Question about drawing from elbow

7:12 PM, Saturday March 21st 2020

If you make a stroke using external or internal shoulder rotation (like this), and if your elbow points to the floor, remains mostly in place, and doesn't open or close during the motion, does it still count as "drawing from the elbow" even though the movement is caused by the shoulder? I'm confused because in the lesson 1 video the instructor does this motion and refers to it as elbow movement even though it's caused entirely by the shoulder.

1 users agree
1:09 AM, Sunday March 22nd 2020

If the elbow remains in place, then the pivot of the motion is the elbow, not the shoulder. So yes, if I understand you correctly, that would be driven by the elbow, not the shoulder.

1:19 AM, Sunday March 22nd 2020

I see what you mean, but I don't think that "driven" is the right word for it. You're definitely using the elbow as a pivot, but the motion is caused by the shoulder cuff muscles, and your entire arm moves during the motion.

9:32 PM, Sunday March 22nd 2020
edited at 9:33 PM, Mar 22nd 2020

But the upper arm just rotates in that case, it doesn't move (translate).

The way I see it both the arm+forearm need to participate in the arc of motion. The purpose is to get the longest radius to get the flatest arc possible, which makes drawing straight lines easier (since there's less arc curvature to compensate for).

edited at 9:33 PM, Mar 22nd 2020
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