7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

Home

Musings and articles

How to hold the pencil

Like 125

TheleastfrequentlyaskedquestionaboutdrawingisHowdoyouhold
thepencil?
Most people are simply unaware that there is more than one way to
hold it. They unconsciously use the writing pen grip they learned in
elementary school, and it does not occur to them to even think of
changingit.Yetmanytypicalbeginnersproblemswithpencildrawing,
fromwobblinesstohatchedlines,originatefrombadgrip.
Thescribesgripthatfeelsnaturalformostpeopleissurelytheworst
grip for drawing: writing and drawing are fundamentally different
activities. Writing Latin cursive or pica is done with minute motions of the hand and fingers,
with the elbow fixed for it, the grip at the pens tip provides the optimal range of motion.
Drawingisdonewithbroadmovementofthewholearm,fromhandtoshoulderbladeforit,
the scribes grip is a killer precisely because it requires fixation of the elbow. Trying to draw
withascribesgripisafrustrationaflowinglineisimpossible,hatchinggetscurved,thepencil
pressurebecomestoohard,andintheendyoufeeltiredandcrampedyetthatswhatmany
peopledo.
I had encountered people who claim that the best way is to use whatever feels comfortable, and if thats the
scribes grip so be it. What these people usually miss is that its best when you already have an arsenal of skills and
can pick the most appropriate one for the task. A beginner thinks that scribes grip is comfortable because he
knows no others, and for him such attitude is counterproductive. Everyone is entitled to pursue an own style and
approach, but only after they mastered the basics and can be aware of all the choices.

Thereareonlytwobasicdrawinggrips:thelengthwisepengripandthecrosswiseviolinbow
gripmostoftheothergripsarevariationsofthesetwo.
Pengrip
Holdthepencillikeyouwouldholdthewritingpen,butmuchfurtherfromthetip.Thecloser
tothetipyourfingersare,themorecontrolofthepencilgoestothefingersandwrist,andthe
range of motion becomes smaller. Finally, at about 2 inches (5 /cm/) from the tip the grip
becomessuitableonlyforminutedetailing,andlessthanthatisimpractical.

http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

1/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

Thisgripisgoodfordetailing,andforsmallsizesketchingonnearhorizontalplane(inclined
tableorboardsetontabletop).ItisalsothegripWacomtabletsaredesignedfor.Itoffershigh
control for smaller features, and works with propped elbow but it becomes progressively
worseforlargermotion.Itisonlygoodforworkingwiththeleadstip,butnotwiththeside.An
addedproblemisthatthehand(orthelittlefinger)usuallymustrestonthedrawing,andyou
risksmudgingitmoreonthatlater.
Violinbowgrip
Hold the pencil with the thumb against all four fingers. This removes most control from the
fingers,andemphasizesthewristandespeciallythearmatelbowandshoulder.

Thisgripisthepreferablebasicdrawinggrip.Itdoesnotneedaproppedarm,andthemotion
range is limited only by your arm span it produces flowing, economical sweeping line and is
ideal for rough sketching, hatching and tonal work with the side of lead. It works best on big
pageandanearverticalplane(paperpinnedtoboard),andisthepreferredgripinacademic
drawing.Itenablesworkingwiththeleadsside,fordarkerflowinglinesandshading.Itcannot
beusedwithWacomstylus.
Of course, when you are drawing, you are doing so on an oblique surface, not on a horizontal table, right? Sit
straight and either use a board propped on the table, or pin the paper to board and hold that vertically on your
lap. Working on a horizontal table makes you stoop and does funny things to perspective.

Gesturegripsandvariations

Between the pen and the violin bow, there is any number of intermediate grips, suitable
mostlyforgesturedrawingwithvaryingpapersizeandmotionrange.Usually,thesmallerthe
pageordetail,thecloserthegripwillbetothepen.Theystillsharetheviolinbowsbenefit
oflooseningthearmandnotneedingelbowsupport.

http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

2/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

A violin bow grip with all fingers straight is the scalpelgrip. It is not used often it is good
whenyouneedtolaytheleadallflatonpaperforshading,andalsoformakinggoodhorizontal
lines.Forourpurposesitsstillthevariationofthebow.Aviolinbowgripwithindexfinger
pressingonthetipistherareknifegrip,andisalsosuitablefordrawingwithfullsideofthe
lead.Itoffersalittlefinercontrolofthetip,butseriouslyrestrictsthearmsmotionrange.Itis
goodformakingshortthicklines.
Brushgrip
Sometimesabrushgripisusedfordetailworkitisthepencilheldlikeabrush,inapen
gripwithindexfingerrestingalongtheshaft.Itoffersmoremotionfreedomthanthepengrip
andworkswithorwithoutelbowsupport,butwhenusedwithapencilitalsotakesawaysome
finecontrol.ItisfairlygoodforholdingtheWacomstylus,too.

Brushcanalsobeusedwhenheldbackwards,butforapencilsuchinvertedbowgripoffers
almostnobenefits(inmyexperience).Itcanbeusedformakinggoodverticallines.Youcould
alsouseitforstippling,butitshowslittleadvantageevenforthatrarelyusedtechnique.

Pathologicalgrips
Ihaveseenothergripsoccasionally,whichcantbeclassifiedinfact,mostofthemarepainful
tolookat.Ihavenoexplanationwhythesepeoplechoosetograbtheirpencilsagainstthebase
http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

3/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

oftheirthumborbunchuptheirfingersIsuspectthesearesimplybadhabits,justlesstypical
thanthescribegrips.Itworksforthem,butatwhatcost?
Fortunately, it is simple to test whether your grip is good. All working grips I have seen and
usedobeyonecommonrule:
Donotchokethepenciltip.
Thatsit.Justkeepyourfingersatleasttwoinchesfromthetip,soyoucannotpressdown,and
besuretouseyourelbowandshoulder,notyourfingers.

iholdapencilthe"wrongway"andmydrawingsareasgoodassomeoneholdingthepencilthe
"right"way.whateverwayismostcomfortableisthewayyoushouldholdthepencil.

c
Wed, Feb 22 2012 23:42

Sure,whateverworksforyou.Butsomegripsarestillmoreconductiveforgoodtechniquethan
otherones.Andforsomepeople,changingthegripdoeshelpevenifyoudon'tthinkitcanhelp
you.
Igothroughgripswithouteventhinking,dependingonthesizeofthethingIamworkingon,
forexample.
Eugene Arenhaus
Thu, Feb 23 2012 11:33

WoW this helped so much I have been reading that pencil grip doesnt affect you work that
much but the violin/gesture grip made a huge difference in my gesture drawings and it was
weirdfeelingmyshoulderandelbowinmotion.
ThanksAlot!!!!!
^Thanksagain
Azuerous
Thu, Mar 1 2012 17:31

I'mgladthearticlehelpedyou.:)

Eugene Arenhaus
Fri, Mar 2 2012 14:50

DoyoucaretoelaborateontheViolinBowgrip?Likewhetherthepressureshouldbedivided
equallyorthemostofitbeputonthepointingfingerandthumb.
Isitbeneficialtograbtheendofthepencilwiththepinky?
http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

4/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

Should I keep the pencil so that my fingers almost touch the surface or more like at a 3045
degreeangle?
IscontroloverthisgripsomethingI'llgainwithpracticeoramImissingsomething?
Lastly,isthisgriponlytogettheflowandproportionsofthefigureandnotthedetails?
Hisoka
Sat, Jun 9 2012 15:48

Veryhelpful.Thanksalot.

Tong Liu
Mon, Jun 11 2012 14:04

Hisoka, the Violin Bow grip is meant to make you use the whole arm and force you to press
lightly. So don't try to press much at all, just touch the pencil to the paper. Keep it at a low
angle. Touching the surface with fingers should be avoided, unless you are wearing a cotton
glove,butkeepthemclosetothesurface.
Stabilizingthepencilwiththepinkydoeshelp,butdon'ttrypressingontheendwithit.Just
putallfourfingersacrossthepencil.(Insomecasesyoucantouchthe*paper*withthepinky
fingernail,tostabilizethehand.)
Aswithanyunfamiliarskill,you'llgetbetteratitasyoupractice.Switchingfromalifetimeof
usingthefingerstousingthewholearmtakestimeandeffort.
Andyes,theviolinbowgripisbetteratbroadsketchingthanfinedetails.
Eugene Arenhaus
Mon, Jun 11 2012 15:48

Whichgripwouldyousayisbetterforsketchingsomethinglikeanimalfur?
Shay
Thu, Jun 28 2012 17:28

Depends on the size of your picture. Fur is usually a repetitive texture, composed of short
strokes,unlessyouaredrawinganAfghanhound,soI'dexpectagesturegriporthepengrip
wouldsuitit.
It's not a matter of a precise griptotexture fit, though. As long as your arm joints are not
locked and you are working from the shoulder, you can use any grip that works in a given
situation. Even a violin bow grip might work to lay down texture, for example, when you are
workingatlargesizepageplacedvertically.
Eugene Arenhaus
Sat, Jun 30 2012 18:25

Itriedthesegripsforawhilebutkeptrunningintothesametwoproblems:1)Wheredidmy
pressurego?2)Wheredidmyaccuracygo?
Rereadingthisarticle,IhaveanideaofwhatIwasdoingwrongbutIwanttocheck:
Is pressing hard with the pencil just a mistake, and one should get a softer pencil for darker
http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

5/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

lines?(Ormostlypresslightly,andattheendswitchtoagripthatcanhandlemorepressure?)
Willthesegrips*notwork*forsmalldetail,andtheyshouldbeusedonlarge(A4+)sizesonly?
Are these grips designed for fast, confident lines? That is, if you try to go slow they will be
shaky?
Willyougetdecentaccuracyforlonglinesafterpractice?SupposeIwantedtotracetheshape
ofazeppelin,whichneedstobeexactwouldthesegripsbebetterthanusingafrenchcurveor
curvedrule?
One of the reasons I want to switch to these grips is that I get hand pain very quickly when
using my normal 'scribe's grip'. I suspect it's a habit of choking the pencil, partly caused by
wantingdarklines,partlybynotbeingusedtothecorrectgrips.(IgottothepointwhereIwas
switching to my left to continue doing studies while my dominant hand rested. Not
ambidextrous,butbetterthannothing.Anyothertipsforhandpain?)
Also,Iwaswonderingwhymyhatchingendsupcurved!Mysterysolved.
Lulie
Tue, Feb 12 2013 17:18

Lulieyes,youareright,pressinghardisamistake.Useasofterpenciland/ormorehatching
togetadarkervalue.Heavypressureinterfereswithcontrol.
Generallyyouwanttoadjustthegriptothesizeyouareworkingat:violinbowgripforbroader
lines,pengripforsmallerdetail,gesturegripinbetween.Ifyoudon'tfeelconfidentenoughto
switchonthefly,usethegesturegripforeverything.Butnomatterwhatsizeyouareworking
at, keep your arm relaxed and joints loose. Put as much shoulder and as little wrist into the
movementaspossible.Evenwhenyouareworkingattiniestdetail,keeptheshoulderfree.
These grips are designed for control. You don't have to work fast to get it right any speed
works.Ifyoufindthelinehardtocontrolorshakyatslowspeed,itisprobablybecauseoftoo
muchmuscletension.Thepainthatyousayyoufeelreinforcesthatguess.Puttingantagonist
musclesinafightwitheachotherkillscontrol.
Relax.Payattentiontohowyoubreathe.Wavethearmaround,makesurealljointsmove.Doa
fewdrawingmotionswithouttouchingthepaper,makesureyourgripislightandmovement
easy and smooth. Do a few lines with the same motion, Scurves, straight lines, ellipses. Use
thatasaroutineexercisebeforeyoudrawandduringbreaks.
An exercise for precision is drawing a freehand line, then drawing over exactly the same line
againandagain.Withfullcontrol,thelinewillgetdarkerandmorerefined,butnot"hairy".Do
thattoo,withenoughpracticeyouraccuracywillimprove.
Butforacleantechnicaldrawingofazeppelin,wheretherequirementstothelinearedifferent,
IuseFrenchcurvestoo.:)
Eugene Arenhaus
Tue, Feb 12 2013 19:33

Soyouwere saying thatyouuse as little of the wrist/fingers as possible, and always keep the
arm/shoulderfreetomove,butthewrist/fingersisusedtoanextentorevenprimarilyinsmall
detailing?
I was going to make an argument along the lines that the arm is larger and heavier and less
http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

6/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

designedforfinedetail.Butitseemsyouaresayingthepointistofavourarmmovements,not
stophandmovementsaltogether,andeithermayassistaslongasthemusclesareworkingwith
eachotherinsteadofstifflyagainst.
Regarding "pressing hard is a mistake": What about the burnishing technique for coloured
pencils?Ispressinghardonlyamistakeforgraphitepencils?(Oristhereawayofburnishing
withoutpressinghard?)Whichgripismostsuitedtothat?Iguessoneshouldalsotakemore
frequentbreakstoletthehandrestinthatsituation.
Lulie Tanett
Fri, Feb 22 2013 15:28

Yes,thatiscorrect.Lessfingers,lesswrist,moreelbowandshoulder,aslittlemuscletensionas
possible.Butifyouneedtoaddsomefingersorsomewrist,doit.Justdon'tpreferthemtothe
largerjoints.
Asforthearmbeingtooheavyforsmalldetailing,youcangodoalittleexperiment:trytodraw
a 3mm circle using just the shoulder and elbow. Use the pen grip and rest the hand on the
pinkyfingerifyouneedit.You'llprobablyfindthatit'squitepossible,evenifitseemsstrange.
(Atleast,Icandoit.)
Burnishingtechniqueincoloredpencilisadifferentthing.Itisdonetoanarea,nottoalineit
isawaytogetaparticularsmoothtextureorblendandadjustlayeredcolors.(Burnishingwith
a colorless blender pencil intensifies color, burnishing with white pencil washes it out,
burnishingwithalightcoloredonewashesoutandshiftscolor.)
Youdohavetopresshardtoburnishcoloredpencil,sothesegripsaren'tveryapplicablethey
aredesignedforlightpressureusedindrawing.Usewhatevergripthatkeepsthepencilcloseto
verticalhardpressurewillcrushthesoftcolorleadifitisatanangle.Forexample,modifya
writinggripsoyourcurledmiddlefinger'sbacksideputsmostpressureonthepencil,andthe
indexandthumbonlykeepitinplace.
Put most pressure down from the shoulder. Don't try to press down with your fingertips, or
you'llgettendonpain.
Eugene Arenhaus
Sat, Feb 23 2013 08:26

thank you been struggling with my grips n looking for answers ... I didnt realize that the
distancefromtipofthepencil=differentpressuresonthepage.Iwaswonderingwhymyline
darkness,andhatchingwereinconsistent.thanks.

Theidleone
Tue, Mar 19 2013 01:05

Hi,
ThanksforthearticleI'macompletebeginnerandI'vebeentryingtodothis,I'mhavingalittle
difficulty, I'm using a drawing board which is 15 degrees do you think this is enough for this
grip to be effective, when I try and draw horizontal/vertical without adjusting the pencil the
markingsareuneven.whenItrytoholdthepencilverticallytodrawahorizontallineIfindit
quitedifficultsittingdownwiththisboardasmyarmgoesintomybodyanditfeelsdifficultto
get that loose movement. Also shall I assume that the violin bow grip isn't going to best for
accurate lines and what I mean by that is having an exact distance you want to hit and using
thisgrip?
http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

7/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

SorryI'macompletenoviceandI'dreallylovesomeexampleofthesetechniquesabitmoresoI
know what to sort of expect when applying them as i'm trying to just get my basic handeye
coordinationgoingwithdrawinglinesbutIdostruggletogetthedistancescorrecttofinisha
squarewiththesegrips.
Thanksforthewonderfularticle,Iappreciatewhensomebodytriestohelpusbeginners:)!
Jon
Jon Saunders
Wed, May 8 2013 10:55

I tried these grip but I have poor control. The same i have with regular pengrip (that is also
bad).
SoIwasright,turningthepaperisalsoabadhabit.
Nordlys
Wed, Apr 22 2015 16:33

Control is something that improves with practice. Remember to use your whole arm when
drawing,andkeepthejointsloose.Strainingkillscontrol.Sodoeslimitingyourmovement.
Tryworkinginlargersizeitforcesyououtofhabitualmovement.
Eugene Arenhaus
Wed, Apr 29 2015 08:42

Hi,thanksforyourpost!Ihaveaquestion:I'mthinkingofbuyingaWacomintuossmalltablet.
HowdoyousuggestIusemypeninthatcase?Thepengrip,asyoumentioned,isgoodfora
nearhorizontalplane,butmydesktopisfullyhorizontal.ShouldIbuysomesortofsupportfor
thewacom,orisitfinetouseithorizontallyaswell?(Ialsoheardthatthetabletshouldbefully
paraleltothescreenforbestperformance)
Cheers!
Thales
Mon, May 18 2015 22:56

HiThales.
Try holding the Wacom stylus like a brush, with the index finger along it and its tip on the
rockerswitch.Holdthetabletatanangle.
Supportscanwork,butIsimplyputthetabletonmykneesandrestitonthedeskandthat
onlybecauseIworkonverticalscreens.WhenIworkonhorizontalscreens,itbecomesequally
easytoputthetabletflatonthedesk.
Puttingthetabletparalleltothescreeniscompletelyirrelevant.Youadapttowhateverposition,
onceyoulearntodrawwhilelookingonthecursorinsteadoftheactualstylus.
What may be important is the tablet size. I find it easier to work when the tablet is closer in
dimensions to the screen: a tablet that is smaller than half your screen may be too small for
accuracy.Zoominginondetailcanhelpinthatcase.
http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

8/9

7/1/2016

Musingsandarticles:Howtoholdthepencil

Eugene Arenhaus
Sun, May 31 2015 10:45

HiEugene,thanksforthereply.
Iwillprobablygetamediumsizedwacompenandtouch,it'sprobablythecheapestgoodtablet
IcanaffordxDAlso,sincemyscreenishorizontal,I"llprobablyuseitflatonthetablelikeyou
said!
Thales
Sun, May 31 2015 12:06

Add comment
Back to topic list

Copyright19962010 Eugene Arenhaushttp://chiseledrocks.com

Made with TAO Agora

http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musings/topics/how_to_hold_the_pencil

9/9