Recently, I suffered a shoulder injury due to too much drawing. However, I'm lead to believe it may have been due to drawing with a poor setup.
I was aware of carpal tunnel, so I did my carpal tunnel exercises, my wrist is fine. Was aware of posture, so no back problems (even got a great chair). However, my elbow was always floating with no rest, thus crating some major damage to my shoulder for drawing on hours on end.
So I'm wondering, what is the ultimate setup (desk, chair, etc) to have to make sure your body can draw for hours and hours. And what are other health tips to prevent injury in the future? Also, if anyone can post other artists setups or perhaps videos of other artist drawing (sure their entire body or arm to see how they draw comfy), that'd be great!
>>2479504
Just out of own interest, traditional or digital?
>>2479507
Traditional.
Speaking of which, since I'm drawing on some kind of note pad or a clip board, was wondering ways how to draw the corners without bumping the paper. I know it's best to rest your hand on whatever your drawing, but when you reach the corner you're kind of force to have your hand floating.
>>2479511
Masking?
This should be already obvious but taking frequent breaks with small exercises helps tremendously.
Every 30 minutes or so, just take a 3 minute walk, do some stretching, just anything that gets you moving. Sitting for hours on end will wreck your body.
I would say that this is arguably more important than getting a more comfortable setup.
>>2480162
You can take proper breaks often, but it doesn't matter since you can still sustain an injury if you're using the incorrect setup.
>>2479504
Pretty sure my mum has that exact table from aldi. Might have to visit her just to try it out for art.
>>2480277
It's about $100 on Amazon. One of the cheapest glass drafting tables. I was thinking of buying it since I can clamp some lights under it and have it double as a light box. But there a quite a few reviews of it arriving shattered. One of the rare occasions where I wish going to a store to buy something was still a thing.
>anyone can post other artists setups
That would be kind of neat to see.
final bump
Was expecting setups
I just use a small writing desk with a small lamp and a normal office chair. I have 2 pieces of MDF cut to fit 24"x18" and 18"x12" drawing pads that I lean up against my desk or just prop up in my lap when I want an angled surface. I've used some pretty nice drafting setups at college when I was learning technical drawing, but I've never felt like setting up my own.
Most of my drawings are done on cheap copy paper on a clipboard, so I've come to prefer having a pad of paper to spin on a level surface. I've thought about getting a drafting table with an animation disk, but that honestly seems like a step back in terms of comfort and ease of use.
When I draw I usually let my pinky finger just graze the paper and anchor my whole palm for details. I've injured my wrist many times (all of them before I started drawing) to the point where the smallest things can fuck it up all over again, but my drawing setup never causes this. It's about as basic as you can get and I like that.
>>2482158
Do you mind showing an image of your setup? Even if it's generic looking, curios to see how it looks.
So I got the glass table in the OP image and it seems like a great table. Luckily the glass wasn't cracked or anything, but for some reason when I draw on it, having my elbow on the table, my elbow/art fat kind of gets stuck on it after a while, forcing me to keep picking up my arm every few seconds or it'll pinch me.
Anyone else have this kind of issue when drawing on glass tables, or tables in general?
>>2480322
Fine I'll start.
I only work in Pencil and ink right now and all my tools are just out of frame. The art board sits on top of my desk and I screwed the lamp on the side. It feels quite ghetto but it works.
Anyone else want to post their setups?
>>2479504
i have that exact table, its shit because of the metal pencil lip at the bottom. if you ever rest your arms on the table then that shit will dig into you constantly. i had to slice mine off with an angle grinder because the fuckin thing is welded to the table. also the plastic bins on the sides constantly pop out of position, its really a shitty table
I've got a nice easel with a piece of masonite board as backing. I just put the pad on it with some clips to hold it up, and I either sit in my chair and draw, or raise the easel and stand. I already sit too much, so it's nice to be able to stand and work for a while.
You just make sure part of your hand is on the paper taking some of the weight, and you won't hurt yourself, your elbow doesn't have to be down. It's easier to control your charcoal/pencil/whatever if your hand isn't floating.
>>2479504
My neck hurts a fucking lot somedays
What can I do?
When going outdoors I can just use my legs to hold my sketchboon
Where can you find those cheap shitty buy smooth tables like the nips use to make animu? All I can find are these fancy ass tables for 70+ dollars.
>>2483370
>buy smooth
Sorry, I meant "but smooth"
Those tables look so smooth... and cheap.
>>2482887
Nig what are you even talking about. That shit isn't welded to it, it's screwed on. I took mine off for the same problem.
My plastic sides never pop out. Just put them in right.
The only thing I don't like is the amount of dust you can see build up on it.
>>2483372
I go to ikea and buy a closet / armoire door in the "as is" section. The doors are about 6-8ft. They used to sell them for $5 as is, but it just depends on your ikea.
Then buy 2 ikea saw horses to hold up the door. These are more pricey - like $35 each or something
>>2483372
ikea and or glass top.
I've been drawing on a cutting mat for so many years I don't even anymore though.
I just can't break the habit.
I've got permanent marks on my wrists from the mat edge.
