Advice on one-handed painting

[Yuber Okami]

Hi! I've had an (apparently) very strange affection which has rendered my right hand useless (it's still attached to my body but moving it is akin to olympic weightlifting), so I'd like to ask advice on:

a) How to start using my left hand for painting - do i go straight and destroy lots of miniatures, do i get bigger stuff first...?

b) How to handle the miniatures being painted (maybe with a vice?). 

[Rich H]

No direct experience of one handed painting but would perhaps an engraver's ball vice help? 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SE-JT-GB90-Engraving-Setting-Jewelry/dp/B00BCNVGRA

I've got one and it's basically a very heavy cannonball with vice attached.  The top section with the vice rotates (variable friction) and the bottom section sits in a rubber ring so it can be positioned at any angle and stays put.  You can even position it horizontally and it stays there.  lots of pins and grip shapes to grasp strange shapes.

[2010sunburst]

That sounds awful mate.  Hope you get something sorted out soon, but in the meantime, have you thought of contacting disabled or veteran organisations to see if they have a resource that can help?  I know there is an organisation called “models for heroes” for example.  They help disabled veterans with modelling and may be able to at least point you in the right direction.  Use of the “other” hand will probably just take time to build up muscle memory and dexterity.

[Cubs]

I would start by practising writing with your left hand a little bit every day - it doesn't have to be for long, maybe only 10-20 minutes to begin with, but do it every day to reinforce the exercise. This will train your eye-to-hand coordination, making new neural pathways in the brain and build muscle memory in the hand, to gain that precision control you'll need. After you're happy that your writing looks okay, however long that takes, then you could more safely tackle painting your beloved miniatures.

[zemjw]

That sucks, sorry to hear about your problem

It's not quite the same, but Michael Perry lost his right hand and had to learn to sculpt with his left. It may be worth seeing what he has to say on the subject.

As for holding the miniature, can you grip it at all? There are arm rests that would probably let you position your arm, eg Setters Arm Rest. I've watched a painting video with Jen Haley using two to support her arms while painting.

Failing that, there are vices available with ball joints, but repositioning the figure is going to really slow you down. ball joint vice. However, they are not cheap I do have the Draper vice, but it doesn't grip as tightly as it should, so things can move if I push too hard.

As the others have said, practise writing with your left hand. For painting, I'd be tempted to start with buildings or vehicles and work down from there.

Good luck

[krieghund]

Sorry to hear that,

When you feel ready to paint again perhaps start on pound shop plastic
soldiers until you get more of a feel for it.