Lefties

Is this a political question??? :o) If so.. I'd say yes! I jest! .. I'm 95% sure you are referring to which hand is favoured.. In which case I'd have to say No.. I don't have any "stats" on this issue but I know enough right handed FINE artists to know that it is irrelevant which hand is dominant.

When I was in art school, I was surprised by how many students and teachers were left handed; maybe even a majority.

Based on my teaching experience and polls taken in various places,many more artists are lefties than in other professions.
Do they make better ones, that would depend on who is da judge.
Not gonna go there! lol

BTW, i am a leftie.

I paint and draw with my left hand but write with my right, not sure if I am a better artist.

I know that 10% of the population is Left handed, I just wonder is it higher with artists.

I taught art a zillion years ago and had 10% left handed scissors...we always, seriously, ran out!
I'd say that as society changed their attitudes abuot lefties, more and more have not only been allowed, but encouraged.
My Dad was hit with a ruler in school. That was in the 20's.I was permitted to use my left hand, but had to turn my paper the same way as the righties...duh. that was in the 50's

That's a strange thing, Marlene. I didn't know there are more lefties among artists than the general population. Interesting. I'm a very pronounced rightie - I've tried to write with my left hand and after a few minutes of struggling with it, I can make it legible but it looks pathetic.

Alfred, you must be truly ambidextrous if you paint with your left hand and write with your right hand.

Interesting question, don't know the answer, but I'm a leftie too, lol

I´m left-eyed and long-nosed. Not the best premise behind a camera ... :-)

I think this is a left brain right brain discussion in disguise.I am right handed but can do many things with my left, now I'm left eye dominant,So it can get interesting if we take into account all these other combinations. Can one say any of this makes you a better artist, I seriously doubt it.

I am ambidextrous as I can do most things with either hand but am dominant with certain hands depending upon the task. I write predominately with left hand but can write (legibly, believe it or not) with my right. I eat with my left hand but use a mouse with my right. Throw right, kick right, right eye dominant, use scissors with right hand . . . basically, I'm an odd mix. ;)

LOL, Colin. I hate those nose prints on my camera screen.......

I would be curious how an ambidextrous as opposed to us dedicated one-siders develops. I used to be right eye dominant, but I think it has switched to neutral. Like neither eye is dominant now. Don't know if that makes me a better photographer or not. Maybe that would have some influence on where you stand for a shot if you have a very dominant eye.

Something that I've often wondered about regarding this topic is guitar.. The intricate finger-work is always done by the non-dominant hand, whereas the basic thumping out a rhythm is done with the dominant side...weird!

@ Colin - LMAO!

I am a true leftie. My right hand's attached to serve my left.

Edit @ Barry - the only thing I know about guitar is my instructor in the early 70's was right handed and he told me I was trying to play left handed. LOL, really? Who knew.

Interesting question Conor, I'm a leftie too but do other things right handed, eating, brushing teeth etc, There is a name for that right, Oddball. LOL.

An interesting thing that a lot of people don't know is with Twins there is always a left handed and a right handed person, even with left handed people that do not have a twin, had one but it was lost sometime in the pregnancy.

Great question Conor. I am very dominant right handed BUT when my right arm gets tired I can paint very well with my left. There is almost nothing else I do well with my left.

I don't think that's ALWAYS true, Conor. My brothers-in-law (both deceased) were identical twins and they were both right handed. Maybe the natural "leftie" wanted to be like his brother....hmmmm

I'm a leftie, but I use everything designed for the right handers just fine. I use a pen or pencil to write with just like a right hander.

Mary, I used to completely left handed but when I first enter grade school, my teacher tried to "helped" me to write with my right hand, she would hold my hand to teach me to write
However, when I alone or at home I was left alone to use my left hand to paint and draw..

Hi Conor, I have twin brothers, they are/were (one is gone now) both right handed...

I'm not sure if they are "better" artists but have found most lefties to be creative in some way. I am a lefty by the way!

Just in here to say I am lefty and paying attention to this thread.

Using your left hand is a function of the right brain. The right side is the more creative/artistic side, while the left is the logic side... so stands to reason a greater proportion of artists are lefties.

Kelly you have proved me wrong, any Twins out there that have a brother or sister that are opposite to them.??

Conor, here some one took the time to compile this, no mention of art though.

Negative Left Handed Superstitions, Myths and Tales of Folklore

1.In ancient imagery the left hand would generally symbolise ‘female’, while the right hand would symbolise ‘male’.

2.Many people believed it bad luck to pass a drink to someone with your left hand. Likewise, pouring a drink with your left hand isn’t going to bring you luck!

3.Staying on the subject of drinking – giving a toast with your left hand is the same as placing a curse on the person(s) you are toasting!

4.In the profession of dressmaking it is considered bad luck to attach the left sleeve before sewing on the right one.

5.Which foot do you place on the floor first when getting out of bed? Many people believe that getting out of bed left foot first will result in you having a bad day!

6.If you have a twitch in your left eye you will see an adversary, but if the twinge is in your right you will see a friend.

7.If you have an itch on your left palm this means you will need to pay some money out, whereas if it’s on your right you will be the one receiving the cash.

8.The Devil has been associated with the left handed for thousands of years. In 1431 Joan of Arc was found guilty of being a witch and burned at the stake. Depictions show her as being left handed in order to make her appear more evil!

9.The tradition of wearing your wedding ring on the left handed was started by Romans, who used the ring to ward off evil associated with the left.


10.People believed that evil spirits would skulk behind your left shoulder. In Roman times salt was a very valuable commodity and it was seen as extremely bad luck to spill some. This is why if you spill salt you should throw it over the left shoulder – to appease the Devil!

11.Do you ever experience a ringing in your ears? Apparently if it’s in your right ear this means that someone is praising you, whereas if it’s in your left someone is busy cursing you!

12.If you are going travelling and your left foot itches you are going to have a bad journey. An itch on your right foot will result in a pleasant and efficient voyage.

13.At the beginning of a new year, if you hear a cuckoo singing in your right ear then you will have a lucky year. If you hear it in your left, well, you get the idea by now…

Positive Left Handed Superstitions and Myths

They can’t all be bad right? ;) Well I struggled, but I managed to find two…

14.In Spring, if you dig up a lump of coal from underneath your left foot then you will have good luck that year.

15.Indigenous tribes from the Andes believed that left handed people possessed spiritual powers, such as magic and healing.

Well that’s it folks. Apparently for the most part we’re all evil, devil worshipping witches with the ability to curse someone just by looking at them funny.

Thank you Mario for there Tales of Folklore, I found them very interesting.

I don't know. I'm very dominantly right handed, so my left hand is a bit of an underachiever. I even wrote a blog post about it not too long ago. - http://www.aprilmoen.com/blog/left-hand-shenanigans