Shaky hands

[AegisD]

For what ever reason, I've noticed my hands have been a bit shaky lately. Does anyone know any good techniques to help steady them while painting? It's not like I have parkinsons or anything, but it can be hard for me to highlight faces, dot eyes, etc occasionally.

Also, does anyone else experience this?

 

[phreak0]

i have really shaky hands nowadays, i just work with it and use it as an asset. for eyes i really concentrate and wait for the right moment to dot the thing.

 

[boogieoompa]

Dont eat sugary foods within an hour (or caffeine) and breath out while you do detail work. Not everyone neds to do this of course but a few years back it worked for me.

 

[Joek]

Holding your breath for the detailed work does the job for me. I do occasionally get the shakes, but as phreak0 said, you can work through it easily enough with a bit of practise.

 

[Ritual]

Drinking a small amount of alcohol can help, sometimes. Something like one beer, or a small glass of whisky (3-4 cl). I've experienced it helping for temporary cases of shaking hands, at least.

 

[AegisD]

Drinking a small amount of alcohol can help, sometimes. Something like one beer, or a small glass of whisky (3-4 cl). I've experienced it helping for temporary cases of shaking hands, at least.

I was actually wondering when someone would mention something like that I've tried it though, and while it doesn't give me surgical precision, it makes me care a little less about it.

I guess everyone's hands shake a bit though, I'll try cutting out my morning coffee and see if that helps. I never really thought about it before.

 

[evil tendencies]

A Marine sniper was the first guy to teach me to paint. He said that muscles work on an "on/off" system, and so shaking is impossible to avoid at some point. He said that sharpshooters incorporate that movement by moving back and forth very slightly past the target, and shooting when they hit center.

His theory was that it works the same when we paint. You start the stroke, press down when you need the pigment applied, lift up when done, and THEN stop the stroke. It also helps to not clench the brush, which causes more of the "on/off" behavior, but to hold the brush as loose as possible. It's worked for me for 15 years, and for every client I give lessons to.

 

[In Chigh P.I.]

Drinking a small amount of alcohol can help, sometimes. Something like one beer, or a small glass of whisky (3-4 cl). I've experienced it helping for temporary cases of shaking hands, at least.

I just knew that beer would come in handy somewhere someday

 

[PegaZus]

I just knew that beer would come in handy somewhere someday

Beer. Is there anything it can't do? :beerwave:

 

[NGArtStudios]

I tend to go through about 3 energy drinks a day and fairly little sleep so my hands are quite shaky as well. Best advice I can give you is try supporting your elbows and forearms against your body or however else you may feel comfortable to reduce the shakes. Also I find that resting one palm against the other helps as well while resting elbows on a desk or against my body.

 

[exilesjjb]

As daft as it sounds I find painting a form of meditation so when I get the shakes or start getting stressed because something is not working, I stand up and have a rest. Just that short rest calms me down.

 

[devoncodain]

That sniper was spot on in his advise. Me personally I put minis on the top of old GW paint pots i put that on my chest tuck my elbows hold my breath and hit the details.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

I've noticed that if I do something during the day that tires my hands and arms alot - carrying heavy groceries or something for a long time - can leave my hands shaky.

 

[Einion]

I was actually wondering when someone would mention something like that I've tried it though, and while it doesn't give me surgical precision, it makes me care a little less about it.

LOL

Best advice I can give you is try supporting your elbows and forearms against your body or however else you may feel comfortable to reduce the shakes. Also I find that resting one palm against the other helps as well while resting elbows on a desk or against my body.

This is pretty much exactly what I was going to advise.

Pressing the heel of the painting hand against the other, if space allows, is a great technique as the hands then tend to move together as a unit rather than being separately shaky.

I've noticed that if I do something during the day that tires my hands and arms alot - carrying heavy groceries or something for a long time - can leave my hands shaky.

Ditto.

Einion

 

[BPI]

I have a height adjustable chair I spend most of my time in I've found that I sit quite high to type but that lowering it so that I can rest my wrists/mini holder on the desk edge without having to crunch my back as I curl forward has been very handy (table edge at nipple level when sat up straight!) for battling hand shake/back pain. Took me a while to realise though! Cheers, B.
PS anyone else find the ring finger of their brush hand cramping up after a few hours work?

 

[airhead]

A Marine sniper was the first guy to teach me to paint. He said that muscles work on an "on/off" system, and so shaking is impossible to avoid at some point. He said that sharpshooters incorporate that movement by moving back and forth very slightly past the target, and shooting when they hit center.

His theory was that it works the same when we paint. You start the stroke, press down when you need the pigment applied, lift up when done, and THEN stop the stroke. It also helps to not clench the brush, which causes more of the "on/off" behavior, but to hold the brush as loose as possible. It's worked for me for 15 years, and for every client I give lessons to.

Great advise.

Avoid caffeine: coffee, energy drinks, colas, etc.
Avoid nicotine: cigarettes

Breath control: breathe in, let half of the breath out... hold it and dot the eye.

Use triangular support: elbows tucked into the ribs or forearms braced against the table. Heels of hands interlocked (think pistol shooting grip).

Don't overdo it. You are using muscles that are not used in everyday use for this exercise. When you start, the muscles will get tired. As they do, they will let you know by not responding quite as well as you wish.

 

[Trevor]

I have this weird chair setup (the ones you sit on in a kneeling position) so that I can sit with my feet where the knees should go, so my knees are up so I can rest my wrists on my kneecaps when I paint. Makes for a very stable position for me, reducing hand shake and its reasonably good for my back (sounds like it shouldn't be, but I'm less hunched over than I would be sitting in a normal chair).

 

[SkelettetS]

the way i sit when painting i wouldnt be surprised if i get some serious back injury within years dont feel the pain until i get off the chair after some high-koncentration hours with the brush.

 

[Einion]

PS anyone else find the ring finger of their brush hand cramping up after a few hours work?

Not here. I tend to get it in the meaty part of the palm, below the thumb, if carving for long periods.

I have this weird chair setup (the ones you sit on in a kneeling position) so that I can sit with my feet where the knees should go, so my knees are up so I can rest my wrists on my kneecaps when I paint. Makes for a very stable position for me, reducing hand shake and its reasonably good for my back (sounds like it shouldn't be, but I'm less hunched over than I would be sitting in a normal chair).

I always wondered if it could work sitting on one of those differently than you're supposed to :good:

Einion

 

[freakinacage]

i rest my hands on my knee