Drawing Realistic Hands

Drawing Realistic Hands

Drawing realistic hands is something you will become better at with practice. But there are a few things to keep in mind that will help.

When outlining the hands and fingers, be very accurate. Think of them as a series of angles. As you look at the direction of each line in the hands and fingers, think of them as the hands of a clock. The direction of one angle may be the same direction as the hour hand of a clock at 3:00. Then that same line might angle down more toward 4:00, then 6:00 and so on.

When outlining the fingers, keep your pencil lines very light. You will be shading over these lines with a tortillon to "soften" them. There should be no harsh pencil lines in the hands and fingers.

Using shading you can create the fingers using contasting (opposite) tones and shadows. By doing this, it will keep the hands and fingers smooth and flowing.

Women's hands and fingers are usually slimmer and smoother than a man's hands. Plus a man's hands and fingers might have hair on them. Re-create this too.

The hands and fingers of a baby or a child will be a little fatter and shorter than an adult's.

Add all the detail you can see. If you keep your pencil lines light, you can easily erase any mistakes. And don't be afraid to make a mistake. You can fix it. Don't forget to add the veins on the back of the hand.

You may avoid drawing hands and fingers but if you are serious about drawing, eventually you will have to draw them. It takes some practice to get them right. I have found with students that they tend to draw the fingers too fat. Again, think of the fingers as a series of angles.