There are a few things for treating carpal tunnel syndrome at home Do stretching exercises get the advice of experts as it can lead to permanent damage (I read these and the reasons they work from Dariks Pain Destroyer website )
I was born with glass bones and paper skin. Every morning I break my legs, and every afternoon I break my arms. At night, I lie awake in agony until my heart attacks put me to sleep.
me a week ago :" Ha this video is stupid , I am not gonna get a dumb injury preventing me from drawing" me now : *Has wrist injury because of playing games too long* " I am a fucking dumbass"
See, I've always seen people say to draw from the wrist. This is the first time I've seen someone say draw from the shoulder, which is nice, because I've always drawn from the shoulder :( Always take eye breaks! Tablet artists or if you just plain use the computer a lot causes lots of eye strain. Take a break and look at a specific object from your seat that's across the room. Do that for 20-30 seconds every 15 minutes. Your eyes will thank you. Put a pillow on your ass if you're in a hard chair, too. Your tush will thank you as well.
who the heck is telling you to draw from your wrist...? any artist that knows what they're doing will tell you to use your whole arm when you draw. make sure you're not getting advice from amateurs.
PhoenixCookie I heard the wrist advice from amateur artists when I was an amateur as well. It was also on deviantart, so...there ya go. They said it was to supposed to give you more control in limited space such as small tablets.
Zurgo Pussysmasher Eye strain from computer use come from 2 main sources. 1.) Is that you are looking at something too close for too long. So do the 20/20, every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away or however far your room is. 2.) The big one is blue light from the monitor, TV, phones, anything with a screen, which is near the same as looking at the sun. The remedy is download something like FLUX which reduces/remove the blue light to orange over time throughout the day. If you draw digital, this can mess up color accuracy, so the best is to digital draw during the day.
Thanks for the tip! I've heard horror stories about blue light and how decades down the line most of us are going to have piss poor vision. I already have bad eyesight and a family history of eye-related shit so I try to preserve what vision I have left.
These are really good tips for not just artists but all people to keep in mind. When ever i go on twitter i always see artists and others complain about their back pain or their rist pain and moat of the time they know that they in to fix their postrue but they "never remember" or "are in the zone" but anyway that app thing is a really good idea i'm gonna recomend it to all of them along with this video! Thanks Mattias!
I've been drawing every day for 8 years. Around year 3, I started getting pains in my wrists but just would take a break until it felt better and kept going. Around year 7, the pain was so bad, I had to stop drawing. I finally went to a doctor, and they said what I was worried about all along. Carpal tunnel/tendonitis (which I thought was two seperate things, but my doctor is telling me it's not.) I was 18. Now, I've changed the way I do things a big to fit with what seems to help the most. I also wear wrist braces whenever I can and take vitamins to help strengthen the area. It sucks. Take care of your wrists while you have the chance, guys.
I contracted chronic neck pain about 5 years ago thanks to an injury at a summer camp. It would have healed fine if not for band camp. The pain increased throughout the school year due to weakness in my shoulders causing poor posture. This made it difficult to even hold my clarinet up. By sophomore year I couldn't get through a band rehearsal without crying because of the pain. After chiropractic treatment, massage therapy, and two bouts of physical therapy I now have some form of control over how bad the pain gets, but drawing tends to make it worse. PLEASE listen to what this guy is saying. You don't need to go through years of pain like I did because I just blew it off and thought my body would be fine in its own. Take care of your body.
This makes me feel pain, and the worst I experienced at band camp was fainting from heat exhaustion/dehydration. Also clarinets are light, must have been quite the injury for that to be difficult to hold. In that case it would've been best to sit out/relax. My brother had knee problems so he switched from sax to percussion in the pit so his knees wouldn't hurt so bad. It also reminds me of my friend in football that tore his tendons/ligaments/medicalwordicantremember in his knee, went out for another game like a month later and ended up needing (transplant i think) surgery as a result of this. Last week I fell on my bike twice, first time messed up my shoulder, next day I made it a little worse along with scrapes. I'm currently taking a week or 2 off from biking. Once it heals I plan to slowly get back to biking, and also start working out.
Dude your channel is awesome, and it's even more awesome to see you inprove in both art and as RUclips channel. Love your work, cheers from a rookie artist.
There's so much truth in this. I'd been suffering from neck pain for years until I got myself a good chair that helps me keep a proper posture and force myself to stop leaning towards the screen... Also exercising really does wonders, all I really do is take long walks or dance but it makes a huge difference :)
I've been having finger and wrist pain from pressing too hard and having back pain from awful posture and this got me to do something about it! so thanks :)
I had this problem a lot, and eventually trained myself out of it simply by being forcefully conscious of the problem. I'd draw for a couple minutes, pause, and intentionally relax my grip as much as possible, resume drawing, and repeat. I can't say how long it took me to untrain myself to grip hard (I'd been doing that since I was a kid), but I'm glad I did and find not only am I in less pain, but that I have a lot more control over my tools.
What I did to get rid of this problem was to just start using a propelling pencil with the softest possible mines. Since they broke every time I gripped my pencil of pressed it against the paper too hard the only thing I needed to do was teach myself not to break the pencil mine :)
I like how you're raising more awareness for overall body fitness instead of just trying to solve the symptom. Sleep, enough water, the right food, and exercise are vital for brain health and thus creativity. So better health+ right practice with breaks = better art : )
Thanks a lot for the reminder to have good posture while drawing and such. I've been having a mix of back and wrist pains. Wrist pain crops up whenever I get in the zone while drawing something, and back pain is probably because of my terrible sleep schedule. A tip that I heard from a fellow graphic artist is to hold something small and relatively heavy, such as a pool ball, then loosen your arm and spin it around.
Great GREAT advice! I've been having shoulder + wrist pain for about 2 years now. I know a couple of these methods, but thanks for the other ones! I hope my pain may soften immensely or go away soon enough. Same to yours!
This is a really great video because after this past year of getting more serious about art I was facing a lot of constant wrist/hand/arm/shoulder pain and had to see a chiropractor and a doctor where they just told me to stop drawing instead of these tips. I also only got to learn them after a lot of online research and they are serious as it can permanently affect someone if they get something like carpal tunnel and more. I wish I had found this video sooner, but at least I know all this knowledge is very valid. Thanks you!
Something which is a pain in the a** about the resting your elbow on the chair (or similar) is how that can end up giving yourself ulnar nerve entrapment issues (this nerver can also get pinched/irritated in your wrist). The trick is never ever leaning onto your elbow when doing that, which in all damn honesty is waaay easier said than done, especially when drawing from your elbow pivot. IF you end up with this condition, or carpal tunnel syndrome as another example, look into braces that you put on during your sleep. A LOT of us bend our wrists and elbows without knowing during sleep, which, irritates the heck out of the nerves causing those conditions. Ultimately causing a negative spiral were the healing gets prolonged, or worse, it can actually aggravate the issue already there creating worse symptoms with time. Ah yes, you guessed right, I'm unfortunate enough to have experience with both of these conditions. Currently struggling with ulnar nerve entrapment. Haven't been able to draw anything for 5 weeks now, but sleeping with the elbow brace has done wonders. Won't pick up drawing again just yet tho, I need to give it more time to heal but also start rehabilitation first. As for re-training yourself to not grip or push too hard, all I can say is start painting with watercolors for a while. You'll change your habits REAL QUICK! It's not an exaggeration. It does help a lot. When it comes to drawing on screens or even paper it IS VERY important you set it up properly to avoid injuries, drawing on a piece of paper on a flat desk is VERY BAD for you. Obviously... Get a desk you can tilt, there are cheaper ones out there. When it comes to Cintiq's or other drawing monitors, you don't need to buy an expensive mount in order to achieve a proper tilt. Either build something yourself out of wood for example, or do as me, use books. Another matter to consider is your chair and the height of your desk, I'm a short person so in order to actually be able to sit in a proper posture I needed to remove a couple of centimeters from the legs of the desk where I got my computer and cintiq set-up. So look into that, whomever that reads this, if you haven't already. My drawing desk came with options to adjust not only the tilt but also the height.
Very interesting. Thanks for the tips. I don't draw all the time, but I do write a lot and have had shoulder pain and wrist pain also. This should help my writing a lot.
I remeber watching this when it came out and thinking "man that sucks but it has never happened to me, so it's never GOING TO happen to me". ended up screwing up my shoulder and wrist from over work in early March, I couldn't draw at all for over 2 months which kinda sucks when you're enrolled in art school 🙃(It's still not 100% back on track but I can draw for a few hours a day so I'm really not complaining.)
I think this applies to really any kind of activity that involves sitting a a desk for a long time staring at something close, such as paperwork, computer games, programming, etc
I can currently deadlift 400lbs without wrist straps or belt, and I think it really helps with a lot of these lesser tasks, like drawing and writing. I remember when I was in my teenage years and didn't exercise, where my hand often started hurting on exams as I wrote a lot. Nowadays though that is a non issue, and I think the extra muscles and physique is to thank for that.
I’ve gotten myself in such a bad habit of sabotaging my art progress and physical health with a lot of these issues (head slumped, sleeping wack, tighten up when doing just about anything, not drawing from the shoulder, forcing myself to finish a drawing that ends up making me draw for 5 or so hours straight, uncomfortable seat, bad grip and bare down too hard). Been drawing and writing like that since I was a little kid, so it’s hard for me to break the habit. (Especially when I’m trying to get smooth shading with colored pencils and feel like I have no choice but to go over it multiple times and bare down hard) That on top of the constant phone and computer use since the pandemic, I’ve really jacked my wrists and arms up. So then that just ends up discouraging me from drawing or actually putting in time to practice, which makes my motivation even worse. And my patience is bad for trying to fix both hands. I feel like it’s near impossible for me to keep both hands immobilized and constantly iced for so long. So then I give up and go back to drawing again and get stuck in the same loop. So yeah, it’s been a ride lol
Honestly, this is what we need to listen to every day. All this posture stuff is something I used to struggle with daily, when I wasn’t even an artist.
Oh thanks so much, this is what I am going thru right now, an intense healing process and a left shoulder and neck that hurt immensely. Going to the chiropractor has helped, and stretching and core exercises. Also I am. turning my studio around so it is safer for me to draw. Thanks for your video and recommended videos. Be well, I know it will take time, but I do miss drawing everdyday, now I only do what is important and have someone help me in design. Thanks, take care everybody!
I found you again. I’ve been looking for you for 3 years. You are the one who shown me the art community on RUclips. I am so happy I’m crying. I found your channel before I had an account on RUclips and I couldn’t subscribe to you. Damn algorithm made me lose you I’m subscribing immediately. You have inspired me to draw professionally.
Tbh because of drawing I had a first stage of scoliosis, so spend a little time on internet and drawing and more on yoga and stuff. This video really helps people, so I hope they would take note of these reminders. I hope they would understand its importance.
I always stretch my neck, arms, shoulders, wrists, and fingers before and after I draw. Once, my wrists felt really strained for a while and someone I follow posted a picture of ways to stretch if you're an artist. I stopped drawing for a week and I stretched my wrists in said ways many times throughout the day for the week that I took a break and it really helped out.
I've experienced a horrible pain in the bottom joint from the thumb because of too much constant drawing and playing video games. But it's lessening now due to small thumb exercises. It's important to take care of yourself first if you want to keep doing the things you love.
I found out the hard way I'm afraid. I've been dealing with a pinched nerve in the neck for the last three months. I luckily had the means to go to a physical therapist twice a week. The pain is almost gone now. Even though running kinda helps, I find that swimming is the best for the pain (as you're using your muscles in your arms and overall body in a different way AND you're strengthening all your muscles). And well, not drawing also really helped. It's not too hard to figure out why I have/had this injury. I'm an art student that drew every single day. Sometimes for 8-10 hours per day. I didn't get proper sleep. I never exercised and I never took these "microbreaks". Also, for my pen tablet I had to press my pen pretty hard and I lean forward a lot while behind the computer. Oh and I was sitting down all day everyday...
the animal crossing music at the end😌 also great video I've been dealing with wrist pain these last few weeks/months and it's been soo frustrating because it keeps me from drawing... I think I'll try out these tips, thank you :)
nice topic. i got serious with drawing and thought about that exact same thing. When you sit long periods of time you have to work out in some way. thanks for your advices
This actually helps a lot! Thank you for a making this since I didn't really know the wrist was sensitive for receptive movement since I fractured my wrists in the past, but I don't really know if it has to do anything with that but this helps a lot!
You are a blessed being! Thank you! I'm notorious for all of the mentioned postures and habits, I'm also naturally very hard handed and trying to train myself out of it, but it's very difficult :')
I've been watching these videos for a while now, and I never had any intention to learn to draw, but I love these! I am learning programming now and I find these videos relevant somehow...
Thanks, I needed this... in fact, I didn't even realize some of these things were important until now. I grip my pen in an unusual way, not like most people, in which I put all my fingers on it. As a result I have a callus on my pinky finger. There's nothing I can really do about that, but it helps if I don't grip too hard
2 important thing are missing in your list : 1-EMF and ELF are 2 factors that can damage your nervous system so if you are working very close to the electric meter or electricity entry connection or a power line(even residential electric cable in the street) can lead to serious injury. 2- TMS are also a good part of what we think are physical problem when in fact they are from psychosomatic source, just read Dr Sarno books(they are dirt cheap).
Yesterday i drew so much it hurt a lil bit to type stuff on my phone & i couldn't properly animate a simple line, it sucked so i went to sleep and now it hurts way less :^0. Imma try to remember at least some of these tips!! Thank u!!!
I have a cintiq but I generally only use it like an Intous after a shoulder injury scare. it is so much better ergonomically to work that way (even compared to traditional), especially if you are tall.
Thank you for this video! When I first heard about these injuries I got really scared because I write and in school/home a lot..But now I will try ro follow your steps to avoid them 😁
I have to chime in on number 5 though. Your wrist can take alot of movements, only if they're very small and relaxed. I happen to play guitar and this requires alot of work on the wrist, look up footages of Shawn Lane or Yngwie Malmsteen playing and you'll see how they managed to perform for years and didn't get injuries. If you're on the tablet, try to zoom out if you want to draw large arches or something of the sorts. I'd also suggest toning down on use of pen pressure since they also wear out your pen's tip thingy, which means you'll have to go out and get more. Mess around with the flow and opacity configurations in photoshop if that's the tool you're drawing with. Anyway I have no say on the rest since my posture is pretty crummy. Thanks for the video.
I used to draw with my pen tablet in my lap, it's confortable and thanks to not leaning forward all the time my posture was also on point. However since I've gotten a new tablet with different wiring and a new chair I'm struggling with bad sitting habits. You video has a lot of valid points and is also very helpful. :)
Also make sure to hold the pencil right! I'm a righty and have terrible habit of writing/drawing like a lefty. I had to get a brace for my wrist because it started to hurt.
This was very helpful! I was unaware that pressing too hard with a pencil or tablet pen was capable of causing problems. (I know it's not good to grip your pencil/pen too hard, but didn't consider the pressure I was using.)
this is seriously important. i have nerve damage in my neck and left side of my body from a car accident when i was a baby and drawing with having that can be AWFUL. especially when i tend to hunch over a lot and ive been trying hard not to do that and to rest my arm and wrist as much as i can. cuz seriously for a while i was unable to draw cuz it just hurt too much
I don't really draw that much but i followed some of this advice, thanks! And.. I was born with my shoulders being more to the front and when i try following that shoulder advice it makes me really uncomfortable.
It's a great point of view and all those are wonderful tips but tell my professors at the University to consider that we must sleep, eat properly and exercise...and yes we do stay up till very late as Animators and Digital Artists but I think it depends a lot on the culture.
This video should be recommended with those who want to get serious with osu like myself. I gave myself really bad nerve pain for weeks because I'm a dumbass who doesn't know how to properly put pen to paper
I've recently had problems with the second to last one but it has been going away because my brother has been making me have a straight back and has been making me make my head back up. My wrist had some pain this morning but went away in 1-2 hours. ^^
Mattias: Take up exercise like walking, running or *swimming* Me: ...i can't swim ;-; welp guess i'm just gonna walk around the house. But seriously, i really need these tips cause it seems that my back is pretty messed up which will make it harder for me to stay in proper posture. Though i could probably try to lean back on my chair more and relax my arms when drawing. Good tips :D
Also don't use ballpoint pens. They take pressure to work and are easy to replace with some cheap fountain pen or another writing utensil that can write under it's own weight so you can avoid straining your hand by taking notes and can draw even if you have to write a lot in your daily life.
+1 for exercise. My shoulders and traps where killing me. After and intense session of calisthenics and stretching I was good as new. To come to think of it every time I slack off working out I feel 85.
"Hey, what brings you to the gym today?"
"I want to draw better."
i almost died from laughter reading this
Now this is something I gonna do.
If I ever for some reason go to a gym..
"you get to draw the hot guys and gals working out!" you're hitting home, my friend. Loved it.
LJ Josephine a
Cardamom Peanut two years two years thats one big gap for a new reply
watched this while lying in a tangled pile of my own limbs
Saaaaaaame
Awesomepedia but my hand starts stiffen up actually
There are a few things for treating carpal tunnel syndrome at home
Do stretching exercises
get the advice of experts as it can lead to permanent damage
(I read these and the reasons they work from Dariks Pain Destroyer website )
yup
I was born with glass bones and paper skin. Every morning I break my legs, and every afternoon I break my arms. At night, I lie awake in agony until my heart attacks put me to sleep.
Vulcanoz 2020 spongebob
ayyy spongeboob
Vulcanoz 2020
SpongeBob :)
xD I loaf spongebob
Responding to one reference with another: "That's rough, buddy."
My back is pretty fucked up. But I still draw, my funeral draws close.
Karla Olivar
Nice profile pic :3 chi!!❤️
YayasStuff
Thanks!
Same
I have arthritis, but I draw deccent , but for a ten year old I am above average a bit.
You're only 10 yet have arthritis 0-0 gosh...
"One morning, I woke up."
Same here.
We have a lot in common.
Lmao
Me when I talk to my friends
Hey, I don’t do that!
(stretches once) This is like one of my Japanese animes
Running like an anime protag while music blasts
I CAN BE A DINOSAUR IF I REALLY WANT TO
*survival evolved*
Yes honey I believe in you!
me a week ago :" Ha this video is stupid , I am not gonna get a dumb injury preventing me from drawing"
me now : *Has wrist injury because of playing games too long* " I am a fucking dumbass"
3:52 I love how when you say "swimming" you put up a picture of someone drowning... 😂
HAHAH
*instantly bookmarks video*
Same
How?
**makes it default newtab**
See, I've always seen people say to draw from the wrist. This is the first time I've seen someone say draw from the shoulder, which is nice, because I've always drawn from the shoulder :(
Always take eye breaks! Tablet artists or if you just plain use the computer a lot causes lots of eye strain. Take a break and look at a specific object from your seat that's across the room. Do that for 20-30 seconds every 15 minutes. Your eyes will thank you.
Put a pillow on your ass if you're in a hard chair, too. Your tush will thank you as well.
who the heck is telling you to draw from your wrist...? any artist that knows what they're doing will tell you to use your whole arm when you draw. make sure you're not getting advice from amateurs.
PhoenixCookie I heard the wrist advice from amateur artists when I was an amateur as well. It was also on deviantart, so...there ya go. They said it was to supposed to give you more control in limited space such as small tablets.
Zurgo Pussysmasher Eye strain from computer use come from 2 main sources.
1.) Is that you are looking at something too close for too long. So do the 20/20, every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away or however far your room is.
2.) The big one is blue light from the monitor, TV, phones, anything with a screen, which is near the same as looking at the sun. The remedy is download something like FLUX which reduces/remove the blue light to orange over time throughout the day. If you draw digital, this can mess up color accuracy, so the best is to digital draw during the day.
Thanks for the tip! I've heard horror stories about blue light and how decades down the line most of us are going to have piss poor vision. I already have bad eyesight and a family history of eye-related shit so I try to preserve what vision I have left.
My tip is to draw with your feet.
These are really good tips for not just artists but all people to keep in mind. When ever i go on twitter i always see artists and others complain about their back pain or their rist pain and moat of the time they know that they in to fix their postrue but they "never remember" or "are in the zone" but anyway that app thing is a really good idea i'm gonna recomend it to all of them along with this video! Thanks Mattias!
I've been drawing every day for 8 years. Around year 3, I started getting pains in my wrists but just would take a break until it felt better and kept going. Around year 7, the pain was so bad, I had to stop drawing. I finally went to a doctor, and they said what I was worried about all along. Carpal tunnel/tendonitis (which I thought was two seperate things, but my doctor is telling me it's not.) I was 18. Now, I've changed the way I do things a big to fit with what seems to help the most. I also wear wrist braces whenever I can and take vitamins to help strengthen the area. It sucks. Take care of your wrists while you have the chance, guys.
I contracted chronic neck pain about 5 years ago thanks to an injury at a summer camp. It would have healed fine if not for band camp. The pain increased throughout the school year due to weakness in my shoulders causing poor posture. This made it difficult to even hold my clarinet up. By sophomore year I couldn't get through a band rehearsal without crying because of the pain.
After chiropractic treatment, massage therapy, and two bouts of physical therapy I now have some form of control over how bad the pain gets, but drawing tends to make it worse. PLEASE listen to what this guy is saying. You don't need to go through years of pain like I did because I just blew it off and thought my body would be fine in its own. Take care of your body.
This makes me feel pain, and the worst I experienced at band camp was fainting from heat exhaustion/dehydration.
Also clarinets are light, must have been quite the injury for that to be difficult to hold. In that case it would've been best to sit out/relax.
My brother had knee problems so he switched from sax to percussion in the pit so his knees wouldn't hurt so bad.
It also reminds me of my friend in football that tore his tendons/ligaments/medicalwordicantremember in his knee, went out for another game like a month later and ended up needing (transplant i think) surgery as a result of this.
Last week I fell on my bike twice, first time messed up my shoulder, next day I made it a little worse along with scrapes. I'm currently taking a week or 2 off from biking. Once it heals I plan to slowly get back to biking, and also start working out.
My worst fear is injuring my right arm/hand bc that's the hand I draw with, and the only thing I'm very passionate about is my artwork
Dude your channel is awesome, and it's even more awesome to see you inprove in both art and as RUclips channel. Love your work, cheers from a rookie artist.
Thank you so much!
There's so much truth in this. I'd been suffering from neck pain for years until I got myself a good chair that helps me keep a proper posture and force myself to stop leaning towards the screen... Also exercising really does wonders, all I really do is take long walks or dance but it makes a huge difference :)
I've been having finger and wrist pain from pressing too hard and having back pain from awful posture and this got me to do something about it! so thanks :)
I can't help it but I'm unconsciously gripping my pen too hard..
I had this problem a lot, and eventually trained myself out of it simply by being forcefully conscious of the problem. I'd draw for a couple minutes, pause, and intentionally relax my grip as much as possible, resume drawing, and repeat. I can't say how long it took me to untrain myself to grip hard (I'd been doing that since I was a kid), but I'm glad I did and find not only am I in less pain, but that I have a lot more control over my tools.
Lithium Jay
Thank you very much for your detailed answer. I will try to be more conscious about holding the pen. :D
What I did to get rid of this problem was to just start using a propelling pencil with the softest possible mines. Since they broke every time I gripped my pencil of pressed it against the paper too hard the only thing I needed to do was teach myself not to break the pencil mine :)
Aerosis
Same I have a bumb on one of my middle fingers now
I am a Doughnut.
I hope that doesn't hurt >
"sleep properly " me:*sees that time is 2 am* heh heh damit
Amazing Animator
'sleep properly'
*has insomnia*
;w;
Oh hey would you look at that it _is_ 2am...
F u c k
Mine was 4 am =')))
I like how you're raising more awareness for overall body fitness instead of just trying to solve the symptom.
Sleep, enough water, the right food, and exercise are vital for brain health and thus creativity.
So better health+ right practice with breaks = better art : )
Exactly what every artist should have been taught. Artist injuries are an epidemic, finally someone talks about it
also a wrist brace can be very helpful when it comes to pain and can be a way to teach yourself from draw from the wrist
Digging the Animal Crossing music
Thanks a lot for the reminder to have good posture while drawing and such. I've been having a mix of back and wrist pains. Wrist pain crops up whenever I get in the zone while drawing something, and back pain is probably because of my terrible sleep schedule. A tip that I heard from a fellow graphic artist is to hold something small and relatively heavy, such as a pool ball, then loosen your arm and spin it around.
The funny thing is he forgot the most painful. THE SPINE.
watched this when it was released and didnt have an injury back then, now ive had wrist pain for almost a year now. damn i sure suck at listening
Great GREAT advice! I've been having shoulder + wrist pain for about 2 years now. I know a couple of these methods, but thanks for the other ones! I hope my pain may soften immensely or go away soon enough. Same to yours!
This is a really great video because after this past year of getting more serious about art I was facing a lot of constant wrist/hand/arm/shoulder pain and had to see a chiropractor and a doctor where they just told me to stop drawing instead of these tips. I also only got to learn them after a lot of online research and they are serious as it can permanently affect someone if they get something like carpal tunnel and more. I wish I had found this video sooner, but at least I know all this knowledge is very valid. Thanks you!
Something which is a pain in the a** about the resting your elbow on the chair (or similar) is how that can end up giving yourself ulnar nerve entrapment issues (this nerver can also get pinched/irritated in your wrist). The trick is never ever leaning onto your elbow when doing that, which in all damn honesty is waaay easier said than done, especially when drawing from your elbow pivot. IF you end up with this condition, or carpal tunnel syndrome as another example, look into braces that you put on during your sleep. A LOT of us bend our wrists and elbows without knowing during sleep, which, irritates the heck out of the nerves causing those conditions. Ultimately causing a negative spiral were the healing gets prolonged, or worse, it can actually aggravate the issue already there creating worse symptoms with time.
Ah yes, you guessed right, I'm unfortunate enough to have experience with both of these conditions. Currently struggling with ulnar nerve entrapment. Haven't been able to draw anything for 5 weeks now, but sleeping with the elbow brace has done wonders. Won't pick up drawing again just yet tho, I need to give it more time to heal but also start rehabilitation first.
As for re-training yourself to not grip or push too hard, all I can say is start painting with watercolors for a while. You'll change your habits REAL QUICK! It's not an exaggeration. It does help a lot.
When it comes to drawing on screens or even paper it IS VERY important you set it up properly to avoid injuries, drawing on a piece of paper on a flat desk is VERY BAD for you. Obviously... Get a desk you can tilt, there are cheaper ones out there. When it comes to Cintiq's or other drawing monitors, you don't need to buy an expensive mount in order to achieve a proper tilt. Either build something yourself out of wood for example, or do as me, use books.
Another matter to consider is your chair and the height of your desk, I'm a short person so in order to actually be able to sit in a proper posture I needed to remove a couple of centimeters from the legs of the desk where I got my computer and cintiq set-up. So look into that, whomever that reads this, if you haven't already. My drawing desk came with options to adjust not only the tilt but also the height.
Very interesting. Thanks for the tips. I don't draw all the time, but I do write a lot and have had shoulder pain and wrist pain also. This should help my writing a lot.
This video has taught me as to why a lot of characters tell injured characters: "you need to rest more! You can't move yet!"
I remeber watching this when it came out and thinking "man that sucks but it has never happened to me, so it's never GOING TO happen to me". ended up screwing up my shoulder and wrist from over work in early March, I couldn't draw at all for over 2 months which kinda sucks when you're enrolled in art school 🙃(It's still not 100% back on track but I can draw for a few hours a day so I'm really not complaining.)
Hope you recover soon!
@@MattiasPilhede Thank you dude! Again, it's already much better, just that annoying last remanence left.
Hah
Ahahaha
I developed carpal tunnel at 14 because of drawing. It sucks. Seriously y'all should listen to this.
Rebecca Lee yeeeeah, from drawing ;)
It’s amazing to me that videos like this or on this subject are so hard to find, so thank you
I think this applies to really any kind of activity that involves sitting a a desk for a long time staring at something close, such as paperwork, computer games, programming, etc
I can currently deadlift 400lbs without wrist straps or belt, and I think it really helps with a lot of these lesser tasks, like drawing and writing.
I remember when I was in my teenage years and didn't exercise, where my hand often started hurting on exams as I wrote a lot. Nowadays though that is a non issue, and I think the extra muscles and physique is to thank for that.
I’ve gotten myself in such a bad habit of sabotaging my art progress and physical health with a lot of these issues (head slumped, sleeping wack, tighten up when doing just about anything, not drawing from the shoulder, forcing myself to finish a drawing that ends up making me draw for 5 or so hours straight, uncomfortable seat, bad grip and bare down too hard). Been drawing and writing like that since I was a little kid, so it’s hard for me to break the habit. (Especially when I’m trying to get smooth shading with colored pencils and feel like I have no choice but to go over it multiple times and bare down hard)
That on top of the constant phone and computer use since the pandemic, I’ve really jacked my wrists and arms up. So then that just ends up discouraging me from drawing or actually putting in time to practice, which makes my motivation even worse. And my patience is bad for trying to fix both hands. I feel like it’s near impossible for me to keep both hands immobilized and constantly iced for so long. So then I give up and go back to drawing again and get stuck in the same loop.
So yeah, it’s been a ride lol
Honestly, this is what we need to listen to every day. All this posture stuff is something I used to struggle with daily, when I wasn’t even an artist.
Oh thanks so much, this is what I am going thru right now, an intense healing process and a left shoulder and neck that hurt immensely. Going to the chiropractor has helped, and stretching and core exercises. Also I am. turning my studio around so it is safer for me to draw. Thanks for your video and recommended videos. Be well, I know it will take time, but I do miss drawing everdyday, now I only do what is important and have someone help me in design. Thanks, take care everybody!
I got tendonitis from drawing 24/7 during quarantine last year and now i have it again 😭 I'm taking every necessary messure this time around
I found you again. I’ve been looking for you for 3 years. You are the one who shown me the art community on RUclips. I am so happy I’m crying. I found your channel before I had an account on RUclips and I couldn’t subscribe to you. Damn algorithm made me lose you I’m subscribing immediately. You have inspired me to draw professionally.
*at the hospital*
So why are you here?
Man: I was bitten by a crocodile.
Me: I spend a year drawing.
HA!My friends told me to stop drawing for a bit because I kept getting wrist pain,but now I know how to avoid the pain.Thank you very much for this!
Tbh because of drawing I had a first stage of scoliosis, so spend a little time on internet and drawing and more on yoga and stuff.
This video really helps people, so I hope they would take note of these reminders.
I hope they would understand its importance.
This is truly life saver, hats off!!
I always stretch my neck, arms, shoulders, wrists, and fingers before and after I draw. Once, my wrists felt really strained for a while and someone I follow posted a picture of ways to stretch if you're an artist. I stopped drawing for a week and I stretched my wrists in said ways many times throughout the day for the week that I took a break and it really helped out.
Thank you for warning me about this! I’m only 16 so I guess now I know to avoid bad posture :) thank you so much
I am thankful that you made this video. I’m an art student and only recently on one of my projects I pushed myself way too hard. This helps a lot
Thank you, and no problem!
I've experienced a horrible pain in the bottom joint from the thumb because of too much constant drawing and playing video games. But it's lessening now due to small thumb exercises. It's important to take care of yourself first if you want to keep doing the things you love.
But having injuries is my favorite part in drawing :-'(
I found out the hard way I'm afraid. I've been dealing with a pinched nerve in the neck for the last three months. I luckily had the means to go to a physical therapist twice a week. The pain is almost gone now. Even though running kinda helps, I find that swimming is the best for the pain (as you're using your muscles in your arms and overall body in a different way AND you're strengthening all your muscles). And well, not drawing also really helped.
It's not too hard to figure out why I have/had this injury. I'm an art student that drew every single day. Sometimes for 8-10 hours per day. I didn't get proper sleep. I never exercised and I never took these "microbreaks". Also, for my pen tablet I had to press my pen pretty hard and I lean forward a lot while behind the computer. Oh and I was sitting down all day everyday...
the animal crossing music at the end😌 also great video I've been dealing with wrist pain these last few weeks/months and it's been soo frustrating because it keeps me from drawing... I think I'll try out these tips, thank you :)
nice topic. i got serious with drawing and thought about that exact same thing. When you sit long periods of time you have to work out in some way. thanks for your advices
i dont know if i draw with my wrist, but ive been drawing for about three years and my wrist only hurts when writing. drawing? nope.
Good thing I came before I hurt myself further. Quite helpful and explains why my arm hurts
I'm typing this with my left hand due to my right wrist hurting like hell :')
Where was I when WorkRave was released? Why haven't I heard of this before? Thank you so much for this!
This actually helps a lot! Thank you for a making this since I didn't really know the wrist was sensitive for receptive movement since I fractured my wrists in the past, but I don't really know if it has to do anything with that but this helps a lot!
You are a blessed being! Thank you! I'm notorious for all of the mentioned postures and habits, I'm also naturally very hard handed and trying to train myself out of it, but it's very difficult :')
I've been watching these videos for a while now, and I never had any intention to learn to draw, but I love these!
I am learning programming now and I find these videos relevant somehow...
That really helped me since my right wrist was hurting very bad, even though it wasn't doing anything and I didn't really know why.
The Animal Crossing soudtrack in the end made me smile ^^ I really love this game.
Thanks, I needed this... in fact, I didn't even realize some of these things were important until now. I grip my pen in an unusual way, not like most people, in which I put all my fingers on it. As a result I have a callus on my pinky finger. There's nothing I can really do about that, but it helps if I don't grip too hard
why are all your videos so well timed?
2 important thing are missing in your list : 1-EMF and ELF are 2 factors that can damage your nervous system so if you are working very close to the electric meter or electricity entry connection or a power line(even residential electric cable in the street) can lead to serious injury. 2- TMS are also a good part of what we think are physical problem when in fact they are from psychosomatic source, just read Dr Sarno books(they are dirt cheap).
Yesterday i drew so much it hurt a lil bit to type stuff on my phone & i couldn't properly animate a simple line, it sucked so i went to sleep and now it hurts way less :^0. Imma try to remember at least some of these tips!! Thank u!!!
I have a cintiq but I generally only use it like an Intous after a shoulder injury scare. it is so much better ergonomically to work that way (even compared to traditional), especially if you are tall.
Thank you for this video! When I first heard about these injuries I got really scared because I write and in school/home a lot..But now I will try ro follow your steps to avoid them 😁
I have to chime in on number 5 though. Your wrist can take alot of movements, only if they're very small and relaxed. I happen to play guitar and this requires alot of work on the wrist, look up footages of Shawn Lane or Yngwie Malmsteen playing and you'll see how they managed to perform for years and didn't get injuries.
If you're on the tablet, try to zoom out if you want to draw large arches or something of the sorts. I'd also suggest toning down on use of pen pressure since they also wear out your pen's tip thingy, which means you'll have to go out and get more. Mess around with the flow and opacity configurations in photoshop if that's the tool you're drawing with.
Anyway I have no say on the rest since my posture is pretty crummy. Thanks for the video.
I used to draw with my pen tablet in my lap, it's confortable and thanks to not leaning forward all the time my posture was also on point. However since I've gotten a new tablet with different wiring and a new chair I'm struggling with bad sitting habits. You video has a lot of valid points and is also very helpful. :)
Also make sure to hold the pencil right! I'm a righty and have terrible habit of writing/drawing like a lefty. I had to get a brace for my wrist because it started to hurt.
Ah thank you so much. I need this.
This also helps me even if I don't draw, playing league of legends all day hurts my back, arms and hands.
I had never had any wrist problems but then I worked at a library for two weeks and immediately strained my thumb joint :^P
OMG, I started having back pain so I made a homemade inclined table and it fixed it really fast!
This was very helpful! I was unaware that pressing too hard with a pencil or tablet pen was capable of causing problems. (I know it's not good to grip your pencil/pen too hard, but didn't consider the pressure I was using.)
Thank you so much for this!
I've had a lot of wrist pain because of how I draw and I'm a drummer.
awesome tips man, much obliged! :D
Video: Stay healthy
Me: * Slowly bites McDonalds burger *
this is seriously important. i have nerve damage in my neck and left side of my body from a car accident when i was a baby and drawing with having that can be AWFUL. especially when i tend to hunch over a lot and ive been trying hard not to do that and to rest my arm and wrist as much as i can. cuz seriously for a while i was unable to draw cuz it just hurt too much
I don't really draw that much but i followed some of this advice, thanks!
And.. I was born with my shoulders being more to the front and when i try following that shoulder advice it makes me really uncomfortable.
ARTIST MOVEMENT WHERE WE ALL GET HELLA SWOLE AND TAKE OVER THE WORLD WHOSE WITH ME
I have found the motivation I needed to exercise
It's a great point of view and all those are wonderful tips but tell my professors at the University to consider that we must sleep, eat properly and exercise...and yes we do stay up till very late as Animators and Digital Artists but I think it depends a lot on the culture.
Woah woah woah I signed up for drawing not exercise
I needed this. Thank you!
This video should be recommended with those who want to get serious with osu like myself. I gave myself really bad nerve pain for weeks because I'm a dumbass who doesn't know how to properly put pen to paper
I've recently had problems with the second to last one but it has been going away because my brother has been making me have a straight back and has been making me make my head back up. My wrist had some pain this morning but went away in 1-2 hours.
^^
I feel like this is a callout post with me drawing for like 5 hours state and holding my pen like it is my lifeline
Mattias: Take up exercise like walking, running or *swimming*
Me: ...i can't swim ;-; welp guess i'm just gonna walk around the house.
But seriously, i really need these tips cause it seems that my back is pretty messed up which will make it harder for me to stay in proper posture. Though i could probably try to lean back on my chair more and relax my arms when drawing. Good tips :D
#5 is true. At my school, we use giant paper (2 foot by 3 foot) to get used to ding this... and lots of other reasons.
Thankyou for this
half of ergonomics is setting up a good environment. The other half is reminding yourself to actively practice good posture etc
thank you! I needed this!
Also don't use ballpoint pens. They take pressure to work and are easy to replace with some cheap fountain pen or another writing utensil that can write under it's own weight so you can avoid straining your hand by taking notes and can draw even if you have to write a lot in your daily life.
thanks for the advices
Thank you! This was really helpful :)
is it bad that i've never experienced an injury from drawing?
i... i cant imagine why it would ever be bad to not get injuries...
because that means i don't draw as much as i should
Might just mean you're better at taking care of your body than you think!
Or your body is just op
+1 for exercise. My shoulders and traps where killing me. After and intense session of calisthenics and stretching I was good as new. To come to think of it every time I slack off working out I feel 85.