Tribalogy – Drawing with both hands at the same time

For most of my life, I have been drawing with only my right hand. Several years ago, I had an idea for a fun art challenge. One day, I decided to include my left hand in the drawing process. I refer to this as “Simultaneous Two-Hand Drawing” – the act of drawing with both hands at the same time.

You may be wondering, “how could this be possible and how can you focus on both hands at the same time?” The answer is this: in the same way that she drives a car, plays an instrument, or types on a keyboard. We train our brains to work and operate in a way that allows us to perform specific tasks.

The truth is that everyone can draw with both hands at the same time. It is simply a matter of willingness to learn, as well as being inspired to take on the task. We are all different and we all have abilities that make us unique.

For me, I have been drawing all my life and have been very inspired by the lines and shapes that are prevalent in tribal art. I have practiced drawing, painting and tattooing tribal designs for literally thousands of hours in my life.

My goal has always been to develop a fundamental understanding of the science of interacting lines and shapes on a surface. Incorporating my other hand into the art-making process seemed like the next step in connecting with line art on a deeper, more spiritual level.

Drawing with both hands seemed to allow me to get even closer to becoming one with the lines and shapes I created. I started drawing tribal art with both hands at once and Tribalogy was born. After creating several simultaneous two-handed drawings, I noticed my hands making similar movements on the paper and new drawing techniques were born.

These include Hand Mirroring, Hand Independence, Detachment, Alternating, Overlapping, Tempo, etc. The drawing methods came to me, as if they had always been there, and as if I was discovering them through experimentation with drawing. Drawing with two hands seems to contain many answers about the process of artistic creation. It feels like I’m closing an electrical circuit, allowing the art to flow freely into the design and then back to me.

I believe that an artist who creates art with one hand is as close to his art as the artist with two hands. Incorporating my other hand seems to be the missing strength in my individual process.