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Tablet stylus = numb?

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mosfet:
Does anyone else here have a problem with using Tablets makes their fingers go numb?

I can write all day using a pen or pencil, but using my Wacom stylus for an hour makes my fingers and thumb go numb.

It doesn't seem like I grip it any harder or differently than a than normal pen, although theres less arm movement of the arm involved with the stylus since my tablet is only a 4x5 as opposed to an 8.5x11 paper.

ElRodente:
if that's the case, it'd probably be best for you to do most of the actualy sketching on paper, then scan it and ink it, you don't want RSI now do you?

mosfet:
Actually I sketch with pencil on paper.  Scan. print.  Ink with a pen. scan. then to the rest in Photoshop.  For some reason I draw like a 2 year old on the tablet. :P

I think I already have RSI in my hand and my brain from working as a Software QA Tester.

I wonder if its the fact that when using the tablet the only part of my arm that moves are the three fingers holding the stylus.  the other 2 fingers, hand, wrist, forearm, etc, stay fairly rigid.  Maybe a larger tablet would help.  It'd force me to move my hand more.

twentyfour:
I have a little 4 by 5(or whatwever is the smallest) It works great for me because it means less drawing mileage per day :D

I highly suggest just loosening up in general. If all that's moving is your fingers you're gonna get stiff drawings/cleanup to start with. Draw from your shoulder(sounds odd eh?), practice drawing on a large pad of paper(like 1.5 feet wide by 3 feet long) and really use your whole arm. You should even be moving at the waist. Keep the drawing loose and easy and try to use that same looseness in your arm and wrist and fingers as you do in a big pad of paper... Its a tough concept to really get. It took me a year or two to do it right and get nice clean unfeathered lines .

A bigger tablet is just gonna cost you money when the problem sounds like it's in how you draw. Save $794 and spend $6 on a few lifedrawing pads.

Tweep:
Scott McCloud had a lot to say about hand strain when discussing his recent Cintiq purchase.

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