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I recently started painting again, but i got a serious case of the shakes ( i don't know why) i tried putting my models in a vice grip, but my painting hand shakes too much. i would aprecciate any advice for how to keep steady.

don't smoke crack before you paint!





JK, but in all seriousness, try doing some deep breathing exercises to slow your heart rate. Shakes can also be a symptom of too much caffeine.

I rest both hands and the model on the table when i paint. If need to, I rest my painting hand on a book of appropriate height to paint the higher parts of the model.

one small tip i would give you is stay away from caffine if you drink alot of it, sometimes that can have an adverse affect on mussle contraction and controll...

but other than that rest your elbows on the table cofortable, and try and rest your hands together on the model/grip or rest your elboes slightly forward on your chest, less joints open less movement, and try and ignore the shakes! itll get you annoyed and make you vibrate more. i had this problem a year of so back, just experement with comfortable arm positions and see what works best!

hope that helped!

I shake also, but I'm limber. I place the model in one hand and brush in the other, raise my foot on the chair with my thigh against my chest. I put both hands on my knee in front of my face and paint.

Make sure both elbows are on your table, and your hand that's painting is resting against your hand holding the model. Cut down on caffeine if that's your thing.

Caffeine and cigarettes will make you shake.
So will holding your breath.

Like most others have said, rest your elbows on the table.

Mounting the model on an old paint pot might also help. It usually allows you to rest one of the fingers of your painting-hand (like the middle finger) on the paint pot.
A drop or two of super glue is usually enough to hold a model in place and it pops off easily with the gentle application of a modelling tool or some such.

You can use various forms of putty as well. I just find that the putty looses its grip at the most inopportune moments.


Shaking might also occur due to a cramped grip on the brush.
Always keep the brush in a relaxed position and move the model about (the paint pot thing helps with that), not the other way around.
Compared to the model you are huge. There is much more economy of motion in turning the model upside down, sideways and whatever, than you bending over the model, leaning slightly left while trying to paint some fiddly bit.

I would also recommend compensating for your shaky hands by slowing down your strokes and adjusting your brush angle. If you believe this factor to be out of your control, there are others you can adjust.

I brace my hands against each other. Not that I have a problem with shaking, but ive found that this is the best remedy for smooth steady lines. For even better results, brace your elbows against your chair or desk. Best of luck!

I paint with both wrists about a hands length apart and with both hands pressend against the table. I had the same problem as youuntil i started using this.

I paint with my elbows on neoprene cushions as after a while my elbows start to get a little sore. As others have said, energy drinks and caffeine can cause some shakes.

Out of curiosity how old are you Fizzle?

I knew someone would say something about crack. but, good advice from everyone thanks


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I'm 17, elmodiddly