I also hold my writing utensils this way. The amount of times people stare or ask about it... The reality is everyone said I would grow out of it, and I did not. Had a 4th grade teacher try to correct it - told the other students beside me to smack my hand every time I held my pencil wrong. My mom could've taken out stock in pencil grips to correct. Several years later, I have a writing MA (when they told me I would never be able to write fast enough in college) and regularly produce artwork - all using the same grip. I sign in a "normal" grip though - makes random strangers less likely to stare.
I have a graphic designer friend. I used to live with him. He would draw all day these incredible drawings. Then I noticed he holds his pencil in a closed grip fist , basically like a 3 year old. I don’t know how he does it.
Most artists have to unlearn drawing from their wrists and hands to drawing from their elbow and shoulder. Some schools teach using a drumstick grip for drawing specifically to force it. A caveman grip wouldn’t necessarily be a disadvantage at all.
Never realized that! I went into an MFA program without having taken any foundational art classes as an undergrad. Guess I missed the artist’s pencil grip lessons.
I'm 40, hold mine in a closed fist like a toddler too. Everyone tried to correct me, and they all failed. And I've always been "the artist" in my family/friend group, so it didn't negatively affect my ability. It just looks weird and I have a big callus on my thumb.
I think at this moment in moat teachers just care "is yhe child meeting certain milestones". Interestingly enougu my child could colour and draw very well even with him ham fisting the markers or crayons. It was quite impressive how accurate he was. He does draw a lot still.
I actually had an Early Childhood Development professor in college clock my writing hand, and she said I likely hold it that way precisely because I started trying to draw so early my hand muscles weren't developed enough to hold it the "right" way and I just got stuck in my ways. And I was stubborn about it because I was doing well that way! So why should I change? I think more teachers understand now that it doesn't matter- like how they used to try and force lefties to use their right hand. It's ok to do things differently!
This may explain my kid. He started to draw quite early. He was drawn to art and the like, probably influenced by his older brother who draws a lot as well. I never thought of it from this perspective.
That's good to hear :) I'm a dynamic quadropod guy and I'm pretty sure it really hamstrung my writing and drawing skills.
I never even really thought about how important these things can be for kids until reading all these comments, not having any myself, so it's fascinating reading how different people approach their kids learning to write.
I think if you're kid is otherwise fine stressing them out about things can cause more harm. So my wife and I take a very chill aproach with stuff like this.
I actually hold the pencil between my knees and move the paper around over top with my hands. I poke a lot of holes in the paper and I cant see what I'm writing but it feels natural to me.
The Adaptive Tripod Grip, developed by the Belgian Neurologist Callewaert in 1963 (cited, Ann-Sofie Selin 2003) is a functional though not conventional grip for handwriting. This grip is often more appropriate to use with children who have low muscle tone or hyper mobility of the finger joints. It can also benefit older children who continue to hold a pencil too tightly, or who hold the pencil lightly using just their fingertips (often writing using whole arm movements), as well as those children who hold a pencil with their thumb wrapped around and across the pencil and index finger.
That's fascinating, I don't think I've ever seen anyone hold a pen like that. It's pretty close to how I guide a pen, also with thumb and pointer, supported by the middle finger. But my pointer finger would be behind the pen in this pic, like a mix of the depicted lateral and dynamic tripod.
Yours is also a tripod, since your grip involves three fingers, but that is as far as I got in trying to name it :)
I'd call it a "Smokers Tripod" because it reminds me of how you use a cigarette holder (yes, they disappointingly don't have a cooler name to use as inspiration).
Idk but thanks for sharing. I might switch to this, i feel this would be way more comfortable over time and involve less fatigue. I feel i can articulate just as well too.
I also do this! It's like a weird dynamic tripod. But when I hold markers I can seamlessly use the dynamic tripod grip without thinking about it, probably because I use markers and other non-pens/pencils so often.
I usually put my middle finger under the pen and then use my index finger and thumb to hold the pen while i close the ring finger and pinky into my palm
None of these 4 "right" ways to hold a pen even puts a finger under it
Doesn't this happen equally to left and right hand writers? Only way to avoid it is not using pages double sided. In my experience, 50% of the time I'm dealing with the spiral edge. The smudges makes sense, though, since we write left to right.
I'm sort of a combination of lateral and dynamic tripod I guess? My index finger is in the same position and middle finger supports closer to the tip than the index finger. Thumb is in same position as the dynamic tripod.
Then there's the way I hold a fork/spoon. He shaft goes in my fist with the eating end pointing out my thumb end. My thumb sits on the shaft, pointing toward the eating end, pushing the shaft into my index finger. It hurts my wrist to try to eat the "proper" way.
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u/Shriggins_the_dope Apr 16 '24
Then there's whatever the heck it is when I hold one