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Art Thief: Draw a hand

This is not the only position that a hand may rest at a person's side, but it's one of the most common. Give it a try, and then observe the other positions that we might see a relaxed hand.

Amy Raudenbush
Do you find hands hard to draw? You are not alone!
It’s not uncommon for young artists to create a beautiful front-facing figure only to have difficulty putting the hands in a natural position. Do we draw the top? The palms? The side? Because hands tend to curl into a cup shape, the answer is a little bit of each. Give this lesson a try. Once you have mastered these steps, you will be able to simplify the process and do it quickly.
1. Start with the egg shape you see here. The long tapered shape on the left will be the thumb, and the shorter, fatter shape on the right will connect to the index finger.

2. The wrist will dip in slightly more on the inside as shown above. Extend the lines of the wrist upward to make part of the forearm. Next draw the top portion of the index finger.

3. Finish the index finger with the shape shown above. Then sketch in the fingers that are behind the index finger. You may notice that the fingers have been simplified. We don’t need a lot of detail.

4.  Erase the unneeded lines. Draw the creases on the joints as shown. People’s palms are not darker than the tops of their hands, but  I have shaded the inside of the hand because it
is in shadow.

5.  Choose any flesh tone for the hand and add color.

Art Thieves are invited to send or email copies of their work to Amy Raudenbush, our professional artist. Phone pictures are fine. One drawing weekly will be selected for publication on Sept. 3 and the selected artist will receive a prize.  Be sure to include your name, age, and mailing address.

Email:
art@phillynews.com

Or send to:
Amy Raudenbush
Philadelphia Daily News
801 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Next week:
Draw a flamingo

Shoutouts to: Sarah Freeman, Samiyah Jones.

    Amy Raudenbush
    Dr. Timaree Schmit has a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality from Widener University, where she now trains future sexologists and clinicians. Her passion is bringing rational, empirically-based sex-positive information to the world, empowering others to celebrate their bodies, build intimacy and experience pleasure.