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yuumei β PSA for Artists! Don't make the same mistake I did
Published: 2015-12-11 21:10:01 +0000 UTC; Views: 207980; Favourites: 1934; Downloads: 0
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I've been posting some video tutorials to teach aspiring artists my drawing techniques, but I think it's very important to learn from my mistakes as well.
I'm 25 right now, and I've been drawing all my life. I started drawing a lot more and professionally when I was about 19-20. I drew all the time and didn't think much about it. I would draw until I'm in pain, from sitting too long, from not eating because I was in the flow and didn't want to stop. I would get terrible backΒ pains and even heart palpitations from sitting in the same position drawing for so long.
That's when the nails on my right hand started to get weird and lumpy. At first I thought it was a dietary thing, so I took vitamins, went to the doctors, exercised, changed things up but it was too late. It's been years now and 3 doctors later they couldn't fix it.
If it were just ugly nails, I wouldn't really care, but the nails are just the tip of how bad I've been treating my body. One time during a particularly hardcore drawing marathon, my right hand swelled up for a week. Nowadays I try to take it easy and take long breaks in between but the damage that has already been done can't be undone. I can only draw for so many hours in a day before I have to stop or I will get pains from my entire hand, arm, and shoulder.
Now I have a standing desk, ergonomic mouse, hand brace, and all that. I wish I had done these things sooner so I can keep drawing without restraint. I used to update my comics more frequently, but I can't realistically sustain that speed without hurting myself. (Hence I plan on doing a Patreon in the future so I can hire helpers to do some of the comic's background drawings)
In those speed paint tutorials where I paint within 1-2 hours, it may seem like I have it made, dishing out art in hours, but after those hours I have to massage my hand and arm. I can't draw for more than a few hours a day now without hurting.
When I was in college all I could think about is how to improve my skills, practice endlessly, and all that hard work has paid off in some ways but not in others. So please take care of your hands, and your general health. It seems obvious in retrospect but I never thought about it when I was younger that, hey maybe, just maybe, if you overwork and break your body, you won't be able to draw and create all you want anymore.
Take breaks, don't grip too hard, do hand exercises, do general exercises, get ergonomic mouse and a standing desk if you can (I just piled a bunch of books on my regular desk until it was tall enough) These are some of the few ways you can help your hand last in the long run
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Comments: 647
Wow, never thought about this... I'm glad you put this warning out there, I never thought I could get hurt from drawing too much. Sorry about what's happened to your hand though, and thanks for the warning!
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Thanks for the warning and advice! I haven't really thought about it like that.. Good thing I was told now, and not later. I'm sorry for your pain though..Β
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Thank you so much, I was always gripping the pen too hard and drawing for hours. Usually when I would draw, I would get incredibly tired. This is incredibly helpful, especially when I'm supposed to draw some things today.
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Gee, thanks so much for that post, that's not something I've actually been thinking about....Β
*hugs*
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Sorry to hear about all this D8 Its pretty important looking after one's health for the long haul. I actually read someone on the internet about padding one's pens to reduce exerting so much grip pressure while drawing, and while it was bulky to deal with in the beginning, I did notice over time i dont have too much ache on the fingers on long drawing marathons/holding the pen so long. Dunno if it'll help your situation but someone else might find it helpful.
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Hard, and beautiful, work can be painful! I respect your dedication, the greatest people have scars to prove their worth. If you feel self conscious I bet a manicure can help smooth your nails out 
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Unexpected but a good PSA
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Wow now i feel scared:/ Didnt think all those little things would grow into such pain and health problems.
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I'm not a visual artist, but I'm a writer so I feel you to an extent. I have tendinitis in my right hand and it's miserable since I write everything longhand.
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Thank you so much for this, I'm only 12 and sometimes I draw too long, then get pains that I don't really notice, but now I see what that can lead to, I'm so glad I read this!
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//hey bro I'm all for you being at that age, but you might get banned if you say that out loud
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Me too. I get them in my shoulder and my forearm... I'm scared haha x'D
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Thank you for posting this. I never thought about the pains I get when I finish drawing as well, so this really helped me out. I hope your hand pains improve.
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Drawing and violin in combo kills your arm. My tendon swelled, and hurt every time I twisted my forearm. I didn't know gripping your pencil too hard could do that to your nails, though. Wow.Β
I'll definitely keep this in mind.
Work it slowly.Β
Level up.Β
Not all at once.
Or that Boss in the next dungeon room is gonna get ya.Β
*-*
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while i'm still young (13 and improving a hell lot), i might as well give my left hand a break
who knows, i might end up like that at a young age so... yeah
danke
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oh wow thats bad and i thought i had drawing issues all i got is some calluses on my left hand which makes my middle finger especially look slightly bent and i draw with a pencil and pen
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whoa.
take care of yourself better now
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I'm kind of glad that I don't draw too much. Wow.
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In that boat. I wear a brace 75% of the day, and all throughout the night, now. It isn't carpal tunnel, so I'm hoping that with rest and exercise (and better overall habits) that my wrist will get stronger again. It happened after 3.5 months of rigorous factory work, 40-45 hours Β week, plus being the mother of an almost 2 year old takes its toll (he weighs 27 lbs and wants me to hold him all the time. Eek.) Slap all that on top of the fleeting chances I get to dabble in the world of art I love so much, and, yeah. . .Β
I hope you heal up, this is a great message for everyone. I'm 25 and never thought I'd feel this crippled. 
Take care
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I wish I was ambextrous so I would never have to worry about that thanks for the advice yummei!
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A teacher of mine taught himself to be ambextrous! Don't know how exactly, but...
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Yeah, I remember the heart palpitations and the curvature of my ever-lovin' spine. Β You can score ill health when you're just a teenager too.
Yoga and switching positions. Β I'm glad I'm a traditional artist -- it's not too hard to move around my paper or canvas with the easels and whatnot I have.
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Dang. It's already happening to my right ring finger (that's where I hold pencils against). Has a few weird ridges on it, is also oddly pointed; not very noticeable, but still quite different from the others. I'll be sure to watch out. Thank you.
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Hi t, thanks for sharing,Β
I'd like to share as well, first and foremost I love your work and this is a great lesson you shared. Even if you are passionate and really good at what you are doing, working on your health will help you perserve to keep on doing what you love for as long as you believe.
Second I also had to deal with an wavering health myself ever since I was 4 months old with allergies, popping joints(yep pretty weird). It's only now (20 years later) that I learned there are foods and exercises that can also counter act as a long time cure for certain conditions.Β
Try to find (chinese) people who have revined knowledge about detoxifying foodsΒ (eg. goji berries, avocado, no food that make your blood go sour like lots of sugar..),Β sports (Ty chi, badminton, muscle training etc.) and ionised water (e.g.lemon water). Your body is like a electrical system, you need to regularly supply it (minerals, vitamines, oils etc...) and keep it flexible (eg. yoga) and pain free (EFT/message/acupuncture/chiropractor).Β
and..www.mindbodygreen.com/ this is a great community to give you some new inspiration.
lastly and for most, never give up on the bodies knowledge to heal itself, you just have to listen.
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Thanks for this Yuumei. Hope God heals your hand.
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I actually have a problem very similar to yours. When I am not drawing, I'm painting on Photoshop, modeling in Maya, etc... I get so caught in these things though, that I will go entire days sitting in the same position; my joints will become stiff and ache, my muscles will swell and radiate heat, and my eyes will become red from eye strain. I used to think that I had arthritis, but when I did blood work for my doctor, I learned that I am very healthy and that the aches were from putting tooΒ much strain onto my muscles. My right arm is not the only part of me that suffers from this ailment; the left side of my torso (just below my clavicle). My doctor has told me that the only way to fix the problem would be to undergo physical therapy exercises to build the muscles' strength back up. But really the damage has been done and despite all the icing and massaging and exercises, my muscles do not change. So I just live with it and force myself to take breaks more often.
Its actually rather hard for me when I go to school because my instructors only give us 1-2 breaks (depending on which instructor you get). Some like us to do a lot of work in a short amount of time, and by the end of the fourth hour, my arm will hurt like a bitch. If only I had known before it all occured. I would have taken better care of myself. But at least now I doing a better job at it ne?
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Thank you yuumei! It's definitely good to let artists be warned.. especially coming from such an accomplished artist as you.
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this same thing happened to me, heart palpatations and all
the sad thing is
im only 13
all of the nails on my left hand look like that but i dont have a lot of arm pain so i can draw for more than hours at a time-
but i should be weary of that because ive been going through a lot of that
thanks for the warning xoxo !!
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wow thanks sooo much I always try to stretch my wrist before drawing and sometimes during the day but I never knew it could cause such a big problem like this!Β
I don't draw enough yet to develop problems like this but its always good to be aware of them ;-;
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Thats insane? Why apply so much pressure?
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I had a wart for around 5 years myself.
I actually started to get pain in my right hand when turning it a few days ago. Could be attributed to stiffness or using a mouse too much.
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-looks at my one finger-...Dang it. I have it starting because of myΒ hypergraphia(compulsive need to write), Thanks for the warning, hopefully I can reduce it before it gets out of hand.Β
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maybe you can alternate from writing with the pen and typing on the computer to help your finger relax? Sorry I don't really know what hypergraphia is though ^^
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LOls I do that already but its still pretty bad. As for what it is, its the compulsive need to write. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypergraβ¦ here's a just on what it is, but in short; its basically I want to write down something in great detail that isn't meant for others to see or read.Β Its often seen with people(like myself) that have anxiety, social disorders, or even depression;but it can be also related to OCD and other compulsive disorders. Β Β
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Oh I see... I hope this doesn't affect your life negatively too much
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Oh! Now that's actually really nice
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yeah I have the same. so now I make up for it by typing. but I am carefull to not even do that too much because the stress other wise would get really bad.Β
and Yummie dear, thank you so much for this! in motion of getting better and better its hard to take care of yourself. but without health there will not be any art! ^^
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Same with me, but theres something about writing on paper that makes it satisfying.Β
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Really sorry that this happened to you yuumei. I was shocked to see the post and then the name of the posting artist. You certainly make it look easy, but that came from hours of practice that has had a long term health effects. I hope that you're wrong and that the damage is reversible, but that may just be an empty wish. Thanks for the warning. I'll certainly be much more wary of practice habits.
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My last pay check was $9500 working 12 hours a week online. My sisters friend has been averaging 15k for months now and she works about 20 hours a week. I can't believe how easy it was once I tried it out. This is what I do...Β www.wallstreet34.com
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Oh wow I hope your body gets better, love
There were times when I use to draw a lot as well and sit for hours infront of the computer or sketch book.
Now i have to move or else I'll lose vision, my whole right arm and hand gives out to no feeling to it, or my back gives out randomly when I do decide to walk around to get my legs going, and have to put a pillow on the chair to comfort my back and bum
Its sad what a passion can do to ya if you don't do it right
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WARNING! Carry on reading! Or you will die, even if you only looked at the word warning! Once there was a little girl called Clarissa, she was ten-years-old and she lived in a mental hospital, because she killed her mom and her dad. She got so bad she went to kill all the staff in the hospital so the More-government decided that best idea was to get rid of her so they set up a special room to kill her, as humane as possible but it went wrong the machine they were using went wrong. And she sat there in agony for hours until she died. Now every week on the day of her death she returns to the person that reads this letter, on a Monday night at 12:00 a.m. She creeps into your room and kills you slowly, by cutting you and watching you bleed to death. Now send this to ten other pictures on this one site, and she will haunt someone else who doesn't. This isn't fake. apparently, if you copy and paste this to ten comments in the next ten minutes you will have the best day of your life tomorrow.You will either get kiss
also,do dis stuff XD
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Everyone dies someday kids. Don't buy this stuff.
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L5L i know, i just do it cause i'm most likely bored 7 - 7
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