[Iliya Zilberter]

this was posted in another forum that I go to, and I was just curious: how do you hold your pencil/stylus when you draw? It would be interesting if there was some kind of correlation between pencil grip and art technique, but then again there probably isn't.
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[Drew]

I hold it like when I write, except much further back. I've found many people who can't draw at all unless they're using a pencil grip, but they use a death grip which keeps the arm stiff. Also, they grind the pencil into the paper as though they're never made a mistake in their lives, and the end result is always a mess of grooves and incorrect marks that can never be erased.

I try to draw lightly enough to make marks easy to erase, but hard enough to feel the resistance of the paper.

[soogarrush]

i too hold it like when i write except its way back and my fingers are barely just resting, not clenched...not sure if i described it correctly. i cant draw that well anyway...

[Rat]

I also hold my pencil like I write (tip resting on ring finger), and I hold it in the same place and whatnot. Only difference is that I press harder when I write than when I draw.
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[Iliya Zilberter]

im about the same as you, Rat. When I draw I hold my pencil about 1 cm higher, though.
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[B0b]

same as Rat

[wycliffeart]

I hold my pencil between the tips of my thumb and index finger. It's become such a comfortable hold that I write like that now as well. But the stylis too large to control like that so I hold it in the more tradional three finger grip.

[liv the fish]

I hold my pencil like a naughty lady...er...nevermind that

I never really thought about the importance of different ways of holding a pencil until I saw discussions about it here. It never occurred to me that it was an important topic.

As for the answer, I hold my pencil in a variety of different ways usually all in the same drawing. For fine detail, I hold it like I write. I'm left-handed, so I kind of crook my hand over/above what I'm writing/drawing so I can see what I'm writing or drawing but my grip is pretty traditional. For looser shapes and lines, I have my hand below what I'm drawing and have the pencil between my thumb and index finger, sometimes using the middle finger under for some support. And for shading, especially fast shading, I line up the pencil with my index finger, have my thumb and middle finger underneath and have my hand below and slightly off to the side of the drawing.

Wow! I guess there's a lot more to this pencil holding thing than I first thought

I hope this helps with your strange pencil holding science project.

later,
Brian H.
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[Capt. Fred]

I hold it basically like I write but when I write my fingers are more gathered into a point, whereas when i draw, my fingers are more realxed and extended more so my fingers are closer to parallel with pencil/stylus. Also the back-end of the pencil stylus points away from me more, when I write it pointmore towards me.

Hope I've helped whatever it is your doing

[Sightunseen]

I hold mine the same almost all the time, I hold it really far up, and rest the pencil on my middle finger, on the knuckle, but so far up that it is actually touching the bare wood of the pencil, and then pinch it from either side with my thumb and index finger, I'm left handed. Although, sometimes when I try to draw really light lines, I hold the pencil about 1 or 2 cm further up the pencil.
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[Iliya Zilberter]

heh its not a science project, its just a random thought that I had. So in general people draw with a higher grip and moree relaxed fingers. sounds about right.

damn, i have no life.
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[Nimr0d]

I hold mine the same way I write, which is to say a frightening death fist. Honestly i hold it really weird, just always did it that way... *shrug
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[InitialT]

I use a standard writing grip, then switch to other grips depending on what I need to do.

I'm still unlearning my heavy handed death grip, it's tough going since I'm normally so shaky I can't draw otherwise.

Then I'm also learning to use a palm parallel grip for conte crayon in my figure drawing class. I am so not used to the grip, but it does have the benefit of keeping the crayon tip sharp whenever I need detail work.

[Thanatos]

I have probably the strangest pencil grip in the entire world... Well maybe not the strangest...

I hold my pencil with my index, middle, and ring fingers, with my thumb opposite of my middle finger. My pinky is hugged up against my ring finger, but never touches the pencil. On the bright side I don't develop a writer's bump because of it. I don't grip it very hard, which is sometimes a problem because when changing pencils (with like colored pencils or something) I tend to drop them a lot. Which ends up breaking all the graphite in the pencil and my heart breaks, because it's another dollar down the drain that I can't afford. ;x

[Lionel]

You should all read this link about the different ways to hold your pencil. Holding your pencil correctly will make a huge difference to your drawing. I tend to hold my pencil in a vice like grip of death with all my fingers in strange and bazar positions. I am despiratly trying to train myself out of it as it is very hard to get proper control of the pencil. You NEED to be able to do tricks like rotate your pencil while drawing and these are things you can't do if you hold you pencil in a death grip like me :/. I am not saying you can't create excellent drawings if you hold you pencil badly but you are making life very hard for yourself and you will find you drawing improves if you hold your pencil properly.
http://www.studioproducts.com/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=2221

[Nimr0d]

Yah, forgot to mention, I have a HUGE callous on my right ring finger where the pencil rubs it... i consider it a badge of honor though, a sign of real practice.

I grip somewhat hard and close to the tip also, rather than high and loose as appears to be the norm... I naturally integrate the pencil/stylus etc. as closely as I can with my hand and draw from the wrist and shoulder, really use my whole arm while I draw. In this way, I've found when I'm forced to draw standing up on an easel with thick media parallel to the palm in life drawing classes, It's very easy and natural and gives me very natural curvy marks. I think Drawing with your whole arm, really working your shoulder motions in, is a great technique to try and cultivate. It adds a lot of energy and motion, always desirable traits I think.
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[Iliya Zilberter]

Lionel, thank you very much for posting that link. I have now seen the error of my ways. feel so ashamed...

by the way, how is being able to spin your pencil useful? Honest question.
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[Socar MYLES]

As you see, I balance the pencil on my middle finger (or my ring finger when I am using my right hand), so that it rests on the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. I can then use my forefinger to guide it easily, while my thumb keeps it stable.

If this were a real pencil, not a Wacom pen, I would put a piece of paper between my hand and the paper I was drawing on, to avoid letting my dragging hand put smudges on the drawing.

For brush painting (with ink), I hold the brush like the Wacom pen, but much higher up (about halfway along the brush).
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[Lionel]

Iliya Zilberter: Being able to twist the pencil is importtant because it alows you to vary the properties of the line while drawing. For example if you have done a lot of shading the tip of your pencil is not a point but it will in fact be the shape of a flat brush. If you twist the pencil then you make a line that changes thickness as you twist it. Don't take my word for it try it . I am only just discovering this for myself so I don't have a don't have a lot of advice on the subject sorry. Up until recently I have been using the monkey grip of death :/.

Socar MYLES: Don't take this the wrong way but that isn't a very good way of holding a pencil or a wacom pen. I have always drawn the same way as you until very recently I discovered a sevral better ways of holding a pencil. I am not saying it is impossible to produce really good artwork using the same method as you but if you change the way you hold your pencil you will find you get a huge amount more control as I have found. You are a far better atrist than me so it would be silly to take my word on this so I implore you to look at this link (http://www.studioproducts.com/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=2221) and take some advice from a really good seasoned professional illisrator and see why he says this method is better. It is not just this illisrator who says that this is the way to do thinks but books like "Pencil Sketching by Thomas C. Wang" agree with him. Sorry if I sound pushy but this is something I feel has really helped me and I really feel it will help others as well and especally experianced artists since it gives the artist a whole lot of extra things that they can do to get more out of drawing (an example is rotaing the pencil to vary the quility of lines). I really hope you will give it a go

To anyone who hasn't look at this link be you and experiancet artist who thinks they have nothing to learn to a complete newbie really click this link and have a look it will help I promise

http://www.studioproducts.com/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=2221

[Socar MYLES]

I HAVE seen it, Lionel, but no matter how experienced the author is, that's still only his opinion, and what works for him. I can rotate the pencil just fine using my usual grip, and, more importantly, it doesn't hurt my hands. Any other method does. I like my hands to be perfectly relaxed when I'm drawing, and this is the way I can do that, whether I am using my left hand or my right at the time.

It's a bit silly to say that my way of holding a pen/pencil isn't good. I find that I have all the control I could ever need or want over my pen, pencil, or brush--pressure, direction, and everything else. The fact that someone else's method worked for you doesn't mean it's good for everyone. I think the point of what he is driving at, anyway, is that one needs to have one's thumb in a position to control the pen while drawing...which I do.
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[Dr. Bang]

[Iliya Zilberter]

Lionel, i've managed to switch over to more or less the illustrated way of holding a pencil. It is a bit easier to make large curves, and the base of my thumb is no longer sore, but I still need a bit of work on my handwriting Thanks.
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[Lionel]

Socar MYLES: Well here are some reasons why it the psoition that is illistrated are better for conrol of a pencil

1. With your method the end of the thumb in not the part holding the pencil with the tips of you fingers but are holding it near the join this is limiting the amount of movement of as the further away from the joint you have it the more movement you can get. To illistrate this try making the bigist circles you can with each of the methods and see which produced the bigger circles.

2. With your method you are making it harder to move into different hand positions like making a backhand sweep (if only I had a digital camera to ilistrat this sorry I am sure you will not know what I mean). The best explanation I can think of is like the bruch dust of you coat with the back of your hand. With the new way it is easier to change into these hand positions as you hand is not so tightly wrapped around the pencil.

3. With your method you are holding the pencil to close to the nib. This means you have problems similar to the ones outlined in point 1 with not being able to make as big shapes. Why is this important well it is important since you can make big curves in one stroke which is less error prone than in lots of small slower strokes.

I know it may sound silly to say that this way of holding a pencil is better than yours and that each artist should find their own way but I really do beleve for the reasons that I have outlined above that there is a wrong and a right way to hold a pencil most effectivly. It is not just this person that has this opinion infact I have seen it in all the books I own on pencil darwing that this is the best way of doing it. I would be genually interested if you could find some information to the contary. I am sorry if you find that these ways hurt you hand!. I can't understand as in these ways the pencil should be held as losely as possible. If they do hurt your hand then I wouldn't recomend using them. Sorry If I am coming across as arogent I really am just trying to help. I don't mean to sugest that you will not be able to produce wonderful pictures using your method I just think you will gain some benifit from holding your pencil a little differently.

[Socar MYLES]

You'd be surprised, Lionel--if you keep your hand relaxed, you can get just as much rotation my way as you can using any other method. I don't have any problems with other hand positions, either--because I hold my pen very loosely, I can slide it up and down so I'm either holding it close to the nib or far away--that gives me the flexibility to change positions easily. I also tend to use large, broad strokes for sketching...and again, this isn't a problem for me.

I went to art school for four years--I heard all about the "correct" ways to hold pencils, et cetera. I tried several different methods before settling on the one that works best for me. Maybe his method works for you--that's great--but it certainly isn't the only acceptable method out there.
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[Impaler]

Man, eyewoo was playing the diplomat on that studio products forum, trying to make traditional art snobs accept digital art as legit.

Way to go, phil.
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[Chillin]

Well I am left handed, and have 2 ways of holding whatever instrument I deem worthy to draw with that day.
1. hold pencil halfway up, and draw from the top of the page, down, this is usually a very relaxed grip, with quick sketchy strokes....

2. For mega detail, and fine lines, the pen/pencil is held near the tip, and a slightly firmer grip for better accuracy, and I dont draw from the top, but from the side of the page...
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[Atrophy]

Whew! Was really worried if this would be some really bad thread. =) Glad you actually meant pencil. Otherwise I hold mine =) pretty much the same as the others.
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[J.Der]

I find I've got a truly weird style of holding a pencil. Everyone seems to say that.

My thumb, middle finger, ring and pinky finger all are at the tip of the pencil, while my index is slid waay up, almost dead in the middle. Instead of the eraser end of my pencil pointing towards me, it points away.

I never even learnt why, just always came natural.

-JD

[eyalyab]

interesting topic. i always look at people when they write to see how they hold the pencil/pen. it interests me. sometimes i say: how the hell can they write holding it like that??.
to the topic: i hold a pencil when i draw much like the way i hold it when i write, but as people said before. higher up. i have to have long pencils because i have a long hand and i need to have the eraser part of the pencil rest on the goose-like skin between the thumb and the index. i also hol it in a way to have my pinky balance my hand on the paper. i cant draw with my hand completely in the air, unless i draw long lines.

one other point. all my life i bit my nails. its much easier to draw without nails. recently, i stopped that sick habbit, and now its harder to draw. nails are annoying. i think im gonna go back to biting them.

[Rat]

Oddly, I didn't notice until last night that when I'm doing very dark shading in a large area, I hold the pencil against the last knuckle on my ring finger, then hold it between the base of my thumb and the side of my hand at the top, just using my middle and index fingers to support the pencil some...

When I write or draw detail, I usually use my thumb, index, and middle fingers.
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