So how do YOU hold your pen?

[McKack]

Marty! I've got dire news from the future!!!...

[Aidan]

Mh, great thread idea... http://www.conceptart.org/forums/images/icons/icon11.gif

i hold my pen more with my fingertips...
if my scanner worked, i could post a pic...

ive read somewhere that one should ever draw with a short pen so you are able to completely cover the pen with your hand...
has someone heard something similar?

[element412]

i also hold my pen in a strange way. in my primary school they have always tried making me change but it never worked.

i didnt really use my finger tips. i seem more confortable like that but i dont know if its limiting me in my movement. I've lately considered changing the way i hold my pen .. but i guess i would suffer from a long adaptation time.

element

[RONIN]

That's funny. The Nun's tried to "convert" me also. Instead they just ended up attempting to "cripple" my hands with their incessant ruler beating. (Probably one of the many reasons why I was kicked out of Catholic School by third grade.) As one vicious penguin put it, my hand looks like a "gorilla holding a chopstick."

[Guges]

Interesting thread McKack, I've often thought about the way I hold my pencils and pens. I use my fingertips instead of that crazy 'Hulk want draw pictures' grip some people have ;) Whatever works, works.

In response to Aiden's question about the length of a pen or pencil, at Disney they require they're artists/animators to 'dispose' of pencils once they reach a certain length. In fact, I have a non-photo blue pencil from Disney. My old art teacher has/had (I don't know if they still work there) a friend at Disney who sent him a shoebox full of non-photo blue pencils that they had chucked! Our teacher let everyone grab one :)

Anyway, I can't remember what the reason is for disposing of a pencil once it gets to a certain length, but I'd guess it's some kind of muscle thing that develops from the pencil not resting in your hand a certain way. *shrug* I also can't remember the explaination my art teacher gave us when he let us nick those pencils. Shame that...

Well, that's all I have to add to this thread :)

[Guges]

What size do you usually draw things McKack? If you're having trouble drawing long, straight lines perhaps you should try working a little bit bigger than you usually would and try to free up the movement of your hand instead of changing the way you hold your instrument. Unless you find it uncomfortable to hold a pen or pencil the way you do now, there really shouldn't be much of a reason to change.

I often find myself using those quick little sketchy lines when I work too small or my hand is tensed up. I mean, it could be that the way you hold your instruments affects your ability to recreate certain gestures with your hand.

I've known other artist that hold pencils and pens the same way that you do and they produce great stuff. Hell, that sketch you did has some cool shading to it. It isn't like someone could tell that you hold your pencil like The Hulk from a drawing...unless that drawing shows how you hold your pencil...

*cough*

Don't change the way you hold your pen unless it actually causes you physical discomfort.

Anyways Hulkster, I'm no specialist on this matter so I should probably shut up before someone nabs me for malpractice... :D

Oh, do you plan on posting some more of your work? 'Cause I'd like to see some more cool shading :cool:

Take it easy

[Aidan]

I drew mine on wednesday but my scanner still doesnt work...
would like to post some new stuff of mine.
nah, whatever...this damn agfa thing has no real drivers with the software and windows does also find none...