Is drawing with left hand better than with right hand ?

[left_hand_sketching]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and apologies if I posted in the wrong section :s


I just read the book Drawing with the right side of the brain by Betty Edwards, I realized everyone in my surrounding who are left handed (I'm right-handed) usually draw better... I even made this blog to see if switching to left hand actually change anything. So far I do find it easier to draw in the correct perspective with my left hand, it's like if I subcontiously know the perspective grid.

TL;DR: Do you think becoming left-handed automatically improve your level ?

[Lady Medusa]

It is if you're a leftie.

I don't think there is anything that will magically make you better except from unicorns and rainbows. Or several years of practice and critical self-evaluation.

[arenhaus]

The book's "neuroscience" is bunk. It is based on a single 1960s experiment which had been proved flawed.

If you are right-handed, using your left hand to draw is not likely not help you much. If you are ambidextrous (this is rare, but it does happen) it might, but don't count on it.

It is likely that any improvement that you are seeing is due to breaking out of preconditioned motion patterns, or stereotypes. Learn to free yourself from them with whichever hand you are most dextrous with.

[P]

TL;DR: Do you think becoming left-handed automatically improve your level ?

Yes, becoming a left-handed automatically gives you an understanding of form, light and anatomy.

[Cherry_Cheesecake100]

In my animation class, there are considerably more lefties than there was in my average high school class, but the righties still outnumber us by five times and they are most certainly not terrible artists, nor are we lefties in any way superior to them.

[bcarman]

I use both hands at once. Special double handle katana brushes.

[thanoss]

Jesus all mighty now there are people asking which hand is better to draw with. The secret to drawing and painting is to ask idiotic questions on forums all day, only then will you get better. Also for the record you will only get better at art if you shove a compressed charcoal stick up your ass.

[vineris]

Jesus all mighty now there are people asking which hand is better to draw with. The secret to drawing and painting is to ask idiotic questions on forums all day, only then will you get better. Also for the record you will only get better at art if you shove a compressed charcoal stick up your ass.

Breathe, man. Step away from the internet for a kitten break. All that stupid people rage can't be good for you.

[OmenSpirits]

Best wth question of the effin' year!

[Psychotime]

thanoss, you REALLY don't want to look at the General Forums during summer. Just a heads up.

[Raoul Duke]

Draw the straightest line you can from left to right. Then draw the straightest line you can from right to left. See which one comes out straightest.
My money is on pulling a line from left to right as opposed to pushing a line from right to left. Unless you are a lefty.

I will give lefties a slight edge when it comes to natural dexterity. Switching hands will only hurt your dexterity though. completely defeats the purpose.

[keeptime]

As a leftie I'd say the only slight edge we get to natural dexterity is a bit of ambidexterity due to almost everything in life being made for righties. We're the oppressed minority.

[Raoul Duke]

You see Keeptime is a lefty and she has no talent at all! Okay, that was mean. Just kidding.

[Qitsune]

Never mind drawing with your hands, you can do like Francis Tsai and draw straight with your eyeballs.

[keeptime]

You see Keeptime is a lefty and she has no talent at all! Okay, that was mean. Just kidding.

I laughed pretty damn hard.

Better watch your back Raoul, I can wield a knife in both hands.

[bill618]

Do you think becoming left-handed automatically improve your level ?

You don’t become left-handed, you are born left-handed by a gene allele that predisposed you to left-handedness and any other influence associated with that allele.

In a twisted way you could say that if you lost any one of your hands you would certainly draw the best with the ‘left’ hand.

[D0ming0]

Also for the record you will only get better at art if you shove a compressed charcoal stick up your ass.

Hard, medium or soft? Be specific man! What about chunky charcoal? I've got some of that around here somewhere....

[bcarman]

Why do lefties have the edge with dexterity?

[Raoul Duke]

Once again. Break out the paper and pencil. Draw a line from right to left and then left to right (good warm up btw). Which direction is more awkward? How do lefties have to write? Just ad it up.

[vineris]

Why do lefties have the edge with dexterity?

And if you're a lefty wouldn't it be sinisterity?

[rem92]

TL;DR: Do you think becoming left-handed automatically improve your level ?

[left_hand_sketching]

To clarify things up, I'm a industrial design student and I can draw fine with my right hand. So it's by pure curiosity that I try to draw with my left hand. I mean even when my left hand sketches are shaky, they almost intuitively (without relying on grid) have the right proportion. I just found it strange...

also, photoshop shortcut are not really left-hand friendly

[Psychotime]

I mean even when my left hand sketches are shaky, they almost intuitively (without relying on grid) have the right proportion. I just found it strange...

Can you prove that?

[thanoss]

god all mighty.

[Whirly]

*pokes thread to see if real*

[HarbingerofIllRepute]

I mean even when my left hand sketches are shaky, they almost intuitively (without relying on grid) have the right proportion. I just found it strange...

So basically you just came here to reaffirm your suspicion rather than hear other opinions?

[arenhaus]

To clarify things up, I'm a industrial design student and I can draw fine with my right hand. So it's by pure curiosity that I try to draw with my left hand. I mean even when my left hand sketches are shaky, they almost intuitively (without relying on grid) have the right proportion. I just found it strange...

Show proof, or it didn't happen.

[keeptime]

also, photoshop shortcut are not really left-hand friendly

Ctrl+Z sure is convenient.

What's probably happening is when you draw with your left hand, you draw more slowly and pay more attention to the marks you're making because it's a conscious effort not to make it look like a blob of scribbles. Your left hand doesn't have some magical knowledge about perspective that your right hand doesn't.

[bcarman]

Once again. Break out the paper and pencil. Draw a line from right to left and then left to right (good warm up btw). Which direction is more awkward? How do lefties have to write? Just ad it up.

Were you responding to my question? If so this doesn't answer it. I'm just curious about this lefty superiority notion.

[thanoss]

MY god this thread has gotten more responses than more serious questions generally do. This just shows why that other thread about how CA and it hitting a wall got so many replies.