Exploring Line

   

 

       Today I did something that I have never done before: I drew my right hand using only my left hand. I have used my hands before as the subject of my drawing, but I realize now that I have only ever used my left hand (non-dominant hand), as my subject; drawing my dominant hand was exponetially more difficult. I like using my hand as a my subject because there are many expressive poses you can make with your hand to communicate a message; the human hand is the original emoji (along with the human face). The second reason I like drawing my hand is that no matter where I go, my hands are always with me. I’m not really sure why that it is, but I find it amazingly convenient.

       I chose pencil as my medium of choice because that is what I am most comfortable with. Also, as much as I appreciate an artist who works with charcoal, I find the messiness frustrating. Maybe I just need to practice with charcoal more in order to fully appreciate it, but for now, I prefer to draw with pencils.

       Drawing with my non-dominant hand felt about as enjoyable as eating corn on the cob with no hands at all; you can kind of get a taste, but you will never be truly satisfied. I attribute this to the fact that I have never practiced drawing with my left hand. I guess if I were able to draw equally well with both hands then I would be pretty satisfied with my accomplishment.

       When comparing and contrasting my drawings I immediately realize how much more accurate my drawing drawn with my dominant hand is compared to my non-dominant hand. I also realize how much more clean the crosshatching lines are on the drawing made with my dominant hand. There are certain sections that I like in the drawing made with my non-dominant hand, however, like the thumb and just below the thumb. The drawing made with my non-dominant hand is much looser in its linework, which I actually like; it feels more expressive and less rigid than the drawing made with my dominant hand. 

       Recognizing the looseness that is inherent in using my non-dominant hand makes me think that maybe it would be interesting to draw and paint with my non-dominant hand in the future. I do like the loose style more than my dominant hand’s style, so it might end up being more interesting. I also like feeling the satisfaction of representing what I intended to draw in the way that I intended to represent it, which only comes when I draw with my dominant hand. This lesson has definitely challenged me to get uncomfortable by drawing in a way that makes me feel like I am five again and unable to wield a pencil. The uncomfortability, however, has produced some unexpected–yet pleasant–results, so I will definitely remember to use my non-dominant hand when drawing or painting in the future.

       Until next time!