What Is "arm Writing?"

[NewPenMan]

Would someone please explain or show what arm writing/writing with the arm actually is?

 

I think my grip is just right: it's light and gentle, and the pen seems to float along, but I get a little tingling in my hand after awhile. Never as strong as when your hand or foot "goes to sleep," but it feels like something isn't right.

 

I'm trying to break my habit of resting on my forearm, appx 4" behind the wrist, instead resting on the meatier part of the forearm, using that muscle as my pivot area.

 

Some folks sound as though they write with their entire arm floating, which doesn't sound like much fun

 

Thank you for any clarification!

Edited April 23, 2017 by NewPenMan

[Needhelp]

Arm writing is when you use your arm and not your wrist and fingers to write. A fountain pen does the job best for arm writing as you dont need to use much pressure. But if you have less space or write in a tight area then armwriting does not help as you wont have enough space. I use my pens with less pressure and i finger and wrist write. I tried doing arm writing and it felt good but i didnt know if i had to use it yet so from my summer break i am going to practice arm writing. Also i get the same tingling feeling as you when writing. All i do to fix it is wipe the grip section and gently just shake my writing hand and im back to writing.

[ac12]

I write as you say, resting on the muscle pad just before the elbow. And I push and pull pivoting on that pad.

My hand does not touch the paper. Only the tips of my ring and little finger touch the paper, and not for support, but to give me feedback of how far above the paper my hand is.

 

For me 3 benefits

#1 - for larger letters like f, moving the arm gives me the range of motion to go from the top of the f at the ascender line, all the way down to the bottom of the f almost at the base line of the line below.

 

#2 - I don't have to break my words into so many small peices. I used to have to break words into segments of about 4-5 letters, because that is all that I could write, without having to lift up and move my hand. Now I can write LONG words without stopping, no breaks/segments.

 

#3 - I don't get tired like I used do. The large arm muscles have more endurance than the small finger muscles.

[eharriett]

I came to this subforum looking for answers to this very question. Could someone link to a video demonstrating proper technique for arm writing? I am having difficulty doing it and doing a YouTube search on how to do it properly is not helping.

 

I'm either locking the wrong joints or not coordinating my arm and wrist properly, because I am not getting the proper movement down and my handwriting is becoming very illegible as a result.

 

Thanks

[Rednaxela]

@eharriett

 

https://instagram.com/p/BFiSSKKKv0V/

 

HTH

[ac12]

 

 

I came to this subforum looking for answers to this very question. Could someone link to a video demonstrating proper technique for arm writing? I am having difficulty doing it and doing a YouTube search on how to do it properly is not helping.

I'm either locking the wrong joints or not coordinating my arm and wrist properly, because I am not getting the proper movement down and my handwriting is becoming very illegible as a result.

Thanks

 

Be prepared to have to relearn to write.

In my case, my arm has never had to write, except on a blackboard at school. So teaching my arm muscles to write took 3 MONTHS of daily practice (1-2 hours per day, every day), before writing with my arm became natural. And another 3 months to get my handwriting to look neat.

In the beginning your handwriting WILL look BAD. This is simply because your arm does not know how to write. Hang in there, and you will get through it, I did.

 

One trick is to raise your chair, so that your arm can move easier. If I have to push my arm to the right because the chair is too low, I have difficulty arm writing, cuz I have trouble moving my arm.

[eharriett]

 

 

Be prepared to have to relearn to write.

In my case, my arm has never had to write, except on a blackboard at school. So teaching my arm muscles to write took 3 MONTHS of daily practice (1-2 hours per day, every day), before writing with my arm became natural. And another 3 months to get my handwriting to look neat.

In the beginning your handwriting WILL look BAD. This is simply because your arm does not know how to write. Hang in there, and you will get through it, I did.

 

One trick is to raise your chair, so that your arm can move easier. If I have to push my arm to the right because the chair is too low, I have difficulty arm writing, cuz I have trouble moving my arm.

Thank you for the support. I tried it very consciously today. Like you, I've never done it before and I tried doing today's Michael Sull's Handwriting Course keeping my wrist straight and using my arm. I've been at the course since November of last year and today it looks like I regressed back to the first couple of weeks. So You're definitely right. A few steps back to go forward, I guess.

 

 

@eharriett

 

https://instagram.com/p/BFiSSKKKv0V/

 

HTH

Thank you. I used that today. It is a bit helpful.

[ac12]

 

 

Thank you for the support. I tried it very consciously today. Like you, I've never done it before and I tried doing today's Michael Sull's Handwriting Course keeping my wrist straight and using my arm. I've been at the course since November of last year and today it looks like I regressed back to the first couple of weeks. So You're definitely right. A few steps back to go forward, I guess.

 

 

Thank you. I used that today. It is a bit helpful.

 

Do the drills.

The drills help to get the arm muscles used to moving in different ways. And those drill shapes are then used for writing.

I did not do much of the drills, I was too impatient. In hind-sight, I recognize their value. I might have shortened my conversion if I had done more of the drills in the beginning.

 

Just like on the Karate Kid movie, "wax on, wax off."

[Rednaxela]

Also check out this guide by the amazing penman Marcus Carlini.

 

https://media.wix.com/ugd/68805b_67678cb2c8544d528ada2e45eac97365.pdf

 

https://www.carlinigraphy.com

[eharriett]

Also check out this guide by the amazing penman Marcus Carlini.

https://media.wix.com/ugd/68805b_67678cb2c8544d528ada2e45eac97365.pdf

https://www.carlinigraphy.com

Thank you. That PDF is helpful as well. I'll try some of that. I have to do a little bit of adaption since I am left handed.

[NewPenMan]

I had no real transition period or difficulty going to arm writing...the only real issue I have is on a desk that has computer keyboard and tablet on it is moving those items out of the way enough to afford enough room for arm writing.

 

I personally adapted to it right away...the numbing of my hand was sufficient motivation, I spoze.

[ac12]

 

 

I had no real transition period or difficulty going to arm writing...the only real issue I have is on a desk that has computer keyboard and tablet on it is moving those items out of the way enough to afford enough room for arm writing.

I personally adapted to it right away...the numbing of my hand was sufficient motivation, I spoze.

 

You LUCKY guy.

You got there 5 months before I did.

[CS388]

Also check out this guide by the amazing penman Marcus Carlini.

 

https://media.wix.com/ugd/68805b_67678cb2c8544d528ada2e45eac97365.pdf

 

https://www.carlinigraphy.com

 

Thank you. That's an excellent resource.

[sidthecat]

In art school, we stood at easels to draw, and generating motion from shoulder and arm muscles made for larger and more graceful stokes of whatever implement we were using. I use a smaller drawing space now, but I still try to use that method as much as possible.