#drawabox

The Knight vs V1 WIP

The DrawABox Chronicles: About a year into drawing, I felt like I was plateauing and needed some guidance. So I started DrawABox! Here's my documented experience with each of the lessons and challenges!

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

The Carpal Tunnel Chronicles: In my first year of drawing (ik) I got pretty bad carpal tunnel syndrome not just in my dominant hand but also in my other hand (for some unknown reason... idk man inflammation is weird). It was painful and weakening to the point I had trouble sleeping and performing tasks at my job at the time. After about 2 months I began recovering, and currently have not had any major bouts since then. It was still not a good experience, though, so here's my advice.

The truth is that some people in life are more prone to injuries than others. There are artists who draw their whole lives without any wrist, back, or eye problems while others have to be intentional about their health so they can continue doing their work + passions. It might be hard to know which camp you fall into until it's already too late, but a good rule of thumb is if you are someone who has had repetitive stress injuries in the past, even it was nowhere near your arm or forearm, you should assume you are at an increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and elbow tendinitis and tread carefully.

Good posture and set-up: I used to draw curled up like a shrimp on my bed or propped up on my stomach and elbows. This was a bad idea. Now I only draw at a table and a chair that allows me to adjust the height.

Wrist brace: The mark of a true artist. Sleep with this bad boy and it will help a lot!

Ice: The classic to reduce inflammation! I honestly thought this worked better than taking over the counter anti-inflammatory medications. Just make sure wrap ice packs in a towel so you don't get freezer burns on your skin.

Strengthening and Stretching: MOST IMPORTANTLY! Lots of people tell you to take breaks to stretch your wrists, elbows, and shoulders. And while that is important, stretching does not do anything to fundamentally lower the mechanical burden on your tendons+ligaments. When muscles are weak or underdeveloped, other parts of the bodily compartment in question have to compensate, which can lead to injury. This is the foundation of why physical therapy is considered a legitimate medical treatment. Hand and forearm strengthening exercises go a LONG way. The exercises in the video below practically cured my carpal tunnel syndrome so I could start drawing again. I did them 1-2x daily for about one month, then 1-2x weekly for a few months afterwards. I cannot recommend them enough.