Steady Hands: How to go about it?

[SundayTaco]

Since I started painting minis 9 years ago, I've always had shaky hands. Some days under some conditions, I am able to steady my hands but those days are few and far between. I am wondering if anyone has tips on how to improve brush control and hopefully help to reduce the amount of subtle shaking they do when I am attempting to paint. I know it is one of my problems and I really makes my detail work suffer, and often be very frustrating. Any advice would be awesome!

 

[TrystanGST]

I'm sure Kathrynloch will come here and give you wonderful advice at some point. I know she has to deal with this too.

 

[MAXXxxx]

I suck at explaining things, but here is a good article on this:

http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.dk/2011/11/discovering-new-hands.html

I don't follow what's written there exactly, but:
- elbows are on the table --> hand already a lot more steady
- wrists are leaning against each other while holding the figure-holder --> here almost only the fingers can move a bit making my hands stead enough to do eyes and such.

 

[Einion]

As usual, there are some previous threads on the topic (hint: search is your friend). This one's from only earlier this year:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/showthread.php?52363-Shakey-hands-advice

My main tips would be improving your grip on the mini (fatter handles help here), holding one hand against the other/against the shaft of the holder and not having your elbows loose - rest them on the armrests of your chair, on the tabletop or couch them against the ribcage.

Here are some older threads which might have more useful tips:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/showthread.php?35307-Shaky-hands
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/showthread.php?8747-The-importance-of-ergonomics
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/showthread.php?27106-tips-for-brush-control

Einion

 

[gohkm]

Maxx, depending on how bad your hand tremors are, what's in that article doesn't always help. If I remember right, at one time, Kathryn laid the fig down on the table and had to paint it from there.

I'm not quite at that stage yet, but I've got elbows on the table, plus wrists stabilized against a monitor raiser, and on bad days, it simply isn't enough - my hands shake so much I just give up.

@ Taco: Are you merely shaking from imbalances, as Maxx says, or do you have an underlying condition like myself? Maxx's link has got some seriously good pointers if it's just the former, but if you have a condition, a visit to the doctor may be in order.

 

[Master Splinter]

The only thing I can think of is to put the mini on a canister so you have better grip.

 

[SundayTaco]

Wow thank you for all the tips! This is great, and enion i must have been searchingnpoorly cause i couldn't find articles here.
@gohkm i dont officially have a condition, but i would swear that i do, with the amount of shjaking that goes on while i attempt to paint

 

[Demihuman]

Some good single malt really helps... but not too much!

 

[Chrispy]

The problem is when painting, most people are using their flexors (the muscles that let you grip- hold your wrist and flex and you can feel them). But for a bit better control, you really need to use all the muscles near your elbow. For me, putting an elbow on the table pinches something and I get all tingly, so I put my midarm on something. In the stresses of life and painting your muscles can get strained, and you may have to stretch and massage them. One of the best things to do for stretching hand muscles is to press your hand against something and force it back until you feel a stretch all down your inner arm. For the mid arm muscles, you have to massage further up, around by the armpit/ shoulder region. I learned these things and a few more from a chiropractor, and it's more of a thing where you remember the areas and how to do it rather than being able to instruct other how to do.

 

[Zab]

One tip I rarely see on these threads is this: Breathe. Seriously. Sometimes what people have is an intention tremor from being too tense and focused. The closer you get to the mini the more tense you get and the less your breathe. Weird I know, but also true. Sorry to sound like hippie but, just breathe man.

 

[Einion]

...and enion i must have been searchingnpoorly cause i couldn't find articles here.

It does help sometimes knowing that there is something to search for that way when you don't find the right thread/threads you know you need to try different search terms (instead of assuming there's nothing relevant, which is a pretty natural assumption). So it's always a good idea to search for any given topic using a number of related words anyway, rather than expecting just one search to throw up everything there is to find.

The main tip on how to search CMON specifically is to use the Advanced Search page, the tab preset to search the forums specifically you'll find here.

Einion

 

[Demihuman]

You know after my tongue-in-cheek comment about booze i thought about it and I saw what Zab said..."breathe."

If you can get to a yoga or mellow martial arts class, like Aikido or Tai Chi or something once a week it might really help. Also good for the rest of you too. Or maybe some guided meditation.

Namaste from Northern California bro.

 

[boubi]

You know after my tongue-in-cheek comment about booze i thought about it and I saw what Zab said..."breathe."

If you can get to a yoga or mellow martial arts class, like Aikido or Tai Chi or something once a week it might really help. Also good for the rest of you too. Or maybe some guided meditation.

Namaste from Northern California bro.

And it might work... For me painting is already relaxing time, and a lots of thoughts during painting, it is quite amazing, much more than other activities! So adding some meditation, I am saying, why not? As breathing, I also tend to believe that it is helping... I remember while doing freehand to be quite tense, focus and keeping my breath until the brush strokes are done! I will give it a try...