Ambidextrous describes a person who is able to use the right and left hands equally well. Indeed, it is pretty rare to see people drawing with both hands at the same time. According to a cognitive neuroscientist Michael Corballis, about 90% of people are right-handed. The remaining 10% are either left-handed or some degree of ambidextrous. However, people with true ambidexterity only make up 1% of the population.

Help to unleash your hidden creativity

Practicing to draw with both hands helps to unleash your hidden creativity. It can also trigger your memory functioning. Research shows that drawing with the non-dominant hand (especially for right-handed people) gives greater access to the right hemispheric functions. For example, feeling, intuition, creativity, inner wisdom and spirituality. It also allows you to access some hidden emotions.

This artist ‘re-educated’ himself to become ambidextrous

Agus Dhanik is one of the rarest people who can paint with both of his hands. While you are fascinating about how lucky he is to have this exceptional skill, the fact is that he is not born with it.

He questioned, what is masterpiece without creativity? He wants to find his way back to art, the feeling he once felt.

After 19 years painting as a full time artist, Agus Dhanik has painted hundreds, if not thousands of portraits. His artworks has been collected by patrons all around the world, including the ex Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Mahathir. However, the artist Agus Dhanik comes to realise that, he was stuck in a routine in just drawing realistic faces. Hence, he questioned, what is masterpiece without creativity? He wants to find his way back to art, the feeling he once felt.

Creativity runs wild with untamed outlines

Therefore, Agus Dhanik started to draw with his left hand. And this is how the Ambidextrous Series of artwork began. In this Ambidextrous Series, Agus Dhanik allows his creativity runs wild for each portrait with untamed outlines. At the beginning, he felt that the world was suddenly spinning backwards by using his less dominant hand. With great perseverance, Agus Dhanik can now shift brushes between left and right hand easily. As he said, “If I pick up something, I never leave it half-done”.

Drawing with left hand allows Agus Dhanik to redefine art and ignite his passion once again. He wants to share his story with you through this series of artwork. Indeed, abstract art allows him to learn how to appreciate and enjoy life in a different way. When the bridge between the left and right hemispheres of the brain is connect, you are able to express both emotions and thoughts more fully.

Want to learn some sketching tips to improve your drawing? Check out this article!