Is being left handed a bad thing??

[Mr Man]

After reading a couple of threads here, its started to bother me.
Just to get this cleared up. Is it good to be left handed with drawing?
im left handed, although on the computer i use my right hand with the mouse (and for paint shop).
This is confusing stuff.

[mtw]

I don't think it matters what hand you use as long as you can draw a straight line. I believe Da Vinci was left handed, so it's certainly not a draw back.

[nil]

i think the deal is that since youre supposed to draw using the right side of the brain, it would be an advantage to draw using the left hand, since the right brain controls the left side of the body. personally, i think it really doesnt make a difference.

[Drevay]

I'm right handed. Now explain to me why the left side of the brain would control the right, and the right side the left? That doesn't make any sense, really.

[MadSamoan]

If I remember correctly, I think Fred Flickstone (Ron Lemen) is left handed. I think Justin Sweet might be too.

[Mindflaw]

It doesn´t matter if your left or right-handed. There has been some speculation about beeing lefthanded would be better cause of the way the brain works but theres no scientific evidence at all to back up this kind of arguments. About you using the right hand when using he mouse people are more or less right and left handed some are just as good with both hands, and you could always use your left hand when using the mouse if you wanted.

Drevay: the brain is crosslinked thats why. If you want to hear something that doesn´t seems to make any sense too is that the eye percive the world upside down and the brain interpretation turns it the right side up and if you use glasses that turns the world upside down the brain will after a while, turn it the right side up again. Theres a lot of things in this world that doesn´t seem logical.

[SpaceFilth]

the left hemisphere of the brain controls rational thinking, the right is more creative, spontaneous, therefore it is said that being lefthanded, and it being controlled by the right side hemisphere, is more creative.

simple truth is it all depends on how much you practice. the more you practise the more the neural pathway in the brain is retained, the easier it becomes to recall, whichever hand you use.

using both hands probably results in your confusion ;)

[o.b]

Left or righthandedness have no impact on the results.
Training will.

[D.O.Jones]

I remember reading that Leonado DaVinci was left handed.

I'm not sure that the stuff about about different hemispheres controlling creativity is true or not.

[SpaceFilth]

now why would I lie?
well, ok there's lots of reasons why I would, but being left handed myself, I've no need to, I'm just superior that way! ;)

maybe you'll believe:
Stanford University (http://www.stanford.edu/~mgorman/essays/Tom/Cere.html) - interesting piece on DaVinci

check out the: The British Mecical Journal (http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/) for heftier neurological reading.

Right brain

* 1.identifies patterns
* 2.assigns value
* 3.follows daydreams and impulses
* 4.imagines
* 5.visual and conceptual
* 6.emotionally negative
* 7.synthesizes
* 8.values sensation for itself
* 9.spontaneous
* 10.dreamy
* 11.suspicious
* 12.random
* 13.plays and responds
* 14.processes simultaneously
* 15.meandering
* 16.animates

Left brain

* 1.identifies words
* 2.assigns meaning
* 3.follows rules and schedules
* 4.interprets
* 5.factual and detailed
* 6.emotionally positive
* 7.analyzes
* 8.uses symbols & ideas for sensations
* 9.orderly
* 10.critical
* 11.anxious
* 12.methodical
* 13.classifies and judges
* 14.processes sequentially
* 15.linear
* 16.objectifies

that's why most Architects are right handed

or this book for artists:

Drawing with the Right Side of the Brain (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0874774241/104-5685085-6991946?v=glance)

[D.O.Jones]

Ok, I read a bit more about it and while it does seem generally agreed upon that the the two sides of the brain do think differently. However, as with most stuff to do with the brain the answer is not known exactly. And it is definitely not as simple as drawing on the right side of the brain suggests.

As that article about leonardo says, It was his ability to combine functions from both the right and left brain that led to his awesome drawing ability.


But as you said it comes down to practice, and not trying to use both hands ;)

[SpaceFilth]

the bit about the architects was made up though ;)

I used to do a "party trick"
I'd write reversed, backwards, upside down writing, so if you put a mirror against the writing and went infront of me, the writing read properly in the mirror (if that makes sense)

best if people stick to keeping both hemispheres in working condition.

[Ubar_303]

I was born right-handed, switched to my left hand at a very early age. Now I am retraining myself to use my right. I find that occasionally my line work will be much more confident with my right hand. Also, calligraphy comes much easier right-handed. It is fun to switch back and forth between hands, and my left hand is much quicker, although doing certain things right-handed makes more sense logically. I can tell the difference in my thought patterns as I switch back and forth between hands while drawing. When I read the piece about Leonardo's middle finger being deformed I was amused. I broke the middle finger on my left hand years ago, and it healed back deformed at the joint. Cheers to Art, Leo Da Vinci, and everyone who strives to improve themselves, right handers, left and the ambidextrous. I will upload some right handed sketches soon to better illustrate what I have talked about.

[Leftyy]

I'm left handed, but I am 50% right-brained, 50% left-brained. It's just the way I am, I've taken many tests for it. I draw with the mouse with my right hand, but normally I draw with my left hand. I draw equally well in both occasions. Also, I can pretty much write equally well with both hands, I'm just naturally left-handed. Da Vinci was left-handed and an Aries, so our personalities as well as our "tools" for drawing were the same. That's not too bad, if you ask me.

[Elwell]

This thread was stupid three years ago.

[arttorney]

I think the major problem with being left handed is the things that are built for righties. I'm talking about scissors mainly for art stuff, but the bolts and ejection ports on guns are also usually built on the assumption that everybody shoots right handed. I guess golf clubs are that way too.

Some left handed people do find that they can write backwards. Leonardo took a lot of notes that way and confounded people.

[Big-Dave]

"Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" was debunked a while back as being too broad a generalisation. The exercises do seem to work though, it's just the science they give isn't really accurate.

On the matter at hand though, no, there's nothing wrong with it. A pencil isn't designed to be used left or right handed, so there's no reason not to use it in your left. I think most of the criticism of left handedness comes from when it was seen as a bad thing for people to be left handed for various supersticious reasons. Really though, don't worry about it. What's important is that you do drawings, not how you do them.

[Scooby88]

it will be bad thing if your left hand gets chopped off or broken for some reason. otherwise not really. people who are right handed have no advantage over left handed people.

it is just what your comfortable with

[Ubar_303]

I think a change in perspective definitely takes place when you switch between hands.

[argais00]

This thread was stupid three years ago.

best post in the entire thread.

[Dizon]

just draw. try not to think to much. :)

[Coinpurse]

After reading a couple of threads here, its started to bother me.
Just to get this cleared up. Is it good to be left handed with drawing?
im left handed, although on the computer i use my right hand with the mouse (and for paint shop).
This is confusing stuff.

I feel your pain, I still use the mouse with my right hand from time to time and im also left handed :nohope:

Feel blessed, you'll always know that when it comes to being unique, there are more right handers then left ;)

They say lefties tend to use their right side of their brains more. Go us.


Seriously: It doesn't matter, what one man does with his penis is his own problem.


EDIT: jesus christ 3 years old!!!! I stepped into another land mine bwuahahahahahaha

[timpaatkins]

I don't know if this is gonna help anyone at all, but wtf, Ill just throw it in there anyway. Ina a life drawing class we had this prof who made us do air gestures, sounded (and looked) bloody stupid at first, 20 people looking like they were conducting an imaginary orchestra...

You took your brush and with a straight arm painted the figure in the air, not using any paper.
Shed say "go wide, huge, draw her life size, use the opposite hand, start at the foot, start at the hand" etc etc.
But this exercise really kicked ass.

After a few sessions, you got in to it, and completely stopped looking at your "paper" and really could concentrate on the form, energy and movement of the poses (around 15-30 sec. each for 20 poses)

I found (being left handed) that about halfway through, Id "forget" which hand I used, and when she said switch to your other hand, I found that Id been using my right arm to "draw", not noticing it.

A very liberating exercise, could have something to do with the brain training itself up to use both halves simultaneously? I don't know, I'm just guessing, but it seems to make sense. Give it a go for a few times your next couple of classes, if you can stand the giggles from your classmates, its very helpful! Not only would you be a bit out of breath, but your whole body will be warmed up, filled with energy, and you'll really get a feel for the pose, and lotes of people in class would automatically mimic a similar poses to the one being made by the model without even thinking about it.


TIm

[tarc]

Famous Lefties:

Julius Caesar
Napoleon Bonaparte
Alexander The Great
Jack the Ripper
Ned Flanders
Che Guevara
Albert Einstein
Nikola Tesla
Isaac Newton
Benjamin Franklin
Picasso
Michelangelo