As part of my IN THE STUDIO series (see previous post My Tools), here's a PROFESSIONAL TIP for ya'll :
First, I'm going to divulge a shocking personal tidbit: My middle finger is slightly deformed. Sounds digusting, I know! In reality, it just means that extra cartilage has formed on one side of my finger to accommodate the way I hold my writing instruments. I do hold my pens correctly, by the way, but apparently if you start really young the bone will grow to support the work, like the feet of women who routinely wear high-heel pumps (I envy their elegance and low pain threshold) - which tells you how long and hard I used to draw when still a toddler - I told my parents I was going to be an artist early on (for Disney, but still).
Though having a weird bone cradle my scalpel is a good starting point, it doesn't help my sore, sore fingers when I'm cutting 8+ hours at a time. This is where the FINGER CUSHIONS come in. They are silicone sleeves wrapped in fabric bandage that I get at my local pharmacy from the Foot Care section. They usually come as one long tube per pack, and can easily be cut with scissors to the right length for different fingers. The silicone inside not only cushions the press, but has the added benefit of cooling down sore and chaffed fingers. The fabric bandage on the outside gives a better grip for the scalpel, so win-win! They do get grubby after a while from the pencils and paints I use (see the photo above), but I think I average about a tube every 3 years - so economical! Not kidding, these are a god-send. Make me stop weeping and moaning on my work. Try them. (for example these.)
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