Drawing hands takes much practice. Hands are typically quite complex with many smooth transitions
between darks and lights. Shapes overlap and need to be studied very carefully to yield acceptable
realism. There are also lots of edges, crevices, and creases.
It is imperative that you do not ignore the many angles that are present in the hands. Hands are
much more angular than our ingrained memorized image would suggest. Therefore, it is very easy to
make the mistake of portraying the hands too chubby and rounded which leads to an unnaturally
rounded.
Here are a few pointers that will give you the basic memory pack for drawing hands. When I say
“memory pack”, I mean a set of memorized issues about drawing hands that should be in the foreground
of your thinking whenever you draw hands. This is a facility you should develop with each feature of
a portrait such as eyes, ears, etc.
* Simplify - Generally, any kind of photographic subject will have so much detail that it becomes
necessary to simplify, i.e., leaving out much detail. Of course, you must develop a facility to
leave out the right details and keep the important ones. This is where your artistic sensibilities
play a major role. Making the right choices makes all the difference.
It is a good exercise to look at pictures in magazines and practice the simplification process.
Ask yourself the question: What can I eliminate in this picture while still retaining the essence of
the subject? In fact, as you get more experienced you may ask yourself the question: What should I
add to obtain an even more convincing rendition of the essence of the person I am portraying?
The same is true with drawing hands. The hands have usually so much detail in them that you must
discard the unimportant details. At first, keep your eye on the major shapes, the so-called large
masses. You do not want to miss those.
Remember, at this stage, try not to think too much of how a hand is supposed to look like, just
draw the shapes as they are.
* Males and Females - There are many differences between male hands and female hands. On average,
male hands are larger and squarer. For example, the fingers are less tapered and thicker than those
of the female. The female hand is slender and the finger tips are much more tapered compared to the
male fingers. The fact that females (generally!) do not have hairy hands adds to the lightness in
color.
* Values - First, avoid outlining the hands at all cost. Let the edges be formed by applying the
correct contrast in values. Study the hand very carefully. Note where one finger overlaps another
and be sure to include all the cast shadows.
Also, it is very important to render the reflected light on each finger because that is what will
give the finger its roundness and three-dimensional look.
* Angles and Planes - Hands are surprisingly angular, not as much rounded as we sometimes think
they are. The joints and knuckles have various planes to them which need to be carefully
rendered.
* Blending - Keep the blending of the hands very smooth. Blend the darks into the surface they
belong to. This way there is no confusion as to which surface the dark line belongs to. Again, do
not forget the reflected light between the fingers. This will create the illusion of roundness of
the fingers.
The hands can be used to enhance the visual impact of your pencil portrait drawing. For example,
the addition of hands to a baby picture makes the whole thing much more endearing. Therefore, adding
hands to a portrait is always something to consider. With this, I think you can have a good start at
drawing hands. And remember, practice, practice, and practice some more. Drawing is a hands-on art,
so to speak.
