I know this is very off topic but I really need help. I tried Reddit, and this is a little embarrassing but I don’t understand how it works when you’re trying to post stuff and don’t have time to sit there and learn how it works. I know there’s many great artists in here though!

My problem is: pain when I draw for long periods. I have started giving myself a break because my hand legitimately started swelling, I was determined to push through it and then my hand looked like a sausage so I decided I better listen to my body. Then after this last break, it’s starting to hurt more and more everytime I draw and the pain starts sooner, especially in my middle finger. It’s not only that, my skin on my fingers will get so raw. I ordered a legitimate drawing glove in the mail, and for now I just use a little glove that stops it from rubbing my skin raw the best it can. For a while I was just wrapping my fingers with tape and it didn’t really help.

Are there any other options or techniques you use to help with the pain? Are their hand exercises that I don’t know about? Should I not take breaks and just push through until my hand gets tougher? My brother draws with the tips of his fingers, like instead of holding the pen how we were taught in School with it being between our index and middle finger and thumb he just holds it with the tips of those fingers and thumb. I can’t draw like that and it also seems like a really unhealthy way to draw like that for hours. Maybe I’m wrong though and should start? Because I’m not even half the artist he is. I want to get better but it freaking hurts.