Arm Vs Hand Movement?

[Moonshae]

Hi everyone,

 

I've noticed that writing with the whole arm seems to be recommended rather than the fingers or hand. I'm wondering why this is, as writing with the arm uses large motor skills, but writing seems to rely on fine motor skills? I'm not criticizing or judging; I'm simply curious as to the reasoning behind it.

 

Thanks!

[ac12]

Here are a few reasons:

• Larger arm muscles have more endurance for longer writing sessions before they get tired or sore.
• The fingers have a limited arc of motion. IOW you cannot write large without using your hand/arm.
• No one said you have to write 100% with your arm. I use a blend of finger+hand+arm movement. 90+% of my writing is with my arm. The fingers can still get into the act when fine small writing is involved.

Yes training the large arm muscles to write is a difficult task, but it can be done. I did it. I converted from finger writing to arm writing.

[Moonshae]

I believe it can be done, or it wouldn't be so commonly recommended! Your reasons make sense, thanks!

[ac12]

If you write Spencerian and similar with a straight dip pen (or fountain pen) and the traditional grip, that grip is such that you cannot write with your fingers, you have to write with your arm.

[thygreyt]

I used to write with my wrist, but I have now moved it to write with the elbow as a semi fixed pivot...

[Moonshae]

If you write Spencerian and similar with a straight dip pen (or fountain pen) and the traditional grip, that grip is such that you cannot write with your fingers, you have to write with your arm.

I did pick up a book on Spencerian figuring the challenge might be enjoyable. My handwriting has always been barely adequate; my mother likes to remind me that when I was in kindergarten, I had to write rows of letters as practice. I complained, saying, "I already know how to make an 'a'. Why do I have to write a whole row of them?" Obviously, I see the value in practice now, but that philosophy guided my lack of effort in improving my penmanship beyond "readable enough."

[the_gasman]

I haven't got any particular style of writing, and have not tried to cultivate any methods other than those that were beaten into me by the nuns that taught me to write 55 years ago. However, since I have seen advocates of arm-writing on FPN, I have tried to self-analyze how I control my pen. The key elements seem to be:

• I use a 10-15° writing slope (or whatever angle a 46x61cm piece of MDF makes when resting on 2 small tins of Heinz Spaghetti Hoops ).
• I sit on a folded pillow so that my pelvis is tilted forward (this and the writing slope ease the strain on neck and spine).
• I try to relax my neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers before I start to write (Would a pianist's warm-up exercises help?).
• I avoid my wrists and arms bearing weight and use the little finger of my writing hand to guide proximity to the paper.
• I use a 15x20cm of card to prevent skin oils from greasing the paper.
• My arm seems to pivot from the shoulder to do most of the letter/word formation.
• My hand/fingers seem to attend to fine-tuning the shaping of the components of each letter.

I don't get tired, however long I write for: it continues to be a pleasurable and relaxing pastime. The stuff I write is embarrassingly mundane – I just enjoy the sensual pleasure of writing with lovely pens, nibs, ink, and paper.

 

This doesn't answer anyone's question but , for me at least, it seems to add support to ac12's reassurance that a purist application of "arm-writing" is neither universal nor necessary.

 

Cheers,

David.

Edited April 5, 2017 by the_gasman

[cellmatrix]

Folks like Mills and Bailey who taught cursive handwriting always insisted that you will never progress past a certain level unless you learn to balance your forearm on a table and put your arm and shoulder into the writing. I've found this to be very true to the point where, when I'm without a table (i.e. writing on clipboard or lap), and can't write with my arm, my cursive degrades noticeably. In these circumstances, I revert to italic or printing. Any other cursive writers with similar experiences???

[Jose80]

I was tought to use hand movement at school. Now I'm learning arm movement, and the difference is abysmal. My writing was tiny, and I preferred EF nibs. Now with arm movement I do enjoy much more writing, letters "flow" in a way they did not with hand movemement, and I enjoy broad and double broad nibs. Totally worth the effort. I only write in cursive. At a meeting without enough room for arm position I write with hand movement, and I do not enjoy it at all any more.

[Jose80]

BTW I also changed my grip from the modern one to the old one with the wrist/palm pronated.

[Carrau]

I've been learning to write cursive italic, and have been trying to write more with arm movement. In doing so, I've observed in my own writing, that my most legible and best looking efforts (at the moment) happen when I'm using a combination of hand and arm movement. Writing with more arm movement seems more relaxed and freer, although words get somewhat taller and definitely longer with more arm movement. I expect this will improve as I gain more experience and practice using arm movements. I've also noticed that appearance and legibility are degraded when writing more with my hand as I reach the end of longer words or phrases: the letters get smaller and much closer together if I'm trying to finish with just my hand writing. With arm movement writing, I don't get that compacting as I approach the end of long words or sentences, but because of my inexperience with it, it does feel like it may get out of control. I expect that will improve with practice. I can see how it would present challenges in some situations, though, as Jose80 and cellmatrix have pointed out in their comments.

[Carrau]

Read ac12's comments under newer topic "What is arm writing?" - ac12 describes the same problem with hand writing in his second comment, having to pick up your hand frequently to complete words or phrases. This is what happens to me just using my hand- I try to complete the word and the letters get too close together. With the arm writing, I don't experience that problem.