This Lefthanders Day, test your non-dominant hand in this fun and quirky art challenge!
August 13th is Left Handers Day! Did you know that only about 10% of the world’s population is lefthanded? That means for every ten people you meet, only one of them is likely to use their left hand for writing, drawing, and everyday tasks. Being a left often means seeing and approaching the world a little differently.
Olivia herself is lefthanded, so she decided to celebrate this Lefthanders Day with a fun and slightly challenging art exercise: a non-dominant hand drawing. She swapped her usual drawing hand (the left) with her “less experienced hand (the right.) The result was a wobbly, but wonderfully unique artwork that shows how our brains and hands work together in fascinating ways.
The Non-Dominant Hand Challenge
For this lesson, start with a symmetrical image: something like a butterfly, a flower, or a heart. (Olivia chose to draw a robot, but also attempted something more complex with an elephant and giraffe.) Starting with your dominant hand, draw one side of the image. Then switch to your non-dominant hand, and mirror it on the other side.
As you draw, you’ll start to notice the contrast in skill. The side you drew with your dominant hand will be much smoother and precise, while the non-dominant hand may fee clumsy and shaky. But that’s the beautify of this project, because it shows the difference in how your skills can grow over time, and how differently our left and right hands work!
Why You Should Try a Non-Dominant Hand Drawing
- It helps you practice art in a unique way, requiring a different type of focus than usual.
- It strengthens communication between the two hemispheres of your brain.
- It encourages you to slow down and focus on shapes and lines.
- It helps you appreciate the unique challenges lefthanders face when adapting to tools, materials, and the world around them.
Ready to Try Out this Non-Dominant Hand Lesson for Lefthanders Day?
Supplies needed:
- 9×12 inch watercolor or mixed media paper
- Watercolors
- Paintbrush
- Black pen or marker
