What do you SIT in?
- Thread starter Oldskool454
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RuneBrush
New member
Depends what I'm doing in fairness. In front of the telly I tend to be sat in the corner of the sofa (very deep L-shaped one) with a GW paintstation on my lap. At the dining table is one of the dining chairs - pretty comfortable too. Upstairs in front of my office desk it's now a stool that was reupholstered with a 2" bit of foam on the top, this is where I tend to airbrush and do anything that's large, the piece tends to be on a 4" tall rotating cake stand. Originally I used my high-backed computer chair but the other half has normally seconded that so the stool is the only option!
heliodorus
New member
Hopefully this thread is still getting attention, because I'm in desperate need of help.
I'm trying to get back in to painting after a long break for grad school. After 7 hours of painting this week, the pain has affected me greatly.
I've had two spine problems, both seemingly fine now. I'm an active and healthy person, and I ride a bike about 120 miles a week, for the last several years, so I know that outside of painting, my regimen for pain free living given my back is solid and working well.
I've had a herniated L5-S1, which was much longer ago. And 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with arthritis in the cervical spine. I think the cervical spine is where I'm having bigger problems.
How should I be resting my elbows? I'm a decent, self-taught painter, and I learned that I need to keep my hands touching one another when painting, but that's about all I know. I'm trying to figure out if I should paint while lying on my chest on the floor, because pulling my chin down leads to the spinal extension that's bad for me. In the past, I sat indian-style on the floor at a coffee table, which I might try again. Most recently I've been in a good office chair at an adjustable table that I had raised quite high (I'm tall), and I think that created a bad bend at my waist, and also a bad bend at the neck.
If anyone has any advice, articles, links, etc., I sure could use some help.
I'm trying to get back in to painting after a long break for grad school. After 7 hours of painting this week, the pain has affected me greatly.
I've had two spine problems, both seemingly fine now. I'm an active and healthy person, and I ride a bike about 120 miles a week, for the last several years, so I know that outside of painting, my regimen for pain free living given my back is solid and working well.
I've had a herniated L5-S1, which was much longer ago. And 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with arthritis in the cervical spine. I think the cervical spine is where I'm having bigger problems.
How should I be resting my elbows? I'm a decent, self-taught painter, and I learned that I need to keep my hands touching one another when painting, but that's about all I know. I'm trying to figure out if I should paint while lying on my chest on the floor, because pulling my chin down leads to the spinal extension that's bad for me. In the past, I sat indian-style on the floor at a coffee table, which I might try again. Most recently I've been in a good office chair at an adjustable table that I had raised quite high (I'm tall), and I think that created a bad bend at my waist, and also a bad bend at the neck.
If anyone has any advice, articles, links, etc., I sure could use some help.
as far as i understood, you should avoid sitting up with your back in a 90 degree angle, wich is a strain, same thing goes for leaning over the table with a crooked back, obviously. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSTcggwb6P6rvA6gv8BUdeCN7LGKJcmEFvWJGvecXK3SYrwHkNK this is what i heard (from QI, a most brilliant show with stephen fry) is the most recent call. you are right about the leaning your elbows, i´m thinking a armchair could do the work? the slightly backwards angle will do good if you´re sitting in a regular chair, doing nothing or leaning your arms. if you´re holding your arms out on a keyboard and reading on a screen, i guess the classical 90 degrees model with straight back is the best.
kathrynloch
New member
I'm back from ReaperCon and I just got a ton of advice from various artists about worktable set up. In my previous post in this thread, I mentioned my bad back but I also have hand tremors, so I discussed various ideas.
I have to brace my arms to minimize the tremors and Jen Haley suggested a firm cushion that sits in your lap (she has one that is a U shape so it goes around her body) and using foam pipe insulation to cushion the edge of the table to brace the arms against. This gives a tripod set up. To keep from hunching over the mini, Michael Genet uses water or soda bottles and affixes the minis to the cap with poster putty or white glue. With white glue you can flex the bottletop slightly and it will pop off when you want to remove it. He also made some out of dowels that are large enough to hold comfortably in the hand and have two alligator clips glued to the top. The longer the dowel rod, the less you have to hunch over the mini.
I think with a little experimenting you can modify the variables of these ideas to come up with something comfortable.
Anyway, just wanted to share what I learned.
I have to brace my arms to minimize the tremors and Jen Haley suggested a firm cushion that sits in your lap (she has one that is a U shape so it goes around her body) and using foam pipe insulation to cushion the edge of the table to brace the arms against. This gives a tripod set up. To keep from hunching over the mini, Michael Genet uses water or soda bottles and affixes the minis to the cap with poster putty or white glue. With white glue you can flex the bottletop slightly and it will pop off when you want to remove it. He also made some out of dowels that are large enough to hold comfortably in the hand and have two alligator clips glued to the top. The longer the dowel rod, the less you have to hunch over the mini.
I think with a little experimenting you can modify the variables of these ideas to come up with something comfortable.
Anyway, just wanted to share what I learned.
QuietiManes
New member
Pretty much any and all of the "office ergonomics" should be put to use in your hobby station. If you do a search there are a great many websites that talk about it in great detail. If you work in an office, the HR department will probably have a great deal of literature for you to read, handy pamphlets or printouts at the least.
The most common "issue" that I'm aware of, is people leaning forward, hunching over their keyboard, as a couple folks mentioned already. That and not setting up the chair correctly, not sitting back in the chair, not setting up the area in an efficient manner (most used closest, etc).
Some folks use stools to sit on, which forces you to sit upright as leaning forward or back is much more work. There are also a few "ergonomic" chairs/stools that look rather odd, but are supposed to be great for your back/posture, generally working along the same lines as a stool. You can find them on a search as well.
The most common "issue" that I'm aware of, is people leaning forward, hunching over their keyboard, as a couple folks mentioned already. That and not setting up the chair correctly, not sitting back in the chair, not setting up the area in an efficient manner (most used closest, etc).
Some folks use stools to sit on, which forces you to sit upright as leaning forward or back is much more work. There are also a few "ergonomic" chairs/stools that look rather odd, but are supposed to be great for your back/posture, generally working along the same lines as a stool. You can find them on a search as well.
Einion
New member
I'm thinking for you it's probably going to be best to do this on the edge of a desk or table - sitting in a low chair so you're fairly upright, or leaning forwards (not bending forwards) if having your back at that sort of angle doesn't give you grief.
Most chairs with armrests which you might otherwise rest one or both elbows on, the rests are not going to be high enough to prevent you having to dip your chin unless you slunk down, leading to the dreaded 'banana back' which is an obvious no-no. Same deal with couching your elbows into your belly as an alternative to using armrests.
I suppose it comes down to: if it works for you it works for you. I wouldn't be able to keep that position up for long; even when I was much lighter than I am now (20kg+ lighter) the pressure against my chest quickly becomes uncomfortable and it's surprising how much pressure there is against the patellas.
Einion
