UPDATE: Need to make some corrections to my original review. I was way off on it being 2/3 the height of a piece of printer paper. A piece of paper in portrait goes maybe 2 inches past the top, which is still not ideal, but also nowhere as bad as saying it's 2/3 the height. I wrote the original review based on a couple days of using it, and I was going off of memory. But once I had it in front of me I realized I made a terrible estimation.

Secondly, I've set it up on a more sturdy/flat desk and the drawer is working fine. No grinding, and no getting stuck when it slides back in.

That pretty much cancels the only gripes I had with the item, so I bumped it up from 4 to 5 stars.
--------
Original Update:

This is smaller than I expected. I'll probably upgrade to something bigger in a few months as I get more experience. My arm movements feel really cramped with this item, especially when I get near the bottom of the canvas and the holder gets in the way of the pencil, no matter if I fold it up or down.

It does the job, but you'll only be able to use paper in landscape unless the paper is in your sketchbook or has some other sturdy backing. I'm still new to drawing, so I'm practicing lines and shapes on printer paper, and for THAT it's not tall enough to use the paper in portrait. I'm sure I would have found that out if I read the measurements first, so I'm not blaming the seller, just letting people know: the actual drawing area (in portrait) is about 2/3 the size of a piece of printer paper. In landscape it's got maybe an inch of extra room on each side.

The construction is also pretty cheap. Not BAD cheap, as in it feels like it's going to fall apart, it just has that mass-production feel to it. The drawer, for example, is very stiff when you slide it in and out, because it's just wood grinding on wood. And when you close it the top tends to hang, so you have to really force it in. Obviously not expecting metal sliders and call bearings for $40, but again, just letting you know!

I thought I saw an option for a bigger one earlier, that gets you about 6 extra inches of horizontal space, and a few more for vertical space, and it was only a few dollars more (I can't seem to find it now). I would have bought that one if I saw it sooner, and if you're set on getting this one, I'd spend the extra few bucks.

Overall, for a beginner, or just to have something quick and portable around, this gets the job done! It all folds down nicely, so it's something you can keep on top of your desk without taking up much room, and it doesn't look terrible. To me, it doesn't seem like it's meant to be a long-term thing, or to go beyond beginner/travel stages. If you're looking for something more long-term that you can grow INTO, I'd look elsewhere. But if you want something quick and portable just to get you started, and you're alright with growing out of it in a month or two, I see no reason why this wouldn't work for you!

I bought this for car travel and for general use when on the road and/or extended stays. I like how I can have watercolor paper premounted on coroplast which I cut to nestle in the slots behind the easel. I also cut a coroplast piece that fits on the bottom using Velcro dots, that I use for painting multiples. So paper is always at the ready.
I lined the drawer with dollar store shelf matting and filled it up. I was able to include everything I like to use at home, including masking fluid. It all fits in a padded Herschel backpack which I found cheap on shopgoodwill. I add a larger paint palette, a larger spray bottle and water container (I use a doubled travel dog bowl), that stores in the pack for use when not in the car. But I wanted something for painting as a car passenger and this works great! Especially if you work with 5x7 or smaller. Great for postcards and doing inserts for framed greeting cards.
It's not a sturdy piece. It needs the padded bag. But it's made well enough for what I need it for and the hardware is easy enough to replace if have trouble with it. And it was fun to add the cat sticker! I'm sure there are better out there, but I'm happy with my humble warehouse deal. A great deal if you tend to be careful with your stuff. If you're not, look elsewhere.

I bought this desk easel to use for my paper quilling. Bending over the table to work on my projects make my neck and shoulders hurt. I'm not disappointed! This is a sturdy easel, and well made. The adjustable angles work well for me. I'm happy with it, and would buy it again.

Arrived quickly and though I had some trouble in the first two minutes as to how to get it to stand, I figured it out pretty quickly. The compartment is small but I'll must likely use it for carrying the cardstock I use. Was a bit disappointing that the board wasn't an inch or two higher in height than I expected but it's not enough to be bothersome. All in all it's a good product for the price

It just works well. The drawer and easel lock and unlock to prevent it from popping open at inconvenient times and still manages to easily open up as needed. The kickstand is strong and stable. It stays where you set ot while you draw. It comes with a beautiful palette that fits inside of the drawer which itself has organization compartments. It is made of solid wood and not composite yet it is light. It also has a padded handle for easy transportation.