Drawabox Lesson 1: Holding your Pen

This video is accompanying material for the text available here: drawabox.com/lesson/1/2
One of the earliest "a-ha!" moments an art student will encounter is when someone shows them the "right" way to hold a pencil. Let's talk about why exactly that grip works so well for certain kinds of tools, and why it's not just a blanket rule that applies to everything.
You can find the free lessons at drawabox.com - if you're new to Drawabox altogether, you can start over at drawabox.com/lesson/0
Other Links:
Drawabox Discord Server: / discord
Patreon: / uncomfortable

[@peteroconnell2580]

"...not sanded properly" I'm glad you said that. I've been sharpening my pencils for years using a knife, without ever having been taught any technique or method. I'm just now realizing there's probably a lot more I could be doing to better expose and prepare the graphite/charcoal. Now I've gotta go find some pencil sharpening videos after I finish watching yours!

[@Uncomfortable]

Honestly it was the same for me - I used to use a knife and then a pencil sharpener for the tip. I only realized people use sanding blocks because my girlfriend's in art school. Actually, come to think of it, Rebecca Rand (one of my former students) has a great video on sharpening pencils that may also mention sanding blocks: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqrQk5WqeKqlf7M

[@MikeLinPA]

@@Uncomfortable I used sandpaper in Mechanical Drawing back in high school in the 70s. That brings back some memories! I can do reasonably decent mechanical drawings, but not art. I could never make lines look what I wanted them to. These videos are, I think and hope, going to solve those issues for me 40plus years later.

[@marquisewilliams3904]

Started the drawabox course tonight. Stoked! Been trying to get my fundamentals in order for the longest time.

[@SilentTrip]

Do you mind telling us how it went?

[@mqosu]

OP here. So since people have been interested in my progression, I stopped this course a while ago. However, I kept going at it with learning art and it's been quite the journey. There are three things I will say I picked up from Drawabox however: 1. The importance of knowing where the start and end of your lines are. 2. The importance of perspective. 3. The importance of confident lines. These things actually have been a massive boost to how I approach drawing. And although time hasn't been on my side lately I'm trying to take it as seriously as I can (my big goal is to get a visual novel/manga published. I'm planned up to chapter 5 in my lil notes app.). Right now my main thing is improving my values, and I don't use boxes with everything that I draw, but I picked up some tools from this course that work for my brain, so it definitely doesn't hurt to try. If y'all are interested in my progress my IG and my Newgrounds account is @mq_williams. I also have a website but I need to get back on maintaining that. Between two years ago and know I can say with confidence that I've improved so much. I even surprisingly made a slightly decent animation on my YT page. But there's so much more I need to level up on. Here's hoping I come back to this in two years again and offer more good news

[@lm-hg9ep]

Update?

[@marquisewilliams3904]

@@lm-hg9ep Okay so I tried to send a comment with my other account but it either got deleted or didn't go through. Anyhow, I didn't finish the course but I have improved a LOT from 2 years ago. I still use a couple methods that DrawABox laid out in his initial tutorials.

[@YukimareThePsion]

I'm not even a full lesson in and I learned more from this than from one of my own college art classes. Then again, my figure drawing professor was the one who got angry if you needed to ask a question and was ableist to the point of attempting to neglect me anytime I had to interact with her. (I'm non-verbal, she refused to acknowledge anything I had to say unless I used verbal communication) Had to get a counselor and an administrator involved to make her acknowledge and work with me. And she still tried to get out of it by refusing to sign the disability acknowledgment form until I contacted the two again to inform them, resulting in them handing the paperwork to her themselves to sign in front of me. Even though I passed that course with flying colors, I retook it anyway under a different professor, just so I could learn more then "stare at model and sketch" and "work on side-art piece for one entire semester" and "Art made in less then 6 months is worthless because I said so" while the professor read a book.

[@nowirehangers2815]

Selective mutism Weird Have a special sticker 🗣

[@DiligenceOfSurprise]

What a supreme jerk that fellow sounds like!

[@gleefully4965]

Where was rot said she was selective...

[@R_S747]

​@@nowirehangers2815 Uh ok?

[@noodlery7034]

I feel like I'm experiencing history here

[@JM51CASTILLO]

Oh my, the masters are back!

[@Uncomfortable]

False alarm - it's just me!

[@fbiagent1476]

@@Uncomfortable love ur vids bro

[@AlessandroZir]

I feel this notion of drawing from the shoulder gives you a much deeper and fundamental insight of what's really going on with yourself while you drawn something effectively (though this is rarely mentioned in the many videos of drawing I saw in KZbin); perhaps I feel this way because I was trained as a pianist before starting to draw and although you use your fingers while playing the piano its something much more internal and global that enables you to really control them;

[@johnhunter743]

People here asking if it’s okay to use XYZ grip... YES! YES it’s okay to use any grip you want if it’s comfortable for you, amazing Artists are producing amazing work with all kinds of grips.

[@sleeper6548]

The upper hand grip feels so natural to me! This is probably because I used to practice drawing from shoulder before I started the course

[@senivargaming8664]

I have spent weeks looking for a good tutorial, walkthrough and examples and lessons for drawing.. Im just starting off and i want to put the images i see in my brain onto my medium... thank you so much!

[@nndaailmn]

Finnaly i can started the drawbox course tonight, i hope i can consistently following this course.

[@mcmuffin8784]

First time going through this course and boom new video!

[@diegom6085]

The best tutorial/lesson content I have seen

[@cookiestar3069]

Thank you so much for your videos! I'm already learning a lot. I had to look up tripod grip--that's how much of a beginner I am lol. I can do this.

[@Uncomfortable]

You certainly can!

[@aguy3129]

helll yea! good luck man!

[@cookiestar3069]

@@aguy3129 Thanks! You as well!

[@meat981]

I learned about the wrist and shoulder thing from other videos but I had noticed that a lot of artists hold it a certain way or put their fingers right at the ends so this was the video I was looking for to get why

[@StarsStillHere]

New to the course and ready to rumble! And right on time ;)

[@abner1153]

this course is sooo perfect

[@debadattahembram9100]

Thank you for this video. This had troubled me for long.

[@frederickbruner7475]

He’s back!!

[@hoangquy2314]

not know , but just know you've affected my life, and apparently tens of thousands of others, in an imnsely positive way. Thank you

[@Uncomfortable]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@coltennial9513]

Even though I'm at lesson 5 of the drawabox course, I've been wondering lately what the best way to hold my pen is despite not thinking about it earlier in time, and I've been using the tripod grip except I've noticed that I keep my hand too well rested on the table while drawing.

[@drunkhorse3078]

this video is great

[@jlogs872]

thanks for the video !

[@sebaev23]

(12/4/2023) Today i watch lesson 1... I hope to return in a year and have learned to draw something☺

[@Runha240]

Have you? A little late, but I'm really curious

[@sebaev23]

@@Runha240 not much really, but i didnt excersise 🥲

[@marijagajski9800]

Thank you

[@sikawatthanaviratananich496]

Thanks

[@brettsullivan4119]

This is great info. I'm just starting my first page of rough perspective boxes. I've never used technical pens before and was curious if there is anything needed to preserve the tips or any best practices to keeping the ink flow and line quality like new?

[@Uncomfortable]

Just be gentle with them - beginners have a tendency to push their pens pretty hard into the page, which can damage their tips and impede ink flow. A decent fineliner held at a high angle will make a nice, rich mark by simply making contact with the page. You can press a little bit to vary the line weight, but keep your pressure fairly light.

[@brettsullivan4119]

@@Uncomfortable Thank you!

[@practicing564]

TY

[@tanwi2009]

I like your videos

[@DeviantFish]

I've been using Sakura Pigma Micro 08 .5 mm for my Drawabox lessons. So far, I find that in order to make the ink flow I have to hold my pen at an angle that makes my hand block my view of the page. Is this a problem with the pens? With my technique?

[@Uncomfortable]

That's not an issue. There are plenty of cases where our hands block our view of the mark we're making - but since we're focusing first and foremost on a confident execution, that's fine. It actually becomes a problem when we watch the pen too closely, and try to steer our stroke with our eyes. That's where we get into hesitating and drawing too carefully, and produces wobblier lines. When you get to the ghosted lines exercise, you'll be introduced to how we can break the markmaking process into separate steps, planning/preparing first before executing our marks confidently. That makes the issue of not being able to see where you're drawing somewhat moot.

[@cookies4712]

Omg the newer version is here HEJFJEJFJD

[@northsr8820]

Hey! i start to watch your videos and do the drawn a box course, do you think that a quadripod grip it's okay? or it must be the tripod one ?

[@akiani]

in my opinion, using a tripod grip is a better habit to have since u have the option to use ur wrist more when u actually need it, while quadripod might lock it and force u to use shoulder- its better to have a more versatile grip i guess

[@Uncomfortable]

For the purposes of this course, there's no issue with using a quadripod grip - the main focus comes down to whether or not your grip allows you to control the pressure applied from the tip of the pen onto the page, as explained in this section: drawabox.com/lesson/1/2/grip A good rule of thumb is that if you're comfortable using that grip for writing, then it's okay for the drawing you do in this course. That of course doesn't apply to lots of other tools like pencils, brushes, etc. which have more than just the tip for making marks.

[@northsr8820]

@@Uncomfortable Thanks!

[@northsr8820]

@@akiani Thanks man :D

[@Play4Guys]

someone can help me about grip? i use tablet graphic for drawing as also like to do stuffs in ink but I dunno if its ok keep going using this grip in angle 90 degree in paper, 'cause i use it this angle in stylus (im comfortable in angle 90 degre in tablet to do exercises but its ok in paper? anyway, is better use one grip at all in ink traditional and digital? or both diferents?

[@Uncomfortable]

The only thing that matters is how a tool is meant to be used. Pens and digital styluses are similar in that they focus primarily on controlling the amount of pressure applied to the tip. For this, a tripod grip is ideal. For other tools, like pencils and paint brushes, an overhand grip can make it easier to take full advantage of that given tool. As explained in this video, don't think of it as being right and wrong. Focus on the situation and the nature of your tools, and ask yourself how you can hold the tool to use it best, for the particular purpose at hand.

[@peacekidanimation1385]

how do people with Wacom tablet hold their pen with different kinds of brush settings??

[@raheen7570]

Is it alright if I don’t use the tripod grip. When I write I always use four fingers, my thumb, index, middle and ring. Would that make much of a difference while drawing?

[@Uncomfortable]

If it's how you write, then it should be fine for drawing a pen. The important thing is understanding *why* one might use a certain grip for one tool, rather than another. Writing demands the same things from us that drawing with a fineliner does, so if you're able to write comfortably with whatever frankenstein grip you use, I see no reason it wouldn't be equally useful here.

[@Kevfactor]

Is it best to hold the pen from right at the tip, where cap clicks on, or a little up where it's thicker? also 2 fingers or 3 for big hands? :)

[@Uncomfortable]

I can't speak to how people with different sized hands hold their pens, but generally you don't want to choke up on the tip too much.

[@yokaipinata1416]

Hello, I found your course very recently! ❤ The lesson about using the elbow and shoulder changed everything for me, because almost no one ever talks about that. Too many online resources only do theory, and forget that people try to draw the way they write and thus need to learn motor skills too. Anyways, while I believe your course may be a valuable resource to me (combined with other things), I need to get something out of the way: see, I'm looking to focus on digital art rather than good ol' paper. How does the matter of grips extrapolate there? Is the tripod grip the only one you really use when all you hold is a stylus, or do other grips such as the one shown with the pencil still have their uses?

[@Uncomfortable]

Honestly, I've been working digitally for more than two decades now, and there has not been a single case where it made sense to hold my stylus in anything but a tripod grip. Even as styluses have added things like tilt detection, most of the interaction has still been based on controlling the pressure at the tip, so it's largely going to be pretty similar to the use of a fineliner. That said, I definitely learned a ton more doing figure drawing traditionally on newsprint with a pencil which I did hold with an overhand grip, than I did doing those same figure studies digitally with a regular stylus. It helped me understand what kind of variation in stroke one might want to be able to achieve, and how it could be used. I continue to apply it with a regular stylus with a tripod grip, but my understanding of how to use it comes from having used a pencil + overhand.

[@kit5279]

Is it ok to use 0.5mm gel pens after lesson 1? Couldn't but felt tips or fine lines in my case.

[@Uncomfortable]

Fineliners are best, but ultimately as long as you're not submitting for official (paid) critique, then you gotta work with what you've got.

[@marcosvalium2712]

i bought 8 sakura pens on shopee but now i'm wondering if they are original. When i draw multiple lines to fast the ink flow diminishes, is it normal? they start at 0,05 and go up to 1.0, which one should i use? Thanks so much for the content, i think this course is what i needed for improving my practice, chosign a medium(always loved drawing with ink) and stopping the self sabotage.

[@Uncomfortable]

I have heard some whispers about people selling knockoff microns - I believe there are videos on youtube about people showing the comparisons, though I'm not entirely sure on how they differ in quality. As for which one you should use, the 0.8 corresponds to 0.5mm (the recommended size for the course as discussed back in Lesson 0). The 0.5 corresponds to 0.45mm which is close enough to be used as well. The 0.4 is 0.4mm which is *okay*, though that's as small as I'd go.

[@gabbo13]

I'm using some mechanical pencils (most 0.7) to learn all the lessons, but is not allowed for this course, just for practicing before I grab a real fineliner to follow the exercises.

[@xCanUStandOnUrHeadx]

Thanks for this! About grip, I actually hold my pencil kind of weirdly when I write. Instead of resting on my middle finger, the pencil rests on my ring finger and my thumb rests on top of my index finger instead of gripping the pencil. I think its called a lateral quadrupod grip. Ive always written and drawn like this and it’s been fine so far, but I’m wondering if it might actually inhibit me and I’m just not aware of it. What do you think?

[@Uncomfortable]

I have seen some pretty weird grips over the years, and honestly as long as they allow you to control how much pressure you apply to the tip (which is pretty much required of any writing grip), then it should be fine.

[@anoszymekk7760]

mine is miliar only difference is my thumb is lower

[@ccurtonizea2883]

friends from 2 years 1year and months ago. i will catch up soon I have started my journey tonight at 1:21am 1-27-24

[@CruelCreations]

I have some cheap fineliners pens (luxar graphic fineliners)which costs me about 10rs per piece but they kind of smudge. Do the pens you provide smudge or give weird stroke while trying to outlining small details in portrait and all.

[@Uncomfortable]

When it comes to water-based inks there tends to be a broad range in terms of how much they smudge. Ours are less smudgy than others, but if you're really looking for pens that will not smudge at all, look into alcohol-based inks. The one shown in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqK7fZeAh7yKZ9k is a good choice in this regard, although the thing to keep in mind is that alcohol based inks tend to smell quite strongly, so that may not be desirable either. When it comes to our pens, one thing to keep in mind is that the way we sell them is entirely geared towards what our students require - so the sets we sell are 10 pens of the same size, rather than a range of sizes. Given that you're talking about doing work outside of the Drawabox course, you may want pens with more variety in their thicknesses, especially since you mentioned doing small details. What we sell will not be as useful in that use-case.

[@rubincohen2910]

Hi! I started using stadtlers 0.3 which is what I currently have. also have 0.7. which should I use until getting the 0.5? tyvm!

[@Uncomfortable]

I'd probably go with the 0.7 for now.

[@thelastmagician9347]

As someone who had prior training in figure drawing it is easy for me to use my shoulder to draw , since we use our shoulder to draw in figure classes, the only problem is I’m resting my hand on the page but that doesn’t make me draw from my wrist . So is it fine if I rest it on the page ?

[@Uncomfortable]

Resting your hand on the page is fine - I actually address this here: drawabox.com/lesson/1/2/hoverhand

[@thelastmagician9347]

@@Uncomfortable thank you very much 😊 for the quick reply

[@imaybemayh]

Will this course also aid in improving the ability to hold pencils with the overhand grip? I ask because this is something I’ve been struggling with as well and I would love to get better at it. That aside, thank you so much for doing this, it’s much appreciated.

[@Uncomfortable]

Yes and no. The course doesn't involve an overhand grip, so you're not going to be practicing it directly. It does however put a lot of emphasis on drawing from the shoulder, which is part of what makes the overhand grip harder to manage. You will still need to practice it directly however, as it is not one of the core goals of the course.

[@imaybemayh]

@@Uncomfortable Thank you so much for your response! So is it alright if I use my “play” time to practice the overhand grip with a pencil?

[@Uncomfortable]

@@imaybemayh While you should be drawing during that "play" time as you feel most comfortable, I don't think it'll hurt to practice y our overhand grip. You may actually find that the decrease in control you experience as a result of not being as experienced with it allows you to make more "happy accidents" that you can explore further.

[@soockamasook2001]

Didn't know BBH taught to draw here

[@triangulolegal6189]

I just started the course but I have limited paper so im only using pencils

[@lizziemcdonald1748]

for doing this course what do i need to use, is it a pen or is it a pencil. i cant seem to find it on the website

[@Uncomfortable]

You'll find that information here: drawabox.com/lesson/0/5/pens - and if you haven't gone through Lesson 0, you definitely should.

[@DallasUzumaki]

I am using Krita to learn art from your channel but idk which brushes are equivalent to those you used in this vid

[@Uncomfortable]

I'm not particularly familiar with Krita, and keep in mind that I recommend going through the course in ink for the reasons explained in this article: drawabox.com/article/ink

[@Mr-Hu-Lay]

Should we be touching and softly sliding on our small finger"s joint on paper when we are drawing using our arms?

[@Uncomfortable]

Resting your hand gently on the page is fine, as long as you're keeping an eye on it. Any friction/drag can make you feel more inclined to draw from your wrist - but it's usually so little that as long as you pay attention you can avoid that risk. Conversely, the added stability definitely makes drawing from the shoulder, especially as a beginner, much easier.

[@rohithmudiraj653]

hey i have been holding my pen with just 2 fingers(index and thumb) my entire life.should i switch to tripod or handover grip bcoz my handwriting is bad with just 2 fingers and i think it might affect my drawing too.

[@mn_art7365]

I think that the better is whatever you feel more natural. The holding is not than important as far you use your elwob and wrist

[@Uncomfortable]

MN_art's got the right of it. Since we're not employing our wrist all that much in this course, the focus isn't really on how you grip your pen (aside from you being able to manipulate it comfortably). As explained in the video, switching to overhand wouldn't be appropriate, since we work with pens. Ultimately if you want to switch to tripod, that's up to you - but you should only do it if you feel your current grip is holding you back - and I only mention that because you expressed your own concern with your handwriting. For what it's worth, I don't think holding it with two fingers is that different from holding it with three.

[@lunitic_1948]

An update? Ok!

[@imperiumsam6512]

Can I draw with my pen grounded in the paper for stability? Or should I only let the tip of my pen touch the paper?

[@Uncomfortable]

Based on your wording, I'm assuming you're asking about whether it's okay to apply lots of pressure to your pen. That's definitely a bad idea, because it'll likely damage your pen tips and impede their ink flow before long. You should only apply enough pressure to make contact, and not much more. Instead, you can rest the side of your hand gently on the page as you draw, or just your pinky, as both of these can offer better stability.

[@imperiumsam6512]

@@Uncomfortable I somehow manage to smudge the ink no matter how light I press my hand against the (printing) paper :/

[@Uncomfortable]

@@imperiumsam6512 There could be a few factors at play here. The type of pen you use may use ink that simply doesn't dry quite quickly enough, so perhaps try a different pen. Additionally, if you find that your hands get sweaty, you may want to try wearing a nylon artist glove (they're basically gloves leave the thumb, index and middle fingers exposed, but cover the ring and pinky finger and the side of your hand). They're generally made for use with digital tablets, but they also do a good job of minimizing friction as well as the natural oils that form on our skin from smudging the page.

[@moelow5385]

Uhhh so quick question I hold my pen the same way as i do with a spoon Does that have any drawbacks?

[@Uncomfortable]

I had to grab a spoon to wrap my head around that, and it seems that one can hold a spoon in a number of ways - both overhand and tripod-ish, so that isn't enough information for me to understand how it is you hold it. I'll need to actually see an example to comment on that.

[@moelow5385]

@@Uncomfortable its like between the index and middle finger with the pencil sticking out at the mid joint slightly closer to the knuckles

[@moelow5385]

I can send it on discord if thats alright

[@Uncomfortable]

@@moelow5385 That would be best. I've tagged you in #lesson1, reply when you have a chance.

[@ethanb2554]

Do most of you grip between index finger/thumb or middle finger/thumb like him?

[@crsag1473]

Is it okay if I use a pencil using the tripod grip to draw figures?

[@somerandomfatguy.3384]

Time to reset.

[@yangchen7982]

why do we only use pen in these courses? thank you

[@Uncomfortable]

I explain why I recommend the use of ink throughout this course in this article: drawabox.com/article/ink

[@yangchen7982]

@@Uncomfortable thank you I just looked it up. Awesome content btw!!

[@badkda8086]

Ayy

[@mr.englishlearner1032]

ı am using just pen ı can't use another type of pen

[@anoszymekk7760]

bruh my whole life my grip while writing was different

[@Rachel-en2xw]

what if u dont use a tripod grip

[@Uncomfortable]

There are lots of different variations on the tripod grip - and they're all fine to use in this course. It's likely that what you use is one of those variations. I've seen some pretty wacky ones, including one where the pen was tucked between the middle and ring fingers, but at the end of the day if it works for writing, it'll work for what we're doing here because drawing with fineliners and pens is all about controlling the pressure we apply to the tip. As opposed to pencils, which as described in this video, have multiple markmaking surfaces, requiring a different grip to use in their entirety.

[@cheyneholdren3636]

Why does our boy here sound like Jrose.

[@tagus1]

:)