Hands have a reputation for being hard, but they become manageable when you build them the way you built objects in Building Objects from Forms: big simple shape first, details last.
- Start with the mitten: the palm and the fingers together as one shape, with the thumb as a separate wedge on the side.
- The middle finger is about as long as the palm.
- The fingers are different lengths: the middle finger is longest and the little finger shortest.
- The knuckles line up on a curve, not a straight line, and the fingers fan out slightly from them.
- Each finger bends in three places; the thumb joins the hand low on the side of the palm, near the wrist.
Key idea
Start with the mitten shape of the palm and fingers together. The middle finger is about as long as the palm, and the knuckles line up on a curve.
Why it works
A hand is a box-like palm with jointed cylinders attached. Seeing the big mitten shape first gets the size and the gesture right before you divide it. The finger bones fan out from the wrist, so their knuckles form an arc, and that arc is why a fist or a relaxed hand curves.
Worked example: Proportions
Your drawing of a palm is 8 cm long from the wrist crease to the knuckle of the middle finger. About how long is the middle finger?
- The middle finger is about as long as the palm.
- So it is about 8 cm.
- Make the index and ring fingers a little shorter and the little finger clearly shorter.
Answer: About 8 cm.
Common mistake
People draw five separate sausages of the same length, starting from a straight line. Fingers differ in length, the knuckles make an arc, and the thumb starts much lower on the hand. Check: does your middle finger stick out the farthest? Is the knuckle line curved?
Your own hand is the most patient model you will ever have. Draw it relaxed, pointing and holding a cup.