balls around it to form a ball. Wait for it to dry completely. While you wait, you can go down memory lane, to when you were seven, and coat your hand in Elmer's Glue then plunge it into the bag of cotton balls. Yeah, good times.

When the glue on the stick is dry, gently wrap the bottom half in packing tape to create a stronger bond between the padding and the stick.

Step 2:

I added a swiffer dust rag to hold the cotton balls together and add another layer of padding. The bottom is cinched with the sewing thread. I then wrapped the top with the thread to create a more solid ball for easier shaping.

Step 3:

Trim the excess from the swiffer and wrap again with the cloth rag. Again, trim the excess from the bottom.

Step 4:

Lay the middle of the square of suede on the top of the ball and wrap down either side. You don't need to press super hard but just enough to make sure the rag and cotton are held securely. Hot glue either side in place then fold suede diagonally over, hot glueing each side as you go. If you remember your mother showing you you how to make hospital corners when she taught you how to make your bed, you are ahead of the game.

Step 5:

Take the string and wrap firmly at the bottom of the ball. Then trim the excess off and add a dot or two of hot glue to hold it all together. If you really want to let your OCD loose, you can thread a needle and sew a couple stitches where the folds come together for added strength. 

You now have your very own mahl stick to steady your hand and keep it the heck out of your way as you paint. Also, it's very useful to crack people over the head if they dare criticize your way of working.