What is good drawing posture?

Question

Lately I've been noticing that I tend to draw while hunched over, with my face as close as possible to the page. I've been wondering if it's better to sit up straight, although when I do that, I can't see details as well (even when I'm wearing my glasses). Does it matter whether you hunch forward or sit up straight?

Answer 1

I concur with Katie G. Remember that creating a drawing or a painting can be done in “layers.” In other words the first go at your creation should be or could be simplified and general in nature. You are sort of getting just the spirit of the final image at first. There will be plenty of time to worry about all the fine details in your art. At first you want a “big picture” of it all and that is usually easier to accomplish when you can move back and forth from your art. Standing is recommended for a few more reasons: the fact that it can be a bit tiring to stand actually works to your advantage! It keeps your brain a bit more alert as opposed to sitting comfortably. Your mind can play subtle tricks on you while sitting. It can make you believe that you drew something when in fact you didn’t! Standing (and even taking frequent breaks) will keep your eyes fresher and believe it or not make the work progress a little smoother and faster. If you must sit then be sure that you are not drawing flat on the table. That will distort your work 100% of the time and be sure that you engage your abdominal muscles by frequently moving back and fort as far as you can while drawing for the same reasons we have mentioned above. Hope that helps! Cheers!

Answer 2

In my opinion, the best drawing posture is actually standing with the work on an easel. You can move back and forth taking in the entire image, seeing it from further away actually helps to catch mistakes or areas that are not working, and it really saves your back in the long run. Barring an easel, having a angled work surface so that you can stretch out your back while working and so your'e not hunched over for hours at a time is going to make your back feel a lot better later on.

Answer 3

Something I see with many students is that when sitting to draw they tend to put their elbow on the table and draw with their knuckles. Take advantage of full body movement when standing, especially if working on large media. Drawing from the shoulder becomes easier when standing and then you can also draw from the hips and the ankles to bring more movement into the composition.