How to Hold a Pencil for Drawing

There are two basic options for holding a pencil. The first and most popular option is the one used when writing with pen. This type of grip is called a tripod grip. This option is great when you are planning to draw fine details or when you are drawing on a horizontal sheet of paper.

This grip is very familiar and convenient because from childhood we have learned to hold pens, pencils and markers in this way. Muscle memory has evolved over the years to allow us to control the pencil well in our hands. Another undeniable advantage of this approach is its high accuracy. Using this method, it is very easy and convenient to depict various details, small things and short lines.

On a regular tripod clip, you keep the pencil at the base, which is very convenient when writing. But during drawing and sketching, you can hold the pencil with the middle or top end. The closer you hold your finger to the lead, the more precise you are in control of the pencil. The farther your hand is from the pointed tip of the pencil, the more free your hand movement will be.

tripod clamp

The second method is more common in the classical art school. With this method, the pencil is held with three or all fingers. This way of holding the pencil is called holding the pencil too hand. This grip allows you to move the back of your hand more freely, and draw longer lines, while the hand doesn’t touch the work surface.
With this option, the hand is very free as it is not on the work surface. The range of motion is huge, which means you can draw very long lines. This not only allows for large details to be created in the artwork, but also for large areas shadows.

holding hands

But besides the options listed, there are other ways for you to be able to hold a pencil. Each of these options is useful in its own right and can be applied to address different tasks in the artwork creation process.

All of these options are most convenient when your paper or canvas is in a vertical plane. But they also apply in case you draw on landscape paper. If it is not convenient for you to keep your hands in the air, you can rely on your little finger, as in one of the paintings drawn by the artists of Drawingforall.net.

How to hold a pencil when drawing

It is recommended to keep the pencil away from the grinding head so that the work of art cannot be hidden with your hands. If the pencil is short, you can insert it into a special pencil extender.

It is very important to hold the pen tightly enough, but at the same time, your hands should not be too tight. Otherwise, your line will not be smooth and beautiful.

If your paper or canvas is in an upright position, don’t bend your arms at your elbows. When the arm is extended, the drawing process is much more convenient. Also, at a further distance from the sheet, the artwork will have a more overall feel, which is very important when drawing.

It is important to see the paper at the right angle or approximate. Otherwise, you risk distorting the proportions of the objects depicted in the artwork.

Meaning, as you have already understood, there are two basic options for holding a pencil and accordingly to place a sheet of paper. The first option is when the paper is lying horizontally on a table or other flat surface, and you hold a pencil like a pen while writing.

The second option is when a sheet of paper or canvas is placed vertically or almost vertically and you hold the pencil like a sword. But be aware that with this paper arrangement, you can also hold a pencil as a pen if you intend to depict details.

how to hold a pencil properly

It is important to be able to properly hold your hand as your entire drawing process depends on it. It is important that pencil control skills be brought to automatism. Just as you don’t think about riding a bike, you shouldn’t think about how to handle the pencil when you’re sketching or drawing.

Pencil is the most popular, affordable and multifunctional tool for an artist. You can create sketches, as well as complete works of art in pencil. This indispensable partner of any artist gives him the opportunity to draw lines of different thickness, change the tone color, change the nature of the strokes, convey volume, properties and texture. structure of the object. It all depends on the knowledge, skills and mastery of the craftsman with this tool. As a result, the way you control a pencil or brush directly affects the result of the artwork.

So try the different options for holding a working tool, covered by the htdraw.com artists in this article, and practice as much as possible as the practice itself will teach you not only. Control the pencil properly but also draw like a real artist.