If you're talking rotational motion, if you point your thumb and curl your fingers, your fingers are curling in the positive direction for rotational motion. That means that if you're viewing from outside the system (your thumb is pointed at your face) positive direction is counter clockwise. If you're viewing from the system (base of your hand towards your face) positive direction is clockwise. You can't use clockwise or counter-clockwise without a frame of reference. The right hand screw rule works, regardless of the frame of reference.