Shakey hands!

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**Rhich**

oadie wrote:I shake perpetually. The degree varies, somewhat, but my hands are never really steady, nor have they ever been, so I've learned to cope. I have three main counters:

1) Brace as much as possible - arms on tables, painting hand on holding hand, free fingers on painting hand on model/holding hand, etc.

2) Paint in line with the shake - if painting a vertical stripe while your hands are shaking left-right, rotate the mini 90 degrees and your line won't look like a SoCal seismographic readout.

3) Don't attempt long strokes - if your hands shake violently, work around it if you can't overcome it. I do a split scheme on my marines, so I need lots of long, straight lines over uneven surfaces. Lots of short, overlapping strokes to extend the line gives me much more controllable results than foolishly attempting a few broad strokes, knowing damn well that I'll shake in the process.

No amount of booze, caffeine, sleep, exercise, etc. has fixed the problem for me, so I simply I focused on what I could change - my technique.

Good point, sometimes shaking can't be helped... the banana suggestion has worked for me but some shaking is concentration some is due to the person. I love my coffee but don't usually paint and drink coffee... coffee first, chill and think what I want to accomplish then paint.
If I need more coffee then it’s usually a time for a break and a rest time for my eyes & hands.

**Deathbysoup**

I always get a bit shakey, especially when i am doing a really important model. I just tell myself its all going to be ok and then get a hug from the girlfriend.
If you dont have a girlfriend, a pet or nearby teddy bear will do. Dont hug the models.

**johnscott10**

Deathbysoup wrote:Dont hug the models.

Why not?? Models need love too.

**Kr'aag**

Henners91 wrote:Exhale slowly and then paint whilst you have no breath.

It's supposedly the stillest your body can be... I hear snipers do it?

I normally fire somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 through the exhale, although sometimes I fire on the inhale.

As for painting, if I feel myself a bit shakey or even slightly wound up/ tense, I give up and try again when I am more relaxed.

I have stuffed up a few paint jobs by being impatient.

**Tyranic Marta**

and yes snipers do hold thr breath