Don’t know how to find the perfect drawing gloves for your artistic needs? Well, we have researched for you and made this guide to help you buy great practical drawing gloves for yourself.
Benefits of Drawing Gloves
You may wonder why you need a drawing glove in the first place? Well, a drawing glove is not a necessity for an artist. Yet, it is a handy tool that helps improve their workflow. So, here are all the drawing-related goodness that artist gloves bring with them:
Eliminates Smudges
Have you ever seen those fingerprint marks and smudges on your tablet’s screen? Well, they are caused by the oils produced by the skin on your hands. These smears can get in the way of your drawing by obscuring the screen. Not to mention, make the screen so unappealing. Yuck!
The oils from your skin can also be soaked up by the piece of paper or canvas you have been drawing on, which can discolor it. A drawing glove solves this problem by simply putting a barrier between your skin and the drawing surface.
Liberates Hand Movement
Many artists face the problem of their hands sticking to the screen or paper they're working on. This hinders their movement and drawing flow. A drawing glove counters this by reducing the friction between your hand and whatever you're drawing on.
Keeps Your Hands Clean
If you work with graphite, you must know how annoying this material is to work with. It sticks to your hands, and it takes quite some effort to wash it off. You can say goodbye to this inconvenience by wearing drawing gloves since only the glove will get dirty, leaving your hands clean. Then you can simply wash the glove, and you are good to go.
What to Look For in a Drawing Glove
When shopping for drawing gloves, there are a few factors that you should take into account. These factors will help determine whether the product is suitable for you or not. Here are the things to look out for when buying drawing gloves:
Washability
Drawing gloves should be easy to wash. Otherwise, you risk transferring unwanted materials from one of your drawing projects to another. If your gloves have graphite on them, they can cause scratches on a tablet screen upon contact. So, always make sure to clean the glove before using it for another project, and easy washability goes a long way in making the process super smooth.
Air Flow
It is generally not good for your skin to be enclosed in non-breathable material. So, you must always go for a drawing glove that permits good airflow for maximum comfort. This way, your hands will not sweat, allowing you to draw for as long as you want.
How Do We Choose the Best Drawing Gloves?
So how did we choose the best gloves for drawing when compiling our top-picked list? Well, here are the three factors that we considered:
Friction Reduction
Reducing friction is one of the primary purposes of an anti-fouling glove. So, a good drawing glove will provide little to no friction when worn, allowing your hand to move freely. This will enable you to draw more efficiently and accurately. Going through the product’s reviews is an excellent way to go about assessing a drawing glove's friction-reduction capabilities.
Material Used
The material used to make the drawing gloves will significantly impact their durability and comfort. You want your drawing glove to be comfortable since you will be wearing it for long durations. The good news is that the best anti-fouling gloves, like the ones on our list, are usually made using Lycra. Lycra is a very comfortable material since it is soft, airy, stretchable, and light. It is also very durable since it does not tear or deform.
Seam Quality
The seams of drawing gloves should be well-stitched and strong. If they are poorly stitched, the glove will easily tear apart. The seams should also be comfortably placed, so they don’t get in the way of your drawing.
What Size Should Your Drawing Glove Be?
When shopping for drawing gloves, you will come upon two types of drawing glove sizes:
- Standard Sizes
- Universal Sizes
You must make sure that your new drawing glove fits you perfectly, or otherwise, it may reduce the blood circulation to your hand. Let's now look at the two types of art glove sizes, shall we?
Standard Sizes
Standard-sized drawing gloves such as small, medium, and large allow for a comfortable and customized fit for your hand. You can simply choose the size that best fits your hand and start drawing in comfort.
Universal Size
Universal-sized drawing gloves are made using very stretchy material. This type of drawing glove stretches to fit almost all hand sizes. But it may not fit hands that are too small or too large. You can determine how universal a universal-sized drawing glove is by going through the product’s reviews. There you can see if other people had any trouble with the glove’s size.
Drawing Glove FAQ
Now that we know everything about drawing gloves, let’s address some of the most commonly asked questions about them and end this brief:
Q: Can drawing gloves be used with acrylic, watercolor, and oil paint?
A: Yes, you can use drawing gloves with most drawing and painting materials such as acrylic, watercolor, oil paint, markers, and pencils.
Q: Which drawing gloves are suitable for lefties?
A: Although it depends on the manufacturer, you can use most drawing gloves on either hand since they are made symmetrically.
Q: Should the drawing gloves be machine washed or hand washed?
A: It is best to hand wash the drawing gloves with soapy water. But, if the manufacturer recommends using a washing machine, then go for it!
Q: What is palm rejection in drawing gloves?
A: Palm rejection on drawing gloves allows you to place your palm on a touchscreen without triggering an input. This helps you work more comfortably on electronic drawing tablets.