#Hand sketch how to#
#Hand sketch full#

Also, consider the length of each finger in relationship to the rest of the hand, as well as to the other fingers and thumb. Pay particular attention to where on the knuckle line each finger projects from. In this early gestural stage, instead of drawing both sides of the contour of each finger, focus solely on the active side (the outside of the bend) rather than the passive side where the flesh collapses to accommodate the bend when drawing. 1), I’ve gestured each of the fingers and thumb. Passiveįinally, in the drawing on the right (fig. I recommend taking a proportional measurement and then comparing the distances while placing the knuckle line. Ask yourself if the knuckle line appears closer to the tip of the pointer finger or closer to the wrist. Next, just how as you would use an axis line to capture the angle between pairs of skeletal landmarks of the body, you can draw a single line to capture the position of all four knuckles of the fingers. With this angle in place, you can then “square up” the wrist, communicating to the viewer the spatial orientation of the box of the wrist.

1), I’ve drawn a line from the ulna to the radius. When gesturing the hands, axis lines can be used in two different ways. Pay particular attention to where this line changes direction. If the radial side of the wrist and the pointer finger aren’t easily visible, you can switch to drawing the ulnar side of the wrist to the pinky finger. 1), a line moves from the radial side of the wrist all the way up to to the tip of the pointer finger, ignoring the thumb. When beginning a gesture drawing, start with the radius side of the wrist (the side with the thumb). 1: Demonstration on drawing hands, directional marks and axis lines, Brent Eviston Remember, your gesture drawing will lay a light foundation upon which you’ll build the rest of your drawing, so start off as lightly as you can. This is an excellent way to quickly capture the most prominent forms and proportions of the hand. In the drawing below you’ll see how you can use a combination of dynamic directional marks and axis lines to capture the angle of the wrist as well as the line of the knuckles.

#Hand sketch full#

When doing gesture drawings of the full figure, axis lines are used to capture the angle between a pair of landmarks on the body, most often of the hips or shoulders. Although you can approach gesture drawings in many ways, most strategies involve doing quick drawings (anywhere from 10 seconds to five minutes) that simplify the subject into as few strokes as possible, as well as favor dynamism over accuracy and large, general forms over small details.

Gesture drawing is a foundational figure drawing skill. In this article, I will walk you through a few key ways to approach hand drawing so you can enhance your skill set and create more confident drawings. However, when drawing the hand, you can adapt many of the same tools and techniques you’re already using to draw the rest of the figure. The tutorial breaks down the essential steps without overwhelming you! If you have an “ah-ha!” moment, that’s to be expected! Enjoy! My Approach to Hand Drawingsĭrawing the human hand takes almost as much knowledge, skill and experience as drawing the entire rest of the figure. That’s why I want to share with you this article on hand drawing made simple from one of our favorite instructors, Brent Eviston.

#Hand sketch how to#

That’s because knowing how to draw hands is essential if you are drawing the figure.

Drawing hands is one of the most popular topics learning artists ask about.