mahlstick
1
9.9
A long thin stick painters rest their hand on to steady a brush
- noun
- /ˈmɑːlˌstɪk/
- Specialized
:
palillo de pintor
- use a mahlstick
Examples
-
* Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "mahlstick," http://www.oed.com (accessed February 28, 2011).
Academic text (2011) -
The artist uses a mahlstick to support his hand while painting fine details on the canvas.
-
She carefully positioned the mahlstick against the easel to steady her arm as she painted.
-
Using a mahlstick allows me to avoid smudging the pastel while working on intricate sections of the artwork.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A long stick with a soft top that artists rest their hand on while painting fine details
is the thin unpadded tool used by painters to support the brush hand
Surface Forms
mahlstick singular
mahlsticks plural
Etymology
Mahlstick comes from old German parts malen ('to paint') and stock ('stick'), so it originally meant a 'painting stick'. Painters used it to rest and steady their hand and brush, which is exactly why a mahlstick is a long thin stick for supporting the hand while painting.