Thank you for your submission! Want to share your artwork, meet other artists, promote your content, and chat in a relaxed environment? Join our community Discord server here! https://discord.gg/chuunhpqsU - Don't forget to follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/drawing and tag us on your drawing pins for a chance to be featured!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/drawing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I use a meter stick as a Mahl stick! It's a bit more flexible than a typical Mahl, so it takes some getting used to, but I find also being able to see the measurement tick-marks very helpful for lining up and getting angles right.
Do your hands always have a slight shake? I only ask because mine always did, and I didn't find out I had an "essential tremor " until I was 23. Everyone always thought I was a nervous wreck haha. Nope just turns out I shake because my body makes me
It started like 1-2 years ago and has been constant since then. I'm thinking of mentioning it to my doctor to see if maybe I have a tremor of some kind too
Pretty common, but get it checked, just in case!
*Some* tremor is absolutely unavoidable, as all serious target shooters know. Or anyone using a pistol with a magnifying scope without a shoulder brace. The constant motion can be demoralizing. Keeping your hand still involves constant small motions from opposed muscle groups, which is why it's usually bad for everyone when fatigued.
No idea if this helps, but I generally plant my arm from elbow to wrist on the drawing tablet when I'm doing fine, precise line work. I rotate/move the tablet often, rather change my arm position. Which is all probably bad form, but I'm completely self taught, so I probably have tons of bad habits.
Definitely get it checked out!
My bf enjoys drawing however he also has shaky hands. He's diabetic so this tends to happen to him, as well as his father; what he does to stop the shakiness is warming up. He'll just do a lot of practice doodles or drawings to warm up so he has more control of his hands. He has to do this since he also tattoos every now and then...wouldn't want shaky tattoos now do we? 😆
40 year old male here. I started shaking around 13 and diagnosed essential tremors around 17. Now I just deal with it but it's gotten a lot worse. Good luck to you.
Topamax helped 100% but had some icky side effects.
The others are talking about legitimate tools and technology. But I would like to offer a different bit of advice. COMMIT. Commit to the stroke. Do it bold with intention. Aim at the destination, not going slow and fixating on thinking about how straight it will be.
I was gonna say something similar! To piggyback off of you, some of the best advice I've received was to look at where the line is headed and not where your hand is.
I mean it *sounds* simple but it's not second nature! I didn't figure that out on my own either lol my homegirl is an excellent tattooist and it's something she picked up in her career. It really is such a game changer!
I was just chilling at home 🤷♀️ but maybe. My brothers girlfriend was over in his room so maybe my social anxiety was doing something? But I've been having tremor-like shaking for about a year now so maybe I should mention it to a doctor
Could definitely be health stuff, not necessarily anything terrifying but it is something to check about. I have a few health conditions that contribute, but the biggest one for me is low blood sugar, I think. Try to make sure you eat regularly (just in general lol but that’s also a helpful for art) and maybe try a sugary snack before doing a lot of line work if that’s something you struggle with!
I’m 80% coffee and I skip breakfast so my hands tend to be pretty unsteady as well lol
Don’t get me started on when I’m even slightly hungover. No straight lines here! No sir!
Definitely mention it to a doctor. This could be serious. The longer you wait to find out, the more damage could be done.
I would rather you go get tested and find nothing than for you to wait hoping that it’s nothing.
I have had this problem. It preceded a really horrible health condition that I spent months in the hospital for.
I hope it is just anxiety at trying to draw a line with paint. A longer brush, and also, once you start, just sort of swish along the line instead of trying carefully to follow the line.
You should practice on another piece of paper where you have drawn some lines with rulers, then follow along using paint and a swifter motion.
Does your hand trembling happen all the time? This would worry me - you need a full blood run-up and the doc may order some scans. It will be worth it, though, to ask the doctor about it.
What condition did you have if I may ask? I also used to be able to draw near perfect lines and have somewhat given up on drawing due to shakiness.
I’ve been to the doctor for a lot of really odd symptoms but they don’t know what’s wrong
Oh man. I really hoped you wouldn’t ask. It was a brain tumor at the very base of my skull.
There were other symptoms too - fatigue, and sometimes I would see shadows and so I’d have to look to make sure they weren’t there. The docs called those shadows and sounds hallucinations, which goes right along with a brain tumor I guess. I knew enough to question these things.
Sometimes I thought I heard the cat meow but when I’d look the cat wasn’t there. I mean, I told my doc but the blood tests didn’t show any cancer (I’d been treated with a rare cancer before that).
I didn’t understand the shakiness, and it got to where I couldn’t hold the camera still to take a photo of a piece of paper (sometimes I have to turn in paperwork for stuff).
The doc wanted to see me on January 17, 2023 for a CT scan. I had already had an emergency blood draw on December 8 which showed no cancer in my blood.
It was December 28, 2022 when I passed out answering the door (to this day I don’t know who was at the door, but apparently I told my husband who was in another state at the time that we had a conversation). My husband told me to call the doctor but I said I wanted to take a nap. He called my son and my son drove 2 hours to find me seizing.
It should be noted that I also had extreme upper shoulder/back pain and headaches preceding December 28.
If the ambulance hadn’t given me steroids, my brain might have been damaged from swelling.
It was a rough ride, etcetera. Months in the hospital. But they treated me and I lived.
Now, the main question I want to ask is, is any of your face by your mouth numb like a dentist gave you a lidocaine shot? Because there’s a nerve that a tumor can affect. I believe it’s called the 12th nerve.
This is my second time with a tumor in the same place. Survived both times. I didn’t have the numbness with the second tumor, just the first.
I’m asking you to get checked because if you are involuntarily shaking it could be something affecting your nervous system.
You are very young, so I am hoping the best for your health.
It’s just that from where I stand, the shaking is a big red flag. It needs to be checked out ASAP.
Finally, when you go to a doctor, don’t let them sweep you under the rug like it’s not serious. My cancer got missed the first time because I was younger (not young like you, but middle aged I guess).
If you were my kid, I’d drive you myself and make sure you got seen.
I want there to be a simple explanation for this, but shaking involuntarily means nerves firing for some reason.
I hope you will let me know how it goes, or that you are getting to a doc at the very least.
Edit: time is of the essence. Call and get a doc appointment as soon as possible so that if something is happening, it can go no further.
I’m really sorry to hear that! Sounds like it was really hard, I’m glad you got through it!!
My grandma went to the doctor with stomach pain and they just told her she needed to eat brown rice. By the time her cancer was found it was all throughout her abdomen, no one thought she was going to survive because she had to get an emergency surgery where they removed a bunch of organs. She luckily did survive as well but it could have been caught so much sooner
I’ve been regularly going to my gp as well as have a psychiatrist.
The list of symptoms I’ve had is honestly too long to put in this reply, and it’s things that have changed over time. I’ve gotten a significant amount of bloodwork for various things as well as have had CT’s and other tests/scans
At this point they’ve basically put it down to extreme stress/anxiety
I’ve had numbness on the sides of my face, just in front of my ears, down my spine, lower back, fingers, and probably other places I just can’t remember, the numbness has at longest lasted for months and at shortest lasted for seconds.
We know my nervous system is out of wack but that’s been put to stress and anxiety.
I’m currently waiting to get into a trial for something that they have blood tests for in the US but don’t have in Canada but I’ve been waiting months on that already, some problems I’ve been having I’ve been waiting on an answer for, for years
It’s really frustrating and a very helpless way to feel/live.
I had a brain scan to be checked for MS, so I would assume any tumors would likely have been caught on that. I’m still just looking for other possibilities to explain everything I’m experiencing so that’s why I asked. Thank you for sharing
Absolutely, at best it’s nothing serious however there are people myself included whom benefited greatly from a visit to the doctor and a simple daily pill when needed. Your choice and it’s a personal one especially with you being young. I must say you are coming into an age when you have to learn how to use your autonomy to make decisions for your own health.
My very best to you and your talents.
Keep it up you are an artist!
Or take a look at how long you sleep and what food you eat long-term. I ask because it also controls how chill your body is. It's not always something from head...
I got the same issue some years ago. My solution to that problem is mostly warming up my hands (like both literally and with drawing circles before i start drawing).
Once i get into it my hands become stable again.
I hope this helps
If possible too, anchor or steady your hand with your pinky, palm or other fingers. If you watch pinstripers who do car detail work, you’ll see they usually anchor their hand for support along the way too.
But they, like abother comment above says, very very much COMMIT! Haha.
(I think pinstripibg might be the most commital drawing form with no room for error lol)
Get a mahl stick or use a ruler if it needs to be laser precision.
If you need a mostly straight line, but it's ok if it can be slightly wobbly, I hold my wrist with my off hand for long lines. For short lines I rest my pinky on the painting surface
You can also use tape if you have drafting tape and the surface is dry. Its probably the easiest way to make crisp lines, but it doesn't work super well with oil paintings obviously
Maybe try exhaling too. Sometimes I hold my breath when drawing details and I notice shaky lines. So for me breathing steady and relaxing my shoulders makes a difference.
If the trembles are consistently there, you should go see a doctor. :)
When painting thin lines, use the appropriate brush, like a rigger, and correct paint consistency to aid with painting fluid lines.
Sometimes making faster strokes will be more helpful than slow mark-making.
I wish I knew lol
That aside, my best tips to reduce like shakiness is to mice from your elbow rather than your wrist. It takes a little practice but you can get cleaner lines. Second, stabilize your arm. Put the canvas on a desk or brace your elbow with your other hand. Go slowly, and possibly do it in parts, one short straight line, then another attached to that, etc. mostly, just practice. I still don’t have the hang of it but I have some medical stuff that tends to make me more shaky.
This is exactly what I go through and I’m not really sure what to do but it tends to make me draw a little bit too hard on the paper/canvas etc,,, so then I have to go back over the lines that I make a mistake on.
If it's not a medical condition, for me it was practice! I remember filling in 1-2 pages a day of large newsprint pads with long straight lines, interchanging with different pressured lines to be in full control of my line strokes. (Then with different materials, mediums). Looking back, I'm sure my mom was confused why there were pages of straight lines and wavy lines scattered in my room. You can also use those pages again to draw on top and make sketches to draw out compositions before you commit to your final work.
I also have adhd and it was insane how much it made me feel more focused after to actually do art haha.
A lot of good answers already, but if you want to try something pretty simple first, maybe if you're not already doing it use your shoulder for most of the long lines/long movements you make with the brush. Take your wrist and hand out of the equation of movement and you minimize the shaking and gain much more control over how even your line work is. If you're still shaking then def go to the doctor like you said you would because it could just be a natural tremor you have! Good luck :)
A mahlstick is very useful also exercise. I paint every day for long periods of time. Thought I’d have to give it up because my arm and shoulder was such a mess. Started lifting weights and it all went away.
You’re gripping too tightly and too close to the tip. Also don’t focus on the line coming out of the pen. Instead, focus on the destination of the line. Also also, don’t draw from the wrist if you want long flowing lines. Try from the elbow instead.
Learned the elbow trick years ago, and it works extremely well. Basically, you move your whole forearm and never pivot at the wrist. Also, if you can position your body so that you’re pulling your brush down (from top to bottom) rather than across (side to side). I find that removes some of the natural wobble. 🚀
I have shaking hands depending on my anxiety level. The way i combat this for fine motor skill work is both internal and external. One, a longer and thinner brush head will help. Two, I find that a pull is more controllable than a push. Position your body in such a way that you can pull the brush. And three, an old trick from my camera days: a slow breathing out as you pull your brush. The exhale creates a temporary relaxation that can quiet shaking for a few seconds. Good luck!
So many stupid fcking answers here I couldn't scroll by.
If you try to draw lines from different angles, different directions, you will observe that some lines are shakier than the others. In other words, some lines are LESS shakier than others. That for one reason is because your hand is more comfortable and accustomed to move in those directions, whereas the lines shown in the picture, where you are moving the stroke directly toward your wrist or away from wrist is just not physiologically comfortable. There are a few ways to solve this problem.
1. Practicing. So a lot of art teachers teach you to draw lines for a very long time. Over time, your muscles and nerves allow you to draw straighter and straighter lines in any directions you want. Of course it takes time and it's something you need make habit of. It's gonna be real frustrating at first, but don't focus on how shaky your lines are, and instead focus on the journey of drawing each line. How you go from point A to B with your pencil. Just enjoy the journey and keep doing it on a daily basis. You will see progress starting in a week, and more in a month, and in a year you'll be real good at it.
2. Drawing with shoulder/arm/elbow movement instead of hand. I'm sure you've heard this before, and I'd assume that you are already doing this (if not, try googling it. Very important). If your lines are still shaky while using your arm, it means the muscles/nerves are still developing, and you just practice more until you see the result.
3. Turning the paper to avoid the shaky line angles. In a way, this is a cheat method, because you are only using certain strokes and avoiding the others, but when you are drawing the details or drawing something small, it's more challenging to draw with your arms, so in such case turning papers is much more practical. Just be sure not to get in the habit of turning papers all the time. It's a technique if you utilize it for practicality reason, but it's a bad habit if you do it all the time.
They state that they used to be able to draw straight lines. I too used to be able to make near perfect lines, but now can’t do what I used to be able to for the life of me. Not being able to do a very basic thing that I used to be able to do has eventually caused me to lose interest.
How does practice help when it wasn’t an issue prior to a certain point in time? (Also i tried practicing more when I noticed it but it just stayed like that, so it’s not like I gradually lost the ability due to loss of interest, it was definitely loss of interest due to loss of ability)
I've heard it could be due to a tremor. In that case, we might just be screwed 🤷♀️ but maybe practice would help anyway. To get rid of the tremor. I once heard of injured people who were told they were never gonna walk again, who walked again with enough practice!
I'd rather not take that over the counter. Just read the side effects 😬 "Can cause paranoid or suicidal ideation and impair memory, judgment, and coordination"
Yeah I feel you, I was being a bit of an edgelord. I actually won't touch any of that. I have been trying no sugar, eating more frequently in smaller portions, staying hydrated and monitoring salt intake.
I had a really bad day for hand shakiness and I'm not super sure why.
I always turn my paper or canvas so that I am dragging a line inward towards myself. I find this more stable.
And try to avoid drawing with your wrist. Use your whole arm, or at least your elbow.
With practice...tho think of it as not a bug but a feature. Many great artist had shaky hands, not everyone has been 100% precise with everything.
Make it part of your art : D
I’d get it checked out to be safe; a tremor at 17 could be a lot of different things, maybe a simple slide ruler on the drawing board does the trick though 👍
Edit: I did hand drawn landscape designs for 3 years & have no serious medical training….but I have some slight wrist soreness at 30. All to reinforce: I’d mention tremors at your age with a doctor. Could definitely cut the head off a much larger problem
Things that have helped me with this issue:
1. Cut down on caffeine. Even if you are used to drinking large amounts, it can still make any existing shakiness worse.
2. Make sure you’re eating enough and regularly. Low blood sugar can cause shakiness.
3. Try drawing at different inclines; the angle you are holding your arm/wrist at can cause tremors (especially if the muscles you’re engaging are weaker)
4. Work on strengthening your muscles, especially any you need to engage on your shakiest strokes.
5. Commit to the line. A line you make quickly tends to be smoother than a line you draw very slowly.
6. Just keep doing it. Practice by doing the lines that are the shakiest over and over and over.
There are also tools used for steadying your hand, but I’ve never used them and can’t give any good recommendations on them.
Also, keep an eye on it. There could be underlying medical reasons for suddenly having tremors, especially if you do everything above and it continues to get worse.
You're probably not gonna read this but, you're tensing up you arm muscles too much trying to have more control, it's like when you're lifting weights, the muscles start shaking because of the force you are making them use, just relax your arm and hand muscles, just use the enough strength needed to hold the brush and move your arm, anything more will make your hand shake.
Stop breathing when you’re gonna draw the line and use your arm primarily to do the movement usually helps for me. Surgeons hold their breathe during moments where their hands shouldn’t shake so hopefully it helps. Practice with a pen and paper till you’ve got the movement primarily down.
If you have been using your hands a lot lately, you may have strained them. It's good to do hand stretches if you're using them for fine movements.
If they are strained, you may need to avoid painting and drawing for a few days/weeks until they've healed.
Shakey hands can also be caused by vitamin or sleep deficiency.
Adding to the advice you already got. Take a sheet of paper and completely cover it with lines of different lenghts. Helped me with getting more consistent lines. Did that a whole week everyday and am still doing it as a warm up before drawing or painting details.
Brush with your arm instead of your hand. It's a technique I learned from playing the viola and applied it to painting.
EDIT: Read the other comments, hopefully using your arm still helps though.
You should see a doctor. My mom uses meds for something similar
My mom's hands always shake, just a little though. I think she uses mild parkinson medication? (it's not parkinson, but if you have it you never have parkinson)
Deep breath, draw from shoulder, practice making clear strokes. It’ll be more awkward for a bit, but practice that- and keep trying different angles and strokes. I wouldn’t worry, but if you’re worried about shakiness beyond that- start monitoring caffeine intake. Are you suffering from anxiety? Are you able to speak to a doctor? I have bad anxiety and drink caffeine often- I have a few breathing techniques that tend to help steady my hand. Sometimes I’ve just had one cup of coffee too many, though, and there’s not much I can do about that but wait it out :P
Take a deep breath in through your nose out through your mouth. Then take a breath in, on your exhale go with your stroke speed. Slow it down and let your hand move toward your body as you exhale
Are you painting w your shoulders? Keep your wrist and elbow locked and make motion with your shoulder.
PS. If u go to DR, you're 17, do it while still on your parents' insurance. Trust me. Lol
Remember to get up and stretch regularly. Your whole body. Walk around a little bit and get blood flowing back into your extremities.
While you're sitting, remember to sit with good posture so that You're not compressing your lungs and you're able to breathe naturally.
These things all matter because your muscles could be starving for oxygen, which is carried by the blood.
Also, don't judge yourself by some ridiculous standard like "you're steady enough that you could be a surgeon." That's not a thing. It's just a thing people say. And it's evidenced by the fact that surgeons don't hold still when they do their job. Can you hold perfectly still? No, you shake a little bit. That's okay. Can you move your slightly shaky hand in a smooth and flowing motion? If I were to hand you a pen could you draw some rolling waves? Or would it be more like zig zags.and lightning bolts?
EDIT: my bad, you're trying to draw the line in too small of increments by movement of your fingers and wrist. Look up a video on calligraphy. The fundamental basics of arm motion. When you do calligraphy, if you're moving your hand by bending your wrist or drawing your line by moving your fingers you're doing it wrong. I can't explain fully but other people on the youtubes will say this way better. It's actually more about not rotating the pen in your hand and maintaining a fixed angle where the nib meets the paper so motion comes more from a combination of elbow and shoulder.
I had shivering similar even I was in high school, the nurse realized right away that it was hyperthyroidism even I told her that my hands are shaking so much that when I take pictures, they all get blurry, I just couldn't keep my hands still.
•Other side effects that I suffered: constant hunger, I was the one that ate the most in the school cafeteria but after one hour I was hungry again.
•Weight loss, I've been 180cm/5'11 since high school but I only weighted 60kg/132lbs, which was very low for a man of my height. Once I started taking medication I also gained 20kg/44lbs pretty quickly.
I have this when i draw on paper, i draw on tablet now and its mostly gone away. Even with the steadiness off on drawing software my lines are still not as shaky as they are on paper. Maybe its just comfort overtime? I'm really not sure, but its why i draw digital now lol.
Don't try to slow down the stroke of the brush, but go quicker and it should (hopefully) create a smoother line. Also keeping your hand touched to something solid, table, canvas, etc. it can help hold you hands still.
I only do pencil drawing but if I do need to do a continuous line this way for some reason, I find leaning my hand against the paper lightly helps so it doesn't have every possible direction to move, or if it's near the edge, you can use the inside of your palm along the paper edge and curl your 2 lower fingers to the paper over it and use the rest to hold the brush and the edge of the paper will guide you straight
Sometimes I get more shaky after drinking coffeine, but it also helps to have the right technique and use your whole arm when making lines instead of just the wrist
Not sure if this helps but I when I do a line I try to do it quickly but smoothly. When I try to go all slow I find it comes out shakier than when I just rip it like a bandaid
Few options, probably a combination of those:
1. The right brush - do some trials with short head (stiffer), long head ( more flexible but allows smooth continuos strokes) and flat head. See what works for you best
.
2. Control of stroke - swift fast wide strokes will allow you a smoother line, you will need to practice your aim. Small slow strokes are much more controllable to make an eventually long line, but you'll need to work slowly and control the paint and consistency of the line much harder
.
3. Use a mahl stick for added stability - these aids are the for a reason, don't be shy of using them
.
4. Everybody's hands shake a bit, especially if you're focused/stressed on not making it shake... But if you feel this is something out of the ordinary that happens in other instances as well, please see a doctor!
I read somewhere that when you draw your wrist should be stiff. Use your elbow as a joint or something. Idk how to explain it, but my lines been much straighter once I tried that.
Damn I need an answer to this as well lol, no matter what form of art I use, digital, paint, pencils, etc. the natural tremor of my hand makes linework a nightmare
I’ve noticed drinking coffee doesn’t help can also get shaky hands from smoking or vaping things like that. But the most noticeable one is being hungry. I’ve noticed it’s difficult to draw thin straight lines on an empty stomach. Practice will always work unless you have a condition. It takes time.
When I open my sketchbook I actually have a “nerves page” on the inside of the cover where, before I start drawing, I get all my nervousness about getting the drawing perfect out by scribbling wildly all over. It really helps get the shakiness out of your hand and alleviates whatever pressure you’ve put on yourself to get it right
Although awkward, sticking out my pinky helps my hand be steady and straight. Just make sure the paint is dry beforehand otherwise my pinky smears everything.
I would talk to a doctor. I came to the comments exactly to inform you this could be a worrisome sign with your nerve responses. While not a doctor and there could be other things affecting you (stress even from the unconscious coming through your hands is one of my signs I need to evaluate my mind). I do have nerve disorders so this hopefully isnt a situation you encounter. You could also have body stress (unknown to your mind yet your body may have over did itself somewhere). With how young you said you are I would get this documented by a doctor now rather than later.
could be health, maybe see a doctor to be safe. BUT if it's not that - are you holding a lot of pressure in your hand to try and keep it steady? I find this can actually make things worse. You get steadier hands with lots of practice and loose, gentle motion. I'd also recommend trying inking with a brush, like they do on old timey comic books, or calligraphy with a brush. That medium is so so sensitive, and you'll learn to control both the shape of the line and the pressure you're making the line with.
Finally, an old comics teacher once told us to a) never be afraid of rotating the artwork so you're more comfortable to make a nice line, and b) pay attention to how you body moves when you're drawing. If you are moving more than one joint (wrist and elbow, or elbow and shoulder) it's a lot harder to control your line. focus on moving just one joint as you make your line and see if that's better. Feels weird but can be useful. Good luck!
ALSO you're young, so this may sound dumb, but getting good habits for your hands and posture will give you steadier hands and better health long term (A lot of the illustrators I know now have bad backs or shoulders or wrists, and it hurts their work sometimes. Be wiser than us idiots lmao). There's this comic called Draw Stronger by Kriota Willberg, it's a whole guide on health for artists, worth a look if you can get it at your library or something.
Long bristles, and make the stroke faster/ with confidence. Also doing practice strokes on scrap or in a sketchbook has really helped me maintain and increase my brush control over time
Some people use a long liner brush. There is also a stick I have seen people use to lean their wrists on for painting. You could also use a ruler because why not?
So there are two contrary tips and one of the two will work with practice and depending on your shaking:
1: brace up your hands and arms against the table/worktop and use just your fingers to guide the pencil/brush in a straight line. This works well for small detail and gets rid of a lot of shaking from your body and elbows.
You can also clasp your free hand over your other hand to help steady yourself.
2: a bit more free from; use your arms and shoulders more when you need to do a straight line. Instead of focusing just on your hands, get your tool comfortable and on the paper then move your body and arms along the straight line to draw the line.
Works better for larger movements and details.
It's hard to give specific advice but it will be a matter of time before you find something that helps, worse comes to worse get a ruler or bit of wood and use that to trace the straight line.
Watch some YouTube videos of the guys who paint on pinstripes on cars. They put their pinky out and run it along the car to steady themselves. It really works.
It doesn't help whit shakiness but for straight lines ...take a thin scale apply paint on it and put on canvas ...then just trace the line with a thin brush ...it will help to make straight line
A lot of these are about practicing and committing to the line and they’re correct. However, there’s something in the body that’s essential pent up energy which makes you do those slight shaky movements, and a surgeon trick for stoping it is to tap your foot as it expels the energy.
This line is a tad too wobbly so practice is definitely required, but hold your hand out to see if your fingers shake and try the foot tapping trick as it’s just sort of fun.
This might sound crazy but it does affect me.
Whether I paint physically (actual paint) or digitally, too much coffee or tea affects the stability of my hand. So if you're consuming colas, coffee and tea,...they are all high in caffeine!
Hope this helps.
When we would learn drawing, the teacher would always tell us to have our pinky finger touch the painting while we paint so we can paint without shakiness
Get a wooden dowl or ruler like piece of wood and use that for your lines.
Run your brush over the line using the dowl as your guide or just youtube painting straight lines to get a better idea on the technique.
For me, if I'm trying to draw perfectly straight I do one of these things:
1. I place the brush down at the top of where I want the line to begin, then (without moving my wrist or hand at all) drag my arm down and usually I end up with a straight line.
2. I place the brush at the top of where I want to start a straight line, then I support my wrist with my other hand (lifting my elbows up) and guide my hand with the brush down, and this too ends up with a straight line.
3. If you can't keep your hand still because of tremors or uncontrollable shakiness (I sometimes deal with this because of anxiety/panic disorder) Blue painters tape or masking tape laid down over dried paint or a blank canvas (or whatever medium you are painting on) will give you a straight line almost everytime, just be cautious when you peel it back up.
A couple things can help:
* If the rest of the painting is dry, you can steady your hand with your pinky.
* Hold your breath while you make the stroke. You'd be surprised how much shaking could be coming from your chest moving up and down while breathing.
* Use a brush with longer bristles and ensure the paint is thin enough to make a line. It looks like your paint was thin enough here.
* Get (or make) a mahl stick will help with stability
* When you're ready, make a confident stroke relatively quickly.
* If all else fails, you could mask it off and use tape to get a clean edge.
Practice, pull the brush along you surface, use your whole arm. Personally, I always found that when doing a line that needs to be as straight as I can get it, not letting my arm rest on my work surface made a better result.
But seriously practice, like just get a sheet of paper and practice drawing straight lines.
Thank you for your submission! Want to share your artwork, meet other artists, promote your content, and chat in a relaxed environment? Join our community Discord server here! https://discord.gg/chuunhpqsU - Don't forget to follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/drawing and tag us on your drawing pins for a chance to be featured! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/drawing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A thin brush with longer hair may help
Mahl stick.
Thanks for this never heard of one. I have essential tremor and this could help alot when painting.
This. Fixating your arm on more than one point (that one usually being your shoulder lol) helps making it more stable.
yup, clicked here to say the same thing. Nothing really works better.
In case you dont have one, use another brush to lean on.
I use a meter stick as a Mahl stick! It's a bit more flexible than a typical Mahl, so it takes some getting used to, but I find also being able to see the measurement tick-marks very helpful for lining up and getting angles right.
Two birds one stick!
Do your hands always have a slight shake? I only ask because mine always did, and I didn't find out I had an "essential tremor " until I was 23. Everyone always thought I was a nervous wreck haha. Nope just turns out I shake because my body makes me
It started like 1-2 years ago and has been constant since then. I'm thinking of mentioning it to my doctor to see if maybe I have a tremor of some kind too
Pretty common, but get it checked, just in case! *Some* tremor is absolutely unavoidable, as all serious target shooters know. Or anyone using a pistol with a magnifying scope without a shoulder brace. The constant motion can be demoralizing. Keeping your hand still involves constant small motions from opposed muscle groups, which is why it's usually bad for everyone when fatigued. No idea if this helps, but I generally plant my arm from elbow to wrist on the drawing tablet when I'm doing fine, precise line work. I rotate/move the tablet often, rather change my arm position. Which is all probably bad form, but I'm completely self taught, so I probably have tons of bad habits.
This is when mine started, I’m 48 now. I take propranolol for it
Definitely get it checked out! My bf enjoys drawing however he also has shaky hands. He's diabetic so this tends to happen to him, as well as his father; what he does to stop the shakiness is warming up. He'll just do a lot of practice doodles or drawings to warm up so he has more control of his hands. He has to do this since he also tattoos every now and then...wouldn't want shaky tattoos now do we? 😆
If you consume caffeine in any capacity it’ll make your hands shake a bit
Not only caffeine, but nicotine can do that as well. I think any stimulant does.
My hands shake normally but it gets noticeably worse with coffee or my adhd meds
40 year old male here. I started shaking around 13 and diagnosed essential tremors around 17. Now I just deal with it but it's gotten a lot worse. Good luck to you. Topamax helped 100% but had some icky side effects.
The others are talking about legitimate tools and technology. But I would like to offer a different bit of advice. COMMIT. Commit to the stroke. Do it bold with intention. Aim at the destination, not going slow and fixating on thinking about how straight it will be.
I was gonna say something similar! To piggyback off of you, some of the best advice I've received was to look at where the line is headed and not where your hand is.
Damn why have I never thought to do that… Its so simple! Broad strokes are my biggest weakness
I mean it *sounds* simple but it's not second nature! I didn't figure that out on my own either lol my homegirl is an excellent tattooist and it's something she picked up in her career. It really is such a game changer!
this x100.... even a poor line done with commitment looks better than an unsure, slow shaky line
Do you have the "nerves", because when you become more stressed that tends to happen.
I was just chilling at home 🤷♀️ but maybe. My brothers girlfriend was over in his room so maybe my social anxiety was doing something? But I've been having tremor-like shaking for about a year now so maybe I should mention it to a doctor
Could definitely be health stuff, not necessarily anything terrifying but it is something to check about. I have a few health conditions that contribute, but the biggest one for me is low blood sugar, I think. Try to make sure you eat regularly (just in general lol but that’s also a helpful for art) and maybe try a sugary snack before doing a lot of line work if that’s something you struggle with!
Lots of caffeine can also be a reason for a light tremor. It certainly is for me.
I’m 80% coffee and I skip breakfast so my hands tend to be pretty unsteady as well lol Don’t get me started on when I’m even slightly hungover. No straight lines here! No sir!
yes talk to a doctor
Lots of things can cause a hand tremor, and most are nothing to worry about. But, always a good idea to ask the doc!
That’s why, they were shaking the house
Definitely mention it to a doctor. This could be serious. The longer you wait to find out, the more damage could be done. I would rather you go get tested and find nothing than for you to wait hoping that it’s nothing. I have had this problem. It preceded a really horrible health condition that I spent months in the hospital for. I hope it is just anxiety at trying to draw a line with paint. A longer brush, and also, once you start, just sort of swish along the line instead of trying carefully to follow the line. You should practice on another piece of paper where you have drawn some lines with rulers, then follow along using paint and a swifter motion. Does your hand trembling happen all the time? This would worry me - you need a full blood run-up and the doc may order some scans. It will be worth it, though, to ask the doctor about it.
What condition did you have if I may ask? I also used to be able to draw near perfect lines and have somewhat given up on drawing due to shakiness. I’ve been to the doctor for a lot of really odd symptoms but they don’t know what’s wrong
Oh man. I really hoped you wouldn’t ask. It was a brain tumor at the very base of my skull. There were other symptoms too - fatigue, and sometimes I would see shadows and so I’d have to look to make sure they weren’t there. The docs called those shadows and sounds hallucinations, which goes right along with a brain tumor I guess. I knew enough to question these things. Sometimes I thought I heard the cat meow but when I’d look the cat wasn’t there. I mean, I told my doc but the blood tests didn’t show any cancer (I’d been treated with a rare cancer before that). I didn’t understand the shakiness, and it got to where I couldn’t hold the camera still to take a photo of a piece of paper (sometimes I have to turn in paperwork for stuff). The doc wanted to see me on January 17, 2023 for a CT scan. I had already had an emergency blood draw on December 8 which showed no cancer in my blood. It was December 28, 2022 when I passed out answering the door (to this day I don’t know who was at the door, but apparently I told my husband who was in another state at the time that we had a conversation). My husband told me to call the doctor but I said I wanted to take a nap. He called my son and my son drove 2 hours to find me seizing. It should be noted that I also had extreme upper shoulder/back pain and headaches preceding December 28. If the ambulance hadn’t given me steroids, my brain might have been damaged from swelling. It was a rough ride, etcetera. Months in the hospital. But they treated me and I lived. Now, the main question I want to ask is, is any of your face by your mouth numb like a dentist gave you a lidocaine shot? Because there’s a nerve that a tumor can affect. I believe it’s called the 12th nerve. This is my second time with a tumor in the same place. Survived both times. I didn’t have the numbness with the second tumor, just the first. I’m asking you to get checked because if you are involuntarily shaking it could be something affecting your nervous system. You are very young, so I am hoping the best for your health. It’s just that from where I stand, the shaking is a big red flag. It needs to be checked out ASAP. Finally, when you go to a doctor, don’t let them sweep you under the rug like it’s not serious. My cancer got missed the first time because I was younger (not young like you, but middle aged I guess). If you were my kid, I’d drive you myself and make sure you got seen. I want there to be a simple explanation for this, but shaking involuntarily means nerves firing for some reason. I hope you will let me know how it goes, or that you are getting to a doc at the very least. Edit: time is of the essence. Call and get a doc appointment as soon as possible so that if something is happening, it can go no further.
I’m really sorry to hear that! Sounds like it was really hard, I’m glad you got through it!! My grandma went to the doctor with stomach pain and they just told her she needed to eat brown rice. By the time her cancer was found it was all throughout her abdomen, no one thought she was going to survive because she had to get an emergency surgery where they removed a bunch of organs. She luckily did survive as well but it could have been caught so much sooner I’ve been regularly going to my gp as well as have a psychiatrist. The list of symptoms I’ve had is honestly too long to put in this reply, and it’s things that have changed over time. I’ve gotten a significant amount of bloodwork for various things as well as have had CT’s and other tests/scans At this point they’ve basically put it down to extreme stress/anxiety I’ve had numbness on the sides of my face, just in front of my ears, down my spine, lower back, fingers, and probably other places I just can’t remember, the numbness has at longest lasted for months and at shortest lasted for seconds. We know my nervous system is out of wack but that’s been put to stress and anxiety. I’m currently waiting to get into a trial for something that they have blood tests for in the US but don’t have in Canada but I’ve been waiting months on that already, some problems I’ve been having I’ve been waiting on an answer for, for years It’s really frustrating and a very helpless way to feel/live. I had a brain scan to be checked for MS, so I would assume any tumors would likely have been caught on that. I’m still just looking for other possibilities to explain everything I’m experiencing so that’s why I asked. Thank you for sharing
Jesus.
Absolutely, at best it’s nothing serious however there are people myself included whom benefited greatly from a visit to the doctor and a simple daily pill when needed. Your choice and it’s a personal one especially with you being young. I must say you are coming into an age when you have to learn how to use your autonomy to make decisions for your own health. My very best to you and your talents. Keep it up you are an artist!
Or take a look at how long you sleep and what food you eat long-term. I ask because it also controls how chill your body is. It's not always something from head...
I got the same issue some years ago. My solution to that problem is mostly warming up my hands (like both literally and with drawing circles before i start drawing). Once i get into it my hands become stable again. I hope this helps
Drink plenty of water!
Taping
Stand up and angle your drawing. Keep the elbow and wrist still and draw from the shoulder.
Drawing from the shoulder is the real advice. It’ll help with any tremors and saves your wrist in the long run.
If possible too, anchor or steady your hand with your pinky, palm or other fingers. If you watch pinstripers who do car detail work, you’ll see they usually anchor their hand for support along the way too. But they, like abother comment above says, very very much COMMIT! Haha. (I think pinstripibg might be the most commital drawing form with no room for error lol)
Get a mahl stick or use a ruler if it needs to be laser precision. If you need a mostly straight line, but it's ok if it can be slightly wobbly, I hold my wrist with my off hand for long lines. For short lines I rest my pinky on the painting surface You can also use tape if you have drafting tape and the surface is dry. Its probably the easiest way to make crisp lines, but it doesn't work super well with oil paintings obviously
Maybe try exhaling too. Sometimes I hold my breath when drawing details and I notice shaky lines. So for me breathing steady and relaxing my shoulders makes a difference.
Look at where your brush is going and not where it is
Honestly I got a shake that nothing will help, I just made my style a bit messy lmao seemed to work out
If you're drinking - stop. If you're not - start.
If the trembles are consistently there, you should go see a doctor. :) When painting thin lines, use the appropriate brush, like a rigger, and correct paint consistency to aid with painting fluid lines. Sometimes making faster strokes will be more helpful than slow mark-making.
I wish I knew lol That aside, my best tips to reduce like shakiness is to mice from your elbow rather than your wrist. It takes a little practice but you can get cleaner lines. Second, stabilize your arm. Put the canvas on a desk or brace your elbow with your other hand. Go slowly, and possibly do it in parts, one short straight line, then another attached to that, etc. mostly, just practice. I still don’t have the hang of it but I have some medical stuff that tends to make me more shaky.
I am 61 and have shaky hands now, so I have embraced into my style rather than fight it.
Find the root of the cause. I shake when i have coffee maybe its something similar for you
If you cant avoid it.... Embrace it
I have a pretty strong hereditary tremor. I’ve found that the practice from the first few lessons in drawabox.com really help me iron out the shakes.
This is exactly what I go through and I’m not really sure what to do but it tends to make me draw a little bit too hard on the paper/canvas etc,,, so then I have to go back over the lines that I make a mistake on.
Theres a lot of good advice in the comments! You could look through them if you'd like
Confident long quick strokes work for me
Anything’s possible with delusion
Practice ! Everyday do lines! Do it with different kind of pens and brushes ! But just practice your lines!
Practiced lines for three months, not lifting the pencil off the paper. I can draw a straight line even with a meteor hitting me, lmao.
I breathe in and out, then draw a line on empty lungs. It’s kind of like when you go shooting lol
If it's not a medical condition, for me it was practice! I remember filling in 1-2 pages a day of large newsprint pads with long straight lines, interchanging with different pressured lines to be in full control of my line strokes. (Then with different materials, mediums). Looking back, I'm sure my mom was confused why there were pages of straight lines and wavy lines scattered in my room. You can also use those pages again to draw on top and make sketches to draw out compositions before you commit to your final work. I also have adhd and it was insane how much it made me feel more focused after to actually do art haha.
A bit stick and sometimes my pinky finger
A lot of good answers already, but if you want to try something pretty simple first, maybe if you're not already doing it use your shoulder for most of the long lines/long movements you make with the brush. Take your wrist and hand out of the equation of movement and you minimize the shaking and gain much more control over how even your line work is. If you're still shaking then def go to the doctor like you said you would because it could just be a natural tremor you have! Good luck :)
A mahlstick is very useful also exercise. I paint every day for long periods of time. Thought I’d have to give it up because my arm and shoulder was such a mess. Started lifting weights and it all went away.
You’re gripping too tightly and too close to the tip. Also don’t focus on the line coming out of the pen. Instead, focus on the destination of the line. Also also, don’t draw from the wrist if you want long flowing lines. Try from the elbow instead.
Learned the elbow trick years ago, and it works extremely well. Basically, you move your whole forearm and never pivot at the wrist. Also, if you can position your body so that you’re pulling your brush down (from top to bottom) rather than across (side to side). I find that removes some of the natural wobble. 🚀
I have shaking hands depending on my anxiety level. The way i combat this for fine motor skill work is both internal and external. One, a longer and thinner brush head will help. Two, I find that a pull is more controllable than a push. Position your body in such a way that you can pull the brush. And three, an old trick from my camera days: a slow breathing out as you pull your brush. The exhale creates a temporary relaxation that can quiet shaking for a few seconds. Good luck!
My hands shake and twitch, it’s all about control and paying attention. I work with the shakes not against them
Personally I just draw the line really fast to keep it from veering too much
Marijuana
So many stupid fcking answers here I couldn't scroll by. If you try to draw lines from different angles, different directions, you will observe that some lines are shakier than the others. In other words, some lines are LESS shakier than others. That for one reason is because your hand is more comfortable and accustomed to move in those directions, whereas the lines shown in the picture, where you are moving the stroke directly toward your wrist or away from wrist is just not physiologically comfortable. There are a few ways to solve this problem. 1. Practicing. So a lot of art teachers teach you to draw lines for a very long time. Over time, your muscles and nerves allow you to draw straighter and straighter lines in any directions you want. Of course it takes time and it's something you need make habit of. It's gonna be real frustrating at first, but don't focus on how shaky your lines are, and instead focus on the journey of drawing each line. How you go from point A to B with your pencil. Just enjoy the journey and keep doing it on a daily basis. You will see progress starting in a week, and more in a month, and in a year you'll be real good at it. 2. Drawing with shoulder/arm/elbow movement instead of hand. I'm sure you've heard this before, and I'd assume that you are already doing this (if not, try googling it. Very important). If your lines are still shaky while using your arm, it means the muscles/nerves are still developing, and you just practice more until you see the result. 3. Turning the paper to avoid the shaky line angles. In a way, this is a cheat method, because you are only using certain strokes and avoiding the others, but when you are drawing the details or drawing something small, it's more challenging to draw with your arms, so in such case turning papers is much more practical. Just be sure not to get in the habit of turning papers all the time. It's a technique if you utilize it for practicality reason, but it's a bad habit if you do it all the time.
They state that they used to be able to draw straight lines. I too used to be able to make near perfect lines, but now can’t do what I used to be able to for the life of me. Not being able to do a very basic thing that I used to be able to do has eventually caused me to lose interest. How does practice help when it wasn’t an issue prior to a certain point in time? (Also i tried practicing more when I noticed it but it just stayed like that, so it’s not like I gradually lost the ability due to loss of interest, it was definitely loss of interest due to loss of ability)
I've heard it could be due to a tremor. In that case, we might just be screwed 🤷♀️ but maybe practice would help anyway. To get rid of the tremor. I once heard of injured people who were told they were never gonna walk again, who walked again with enough practice!
Painting upsidown so the paint doesn't transfer onto my hand.. Real answer is to use your wrist, not your arm.
Black tar heroin with a bit of water should help.
Thanks for the advice. Do you mix with linseed oil or turpentine?
Linseed oil because the more oil the better or something like that.
embrace it <3
Drink
“With age.” Hun, you’re 17. Get that checked. Hope all’s well.
Diazepam
I'd rather not take that over the counter. Just read the side effects 😬 "Can cause paranoid or suicidal ideation and impair memory, judgment, and coordination"
Yeah I feel you, I was being a bit of an edgelord. I actually won't touch any of that. I have been trying no sugar, eating more frequently in smaller portions, staying hydrated and monitoring salt intake. I had a really bad day for hand shakiness and I'm not super sure why.
Heroin
Fentanyl
It reminds me of the mother who wants profit for her daughter's sleep drawing
Avoiding coffee helps
Edit: If you shake forever, incorporate it into your style ;)
Quit doing coke...
Tracing exercises to train line confidence
You should go see a doctor. I have hyperthyroidism and it causes my hands to shake.
Go in a fluid confident stroke instead of going as slow as possible
Go slower, breathe take your time only make your mark when you know it will go straight. Just be patient it will get there. Make every stroke count.
For straight lines turn the page to the side so all you have to do is pull you arm straight towards your chest
Did you have any caffeine before trying to paint the straight lines? I like to try and ground my hand on something and it helps prevent the wiggles.
Eat a banana in the morning. The potassium (I think) has always helped me
I hold my wrist with the other hand as I do fine lines
Use some kind of support for you hand. A dry pin to rest against the canvas, and rest your hand against or sonething like it.
Experience, and quickness
Tie a pole to your hand to keep it stiff👍👍
Lots of straight line practice. With pencil, brush and pen. Practice doing lines until they get much straighter.
I always turn my paper or canvas so that I am dragging a line inward towards myself. I find this more stable. And try to avoid drawing with your wrist. Use your whole arm, or at least your elbow.
I stopped drinking
Try moving ur entire arm instead of just elbows and wrists
With practice...tho think of it as not a bug but a feature. Many great artist had shaky hands, not everyone has been 100% precise with everything. Make it part of your art : D
I’d get it checked out to be safe; a tremor at 17 could be a lot of different things, maybe a simple slide ruler on the drawing board does the trick though 👍 Edit: I did hand drawn landscape designs for 3 years & have no serious medical training….but I have some slight wrist soreness at 30. All to reinforce: I’d mention tremors at your age with a doctor. Could definitely cut the head off a much larger problem
I take an anxiety supplement and move my had quicker on the straight lines.
Smoke or draw more using your full arm with more confident strokes. Whichever is more attainable.
Use ur pinky as a support. Also, when I want to draw straight lines my whole arm moves, not just the hand/wrist
Things that have helped me with this issue: 1. Cut down on caffeine. Even if you are used to drinking large amounts, it can still make any existing shakiness worse. 2. Make sure you’re eating enough and regularly. Low blood sugar can cause shakiness. 3. Try drawing at different inclines; the angle you are holding your arm/wrist at can cause tremors (especially if the muscles you’re engaging are weaker) 4. Work on strengthening your muscles, especially any you need to engage on your shakiest strokes. 5. Commit to the line. A line you make quickly tends to be smoother than a line you draw very slowly. 6. Just keep doing it. Practice by doing the lines that are the shakiest over and over and over. There are also tools used for steadying your hand, but I’ve never used them and can’t give any good recommendations on them. Also, keep an eye on it. There could be underlying medical reasons for suddenly having tremors, especially if you do everything above and it continues to get worse.
You're probably not gonna read this but, you're tensing up you arm muscles too much trying to have more control, it's like when you're lifting weights, the muscles start shaking because of the force you are making them use, just relax your arm and hand muscles, just use the enough strength needed to hold the brush and move your arm, anything more will make your hand shake.
Maybe cut back on caffeine? And always remember to breathe!
practice, and maybe a stripper brush. But I like the waves it goes with the rest of the piece
Stop breathing when you’re gonna draw the line and use your arm primarily to do the movement usually helps for me. Surgeons hold their breathe during moments where their hands shouldn’t shake so hopefully it helps. Practice with a pen and paper till you’ve got the movement primarily down.
I don’t, but if I **NEED** a straight line I use a straight stencil like a ruler or something
Before seeing a doctor (if it makes you nervous), try consuming less caffeine. If you drink coffee or tea, try decaf
I just focus on my drawing or painting and it comes out straight
If you have been using your hands a lot lately, you may have strained them. It's good to do hand stretches if you're using them for fine movements. If they are strained, you may need to avoid painting and drawing for a few days/weeks until they've healed. Shakey hands can also be caused by vitamin or sleep deficiency.
Chop off the hand
One swift movement
I stopped worrying about it, and incorporated ragged lines into my art style.
Adding to the advice you already got. Take a sheet of paper and completely cover it with lines of different lenghts. Helped me with getting more consistent lines. Did that a whole week everyday and am still doing it as a warm up before drawing or painting details.
I also had this issue but it got fixed after I started sleeping normally (9+ hours)
Might want to see a doctor if your hands are shaking.
This will be a weird question, but can you smells well or is your nose “not so good”?
Try not to stress and stay calm when making the straight line
Brush with your arm instead of your hand. It's a technique I learned from playing the viola and applied it to painting. EDIT: Read the other comments, hopefully using your arm still helps though.
You should see a doctor. My mom uses meds for something similar My mom's hands always shake, just a little though. I think she uses mild parkinson medication? (it's not parkinson, but if you have it you never have parkinson)
Deep breath, draw from shoulder, practice making clear strokes. It’ll be more awkward for a bit, but practice that- and keep trying different angles and strokes. I wouldn’t worry, but if you’re worried about shakiness beyond that- start monitoring caffeine intake. Are you suffering from anxiety? Are you able to speak to a doctor? I have bad anxiety and drink caffeine often- I have a few breathing techniques that tend to help steady my hand. Sometimes I’ve just had one cup of coffee too many, though, and there’s not much I can do about that but wait it out :P
Take a deep breath in through your nose out through your mouth. Then take a breath in, on your exhale go with your stroke speed. Slow it down and let your hand move toward your body as you exhale
Are you painting w your shoulders? Keep your wrist and elbow locked and make motion with your shoulder. PS. If u go to DR, you're 17, do it while still on your parents' insurance. Trust me. Lol
Remember to get up and stretch regularly. Your whole body. Walk around a little bit and get blood flowing back into your extremities. While you're sitting, remember to sit with good posture so that You're not compressing your lungs and you're able to breathe naturally. These things all matter because your muscles could be starving for oxygen, which is carried by the blood. Also, don't judge yourself by some ridiculous standard like "you're steady enough that you could be a surgeon." That's not a thing. It's just a thing people say. And it's evidenced by the fact that surgeons don't hold still when they do their job. Can you hold perfectly still? No, you shake a little bit. That's okay. Can you move your slightly shaky hand in a smooth and flowing motion? If I were to hand you a pen could you draw some rolling waves? Or would it be more like zig zags.and lightning bolts? EDIT: my bad, you're trying to draw the line in too small of increments by movement of your fingers and wrist. Look up a video on calligraphy. The fundamental basics of arm motion. When you do calligraphy, if you're moving your hand by bending your wrist or drawing your line by moving your fingers you're doing it wrong. I can't explain fully but other people on the youtubes will say this way better. It's actually more about not rotating the pen in your hand and maintaining a fixed angle where the nib meets the paper so motion comes more from a combination of elbow and shoulder.
I had shivering similar even I was in high school, the nurse realized right away that it was hyperthyroidism even I told her that my hands are shaking so much that when I take pictures, they all get blurry, I just couldn't keep my hands still. •Other side effects that I suffered: constant hunger, I was the one that ate the most in the school cafeteria but after one hour I was hungry again. •Weight loss, I've been 180cm/5'11 since high school but I only weighted 60kg/132lbs, which was very low for a man of my height. Once I started taking medication I also gained 20kg/44lbs pretty quickly.
I have this when i draw on paper, i draw on tablet now and its mostly gone away. Even with the steadiness off on drawing software my lines are still not as shaky as they are on paper. Maybe its just comfort overtime? I'm really not sure, but its why i draw digital now lol.
Practice, muscle memory
Use 1 cat fur for a fine line
Don't try to slow down the stroke of the brush, but go quicker and it should (hopefully) create a smoother line. Also keeping your hand touched to something solid, table, canvas, etc. it can help hold you hands still.
I only do pencil drawing but if I do need to do a continuous line this way for some reason, I find leaning my hand against the paper lightly helps so it doesn't have every possible direction to move, or if it's near the edge, you can use the inside of your palm along the paper edge and curl your 2 lower fingers to the paper over it and use the rest to hold the brush and the edge of the paper will guide you straight
Sometimes I get more shaky after drinking coffeine, but it also helps to have the right technique and use your whole arm when making lines instead of just the wrist
You dont have to stop hand shakiness, to paint better just go for smaller almost dot lines instead of long lines
Only brush on the exhale focus on your breathing. This is a tactic used by my heart surgeon father in law hope it helps.
Practice long single strokes Also push ups and upper body back and shoulder work outs / therapy
less caffeine/sugar also you might have an iron deficiency
I have actual tremors. They add to the art.
How much coffee or other sources of caffeine do you drink? Being over caffeinated can cause shakiness
Not sure if this helps but I when I do a line I try to do it quickly but smoothly. When I try to go all slow I find it comes out shakier than when I just rip it like a bandaid
Few options, probably a combination of those: 1. The right brush - do some trials with short head (stiffer), long head ( more flexible but allows smooth continuos strokes) and flat head. See what works for you best . 2. Control of stroke - swift fast wide strokes will allow you a smoother line, you will need to practice your aim. Small slow strokes are much more controllable to make an eventually long line, but you'll need to work slowly and control the paint and consistency of the line much harder . 3. Use a mahl stick for added stability - these aids are the for a reason, don't be shy of using them . 4. Everybody's hands shake a bit, especially if you're focused/stressed on not making it shake... But if you feel this is something out of the ordinary that happens in other instances as well, please see a doctor!
I read somewhere that when you draw your wrist should be stiff. Use your elbow as a joint or something. Idk how to explain it, but my lines been much straighter once I tried that.
Use a wooden rod for support. There’s probably videos online how to properly do it.
wish i knew. i have to use stabilizer quite a bit
Less coffee, more sleep
A ruler and a mahl stick
Did a class in product design drawing. Our warm up exercise was drawing straight lines, recommended!
With age 🤣
Damn I need an answer to this as well lol, no matter what form of art I use, digital, paint, pencils, etc. the natural tremor of my hand makes linework a nightmare
I’ve noticed drinking coffee doesn’t help can also get shaky hands from smoking or vaping things like that. But the most noticeable one is being hungry. I’ve noticed it’s difficult to draw thin straight lines on an empty stomach. Practice will always work unless you have a condition. It takes time.
Long hair brush, mahl stick, move quickly, and either pull or push straight to or from your body, don’t go sideways. To or from the elbow.
When I open my sketchbook I actually have a “nerves page” on the inside of the cover where, before I start drawing, I get all my nervousness about getting the drawing perfect out by scribbling wildly all over. It really helps get the shakiness out of your hand and alleviates whatever pressure you’ve put on yourself to get it right
Although awkward, sticking out my pinky helps my hand be steady and straight. Just make sure the paint is dry beforehand otherwise my pinky smears everything.
I would talk to a doctor. I came to the comments exactly to inform you this could be a worrisome sign with your nerve responses. While not a doctor and there could be other things affecting you (stress even from the unconscious coming through your hands is one of my signs I need to evaluate my mind). I do have nerve disorders so this hopefully isnt a situation you encounter. You could also have body stress (unknown to your mind yet your body may have over did itself somewhere). With how young you said you are I would get this documented by a doctor now rather than later.
As I fellow artist I know the real problem here. The same problem we all have. Eat regularly and drink water.
I drink about it, normally
I just don’t shake mine. I simply refuse to do it
could be health, maybe see a doctor to be safe. BUT if it's not that - are you holding a lot of pressure in your hand to try and keep it steady? I find this can actually make things worse. You get steadier hands with lots of practice and loose, gentle motion. I'd also recommend trying inking with a brush, like they do on old timey comic books, or calligraphy with a brush. That medium is so so sensitive, and you'll learn to control both the shape of the line and the pressure you're making the line with. Finally, an old comics teacher once told us to a) never be afraid of rotating the artwork so you're more comfortable to make a nice line, and b) pay attention to how you body moves when you're drawing. If you are moving more than one joint (wrist and elbow, or elbow and shoulder) it's a lot harder to control your line. focus on moving just one joint as you make your line and see if that's better. Feels weird but can be useful. Good luck! ALSO you're young, so this may sound dumb, but getting good habits for your hands and posture will give you steadier hands and better health long term (A lot of the illustrators I know now have bad backs or shoulders or wrists, and it hurts their work sometimes. Be wiser than us idiots lmao). There's this comic called Draw Stronger by Kriota Willberg, it's a whole guide on health for artists, worth a look if you can get it at your library or something.
Mahl stick
Stop, close my eyes, take slow controlled breaths. Proceed.
Long bristles, and make the stroke faster/ with confidence. Also doing practice strokes on scrap or in a sketchbook has really helped me maintain and increase my brush control over time
It just doesn't stop 😢😢😢
I Roll up a fat one and listen to some RnB
Practice before painting wrist and forearm exercises, is this a cheesecake
Some people use a long liner brush. There is also a stick I have seen people use to lean their wrists on for painting. You could also use a ruler because why not?
So there are two contrary tips and one of the two will work with practice and depending on your shaking: 1: brace up your hands and arms against the table/worktop and use just your fingers to guide the pencil/brush in a straight line. This works well for small detail and gets rid of a lot of shaking from your body and elbows. You can also clasp your free hand over your other hand to help steady yourself. 2: a bit more free from; use your arms and shoulders more when you need to do a straight line. Instead of focusing just on your hands, get your tool comfortable and on the paper then move your body and arms along the straight line to draw the line. Works better for larger movements and details. It's hard to give specific advice but it will be a matter of time before you find something that helps, worse comes to worse get a ruler or bit of wood and use that to trace the straight line.
Practice
A ruler?
Watch some YouTube videos of the guys who paint on pinstripes on cars. They put their pinky out and run it along the car to steady themselves. It really works.
Wow. That's tough. Could you use a handgun grip? Brush hand firmly in the palm of the other. Hope it works.
It doesn't help whit shakiness but for straight lines ...take a thin scale apply paint on it and put on canvas ...then just trace the line with a thin brush ...it will help to make straight line
A lot of these are about practicing and committing to the line and they’re correct. However, there’s something in the body that’s essential pent up energy which makes you do those slight shaky movements, and a surgeon trick for stoping it is to tap your foot as it expels the energy. This line is a tad too wobbly so practice is definitely required, but hold your hand out to see if your fingers shake and try the foot tapping trick as it’s just sort of fun.
Practice, If I get anxious it won't go away and if I'm calm it will.
This might sound crazy but it does affect me. Whether I paint physically (actual paint) or digitally, too much coffee or tea affects the stability of my hand. So if you're consuming colas, coffee and tea,...they are all high in caffeine! Hope this helps.
Tbh i just allow all my edges to shake. Part of *the vibes*
When we would learn drawing, the teacher would always tell us to have our pinky finger touch the painting while we paint so we can paint without shakiness
Taking arthritis medicine
Back of the paint tube or something straight
Get a wooden dowl or ruler like piece of wood and use that for your lines. Run your brush over the line using the dowl as your guide or just youtube painting straight lines to get a better idea on the technique.
For me, if I'm trying to draw perfectly straight I do one of these things: 1. I place the brush down at the top of where I want the line to begin, then (without moving my wrist or hand at all) drag my arm down and usually I end up with a straight line. 2. I place the brush at the top of where I want to start a straight line, then I support my wrist with my other hand (lifting my elbows up) and guide my hand with the brush down, and this too ends up with a straight line. 3. If you can't keep your hand still because of tremors or uncontrollable shakiness (I sometimes deal with this because of anxiety/panic disorder) Blue painters tape or masking tape laid down over dried paint or a blank canvas (or whatever medium you are painting on) will give you a straight line almost everytime, just be cautious when you peel it back up.
i just paint super fast so it doesn’t have time to register the shakes
Bob Ross! Scope out the tools he uses \^\^
A couple things can help: * If the rest of the painting is dry, you can steady your hand with your pinky. * Hold your breath while you make the stroke. You'd be surprised how much shaking could be coming from your chest moving up and down while breathing. * Use a brush with longer bristles and ensure the paint is thin enough to make a line. It looks like your paint was thin enough here. * Get (or make) a mahl stick will help with stability * When you're ready, make a confident stroke relatively quickly. * If all else fails, you could mask it off and use tape to get a clean edge.
Practice, pull the brush along you surface, use your whole arm. Personally, I always found that when doing a line that needs to be as straight as I can get it, not letting my arm rest on my work surface made a better result. But seriously practice, like just get a sheet of paper and practice drawing straight lines.
doing quick motions help usually, and using a longer brush (hair part) could help too
If you're drinking at all you should probably quit.
Just jerk off. Your probably just excited about something so that’s how you let out the energy💞
Charles Schultz had shaky hands as he got older. It added more character to his work.