Artist's Hand

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Moddex
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Artist's Hand

Postby Moddex » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:50 am

I saw this in a journal of some kind one day and I think I found it was in fact, true -- that the characters you draw face a direction corresponding to the predominant hand you use to draw / write with. Like for those who use their right hand, the character face their right. This doesn't mean the artist does this ALL the time, but for the vast majority, they do.

To confirm this, I looked back through my collection of artwork and most of the characters do in fact face to their right and I am right handed. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this?
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Postby Mista_B » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:59 am

Interesting.

The reason of course would probably be, that when drawing casually, your dominant hand most of the time would be covering the drawing you're trying to create, if you drew with the character facing a direction contrary to the dominant hand.
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Postby Bocaj Claw » Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:09 am

I'm left handed and my characters tend to face right. HAH!
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Postby Moddex » Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:18 am

I'm left handed and my characters tend to face right. HAH!
That's cause you're a contrarian. Everything's contrary to its meaning. That's backwards logic for ya. :laugh:

But seriously, some people can slip out of this stereotype depending on how they draw and what their style is. Same story can be said about those ambidextrous types.
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Postby Kyler Thatch » Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:58 am

I write and draw with my left hand, and my characters usually end up facing toward the right. And I never even noticed, until now. I wonder why.
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Re: Artist's Hand

Postby Richard K Niner » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:30 am

To confirm this, I looked back through my collection of artwork and most of the characters do in fact face to their right and I am right handed. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this?
Technically, that's not a confirmation. What you need is a random sample of artists, both right-pawed and south-, and random samples of their work, at which point you make 2x2 table listing which way the work faces versus their preferred side, so you can calculate the r-value (or have someone do it for you). At which point, the best you can do is still support the hypothesis.
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Postby Rooster » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:54 am

I'm right handed, and I draw left just as much as I draw right. In fact, I probably do it more. :wag:

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Postby Steve the Pocket » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:28 pm

A couple years ago, I caught myself drawing characters mostly facing left, and when I tried deliberately working in more right-facing characters, I discovered to my horror that they didn't look as good. (I also discovered that either one looked terrible when I held them up to a mirror, but that's another story.) To this day it feels a bit unnatural to draw right-facing characters, even though I think I've reached a point where they look just as good.

Oh, and I'm right-handed.

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Postby Tom Flapwell » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:47 pm

I haven't found such a difference for myself. Perhaps that's partly because I tend to draw characters talking to each other.
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Postby Sage » Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:17 pm

The characters I draw have no face.
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Postby Holley » Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:35 pm

I'm left handed and my characters tend to face right. HAH!
Ditto, if I need someone facing the other way I draw 'em then mirror it :-P

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Postby Moddex » Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:59 pm

Maybe I'm wrong about that then. ^^|l' I guess my artwork would be odd in that case and everyone else perhaps a more normal. Well, just thought it'd be interesting if anyone else has this and/or has noticed it.
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Postby Doc Sigma » Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:21 pm

I'm a righty who was supposed to be a lefty. When I doodle, the characters I draw are always looking straight ahead, at the viewer.

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Postby Arloest » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:04 pm

Sorry, completely off topic, but Chris, I just looked at your MySpace and saw The Joe on there, so I went to his page. I was SHOCKED when I saw his musical preferences. I don't think I've ever seen someone who is so musically compatible with me. Now I want to talk to him!
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Postby Doc Sigma » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:48 pm

Sorry, completely off topic, but Chris, I just looked at your MySpace and saw The Joe on there, so I went to his page. I was SHOCKED when I saw his musical preferences. I don't think I've ever seen someone who is so musically compatible with me. Now I want to talk to him!
PLEASE DO TALK TO HIM. He is awesome. And his taste in music IS like 99.999% equal to yours. Sorry for not introducing you earlier or anything! If you do contact him, tell him hi for me and that I'm sorry for the lack of contact.


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