Hands pencil for beginners. Drawing hands
For many artists, drawing hands is quite a difficult task. In this lesson we will deal with the anatomy of the hands in order to simplify and understand all the details as much as possible.
Let's start by studying the bone structure of the hands (picture on the left). The 8 carpal bones are drawn in blue, the 5 metacarpal bones are purple, and the 14 phalanges are pink. Since many of these bones have no ability to move at all, let's simplify the basic structure of the hand: The picture on the right represents everything you need to remember when drawing.
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/6579/aM4OCvX-z3o.jpg)
Note that the actual base of the fingers - the joint that connects to the knuckles - is much lower than it appears visually. Knowing this is very important, especially when drawing bending fingers, which we will talk about a little later.
So, with all that said, a simple way to sketch a hand is to start with a basic hand shape, a flat outline (shaped very much like a steak, but round, square or trapezoidal) with rounded corners; and then complete the drawing with your fingers. Like this:
![](https://i1.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/6580/QeaM0Qc7yPw.jpg)
As for the fingers, when drawing you can use the “three cylinders” diagram. Cylinders are quite easy to depict from different viewing angles, which makes it much easier for us to draw fingers from different perspectives. See how this scheme can be applied in practice:
![](https://i1.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/6587/0UUXQvQd0Ao.jpg)
Important: the finger joints are not located in a straight line, but form a kind of “arch”:
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/658e/Yrs1vPGPCu8.jpg)
In addition, the fingers themselves are not straight, but slightly curved. Such a small detail adds significant realism to the drawing:
![](https://i0.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/6595/8RwhxqELw-Y.jpg)
Let's not forget about nails. It’s not necessary to draw them every time, but let’s still look at the main aspects:
![](https://i0.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/659c/BHIKZlZMfIo.jpg)
1. The nail starts from the middle of the upper joint of the finger.
2. The point where the nail separates from the flesh is located differently for all people: for some it is at the very edge of the finger, for others it is much lower (dotted line in the picture).
3. Nails are not perfectly flat at all. Rather, they resemble tiles in shape, with a slight bend. Look at your hands and compare the nails on different fingers: you will see that each nail has its own curve - but, fortunately, you don’t have to draw such subtle details in each of your drawings :)
Proportions
So, let's denote the basic proportions, using the length of the index finger as the basic unit of measurement:
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65a3/0Q4vpvwAkXU.jpg)
1. The maximum length of the distance between the thumb and index finger is 1.5.
2. The maximum length of the distance between the index and ring fingers is 1.
3. The maximum length of the distance between the ring and little fingers is 1.
4. The maximum angle formed by the thumb and little finger is 90 degrees.
Range of motion
When drawing hands, it is extremely important to know exactly how our hands move.
Let's start with the thumb. Its base, as well as its center of movement, are located quite low on the hand.
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65aa/7eknoyTEzlE.jpg)
1. In a normal relaxed state, a space is formed between the thumb and the other fingers.
2. The thumb can be bent so that it touches the base of the little finger, but this will quickly become painful.
3. The thumb can be stretched across the entire width of the palm, but this can also be painful.
As for the remaining fingers, they have a smaller amplitude of movement to the sides, and mostly they bend towards the front, parallel to each other. Each finger can be bent individually, but it will still affect the other fingers. For example, try bending just your little finger and see what happens to the other fingers.
When the hand is clenched into a fist, all the fingers are intertwined together, and the entire hand forms a rounded shape, as if squeezing a large ball.
![](https://i0.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65b1/G5_htt2L5-M.jpg)
When the hand is fully extended (in the picture on the right), the fingers are either straight or slightly curved outward - depending on the plasticity of our hands.
The fully clenched palm deserves special attention:
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65b8/vzKX1ZYtKwo.jpg)
1. The first and third folds form a cross.
2. The second fold is a continuation of the finger line.
3. The part of the finger covered by the skin and thumb serves as a reminder that the entire structure of the thumb is the one farthest from the center.
4. The knuckle of the middle finger protrudes more than the others.
5. The first and third folds again form a cross.
6. The thumb is bent so that its outermost part is shortened.
7. The skin fold in this place protrudes.
8. When the hand is clenched into a fist, the knuckles protrude and become more clearly visible.
Hand as a whole
When the hand is in its normal relaxed state, the fingers are slightly bent - especially if the hand is pointing upward, gravity causes the fingers to bend. In both cases, the index fingers remain the most straight compared to the rest, and the little fingers, on the contrary, are the most bent.
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65bf/Xtlygk_6kIQ.jpg)
Often the little finger “runs away” from the other fingers and is separate from them - this is another way to depict hands in the most realistic way. As for the index and middle, or middle and ring fingers, these are usually connected in pairs and “stick” to each other, while the other 2 remain free. This also helps to depict the hand more realistically.
![](https://i0.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65c6/cjGzn92pakA.jpg)
Since all fingers are of different lengths, they always represent a certain gradation. When we take something with our hand, for example, a glass (as in the picture), the middle finger (1) is most visible, and the little finger (2) is barely visible.
When we hold a pen, the middle, ring and little fingers bend under the pen.
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65cd/lnJ3b0en_V8.jpg)
As you can see, the hand and wrist are perfectly articulated, and each finger, one might say, has its own life. This is why every beginner artist has a very difficult time drawing hands. On the other hand, sometimes some people go to the other extreme - they try to draw hands too carefully: they carefully draw each finger in its place, maintain proportions and clear parallels of all lines, and so on. And the result, as a rule, is quite harsh and not at all expressive. Yes. this may work for certain types of characters - for example, your character naturally has these qualities. But much more often you would still like to depict animated, realistic hands, wouldn’t you? The picture shows some hand positions in comparison - too unnatural, tense positions are drawn on top, and more natural, natural ones are drawn below, in a word - those that can be seen in everyday life around us.
![](https://i1.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65d4/8JMJQ9GimFI.jpg)
Varieties of hands
As you know, each person's hands have many differences and distinctive features- just like faces. Men's hands are different from women's, the hands of young people are different from the hands of older people, and so on. Below are several classifications.
Hand shape
Let's see what different shapes and proportions there are between the fingers and the hand:
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65db/-XlcJ2E_R4E.jpg)
Finger shape
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65e2/cSSt6oqgToU.jpg)
Not all people even have the same nails! They can be flat or round, and so on.
![](https://i1.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65e9/yZUQBpMFLYs.jpg)
More practice!
- Pay more attention to people's hands. First, on the anatomy itself: how the fingers look in different positions, how lines and folds appear and disappear, how individual parts are tense, and so on. Secondly, pay attention to the types of hands: how do men's hands differ from women's hands? How do they change with age? How do they depend on a person’s weight? Could you recognize someone just by their hands?
- Make quick, dynamic sketches of hands, the source of which can be anything - your own hands, or the hands of people around you, or just photographs. Don't worry about the correct proportions or anything. appearance and the similarities of your sketches; The main thing in sketches is to capture the expression itself and express it on paper.
![](https://i1.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65f2/m38kS0wSBPk.jpg)
- Draw your own hands in different positions and using a mirror from different viewing angles. You can also start with small dynamic sketches.
![](https://i2.wp.com/pp.userapi.com/c626523/v626523995/65fa/JPiwJB_eAh8.jpg)
This is quite a difficult lesson, so it may take you quite a lot of effort to repeat it. If you didn’t succeed in drawing hands the first time, don’t despair and try again. Try your best to complete this lesson. If it still doesn’t work out, you can try to complete the lesson “”. But I believe that you will succeed.
What you will need
In order to draw hands we may need:
- Paper. It is better to take medium-grain special paper: beginning artists will find it much more pleasant to draw on this kind of paper.
- Sharpened pencils. I advise you to take several degrees of hardness, each should be used for different purposes.
- Eraser.
- Stick for rubbing hatching. You can use plain paper rolled into a cone. It will be easy for her to rub the shading, turning it into a monotonous color.
- A little patience.
- Good mood.
Step by step lesson
Different parts of the human body and organs should be drawn with a certain degree of realism. Academic drawing requires this. Also, he strongly recommends drawing hands from life or, as a last resort, from a photograph. This is the only way to achieve high realism and elaboration.
By the way, in addition to this lesson, I advise you to pay attention to the lesson “”. It will help improve your skill or just give you a little fun.
All complex drawings must be created using forward thinking and vision. The subject must be more than just a form on a sheet of paper. You must draw it three-dimensionally, that is, creating it from simple geometric bodies as if they were on top of each other: here is a ball on a cube, and here are two balls next to each other. All living and non-living things on earth consist of these primitive forms.
Tip: create a sketch with as thin strokes as possible. The thicker the sketch strokes are, the more difficult it will be to erase them later.
The first step, or rather the zero step, is always to mark a sheet of paper. This will let you know where exactly the drawing will be located. If you place the drawing on half of the sheet, you can use the other half for another drawing. Here is an example of marking a sheet in the center:
Well-drawn hands always enhance the entire illustration. Some artists specifically include hands in their subjects.
Anatomy
The most important fact is that the hands are concave on the palm side and convex on the back. The bulges are so located around the circumference of the palm that you can even hold liquid in it. The hand served to primitive man cup, and by cupping his two palms in the shape of a cup, he was able to eat food that he could not hold with his fingers alone. The large muscle of the thumb is one of the most important in the hand. This muscle, in interaction with the muscles of other fingers, provides a grip so strong that it allows you to hold your own weight in suspension. This powerful muscle can hold a club, bow, and spear. It can be said that the existence of animals depends on the muscles of their jaws, and the existence of man depends on his hands.
It is worth paying attention to the powerful tendon attached to the base of the hand and how the tendons of the fingers are grouped on the back of the hand. These tendons can control both all fingers together and each one individually. The muscles that pull these tendons are located on the forearm. Fortunately for the artist, the tendons are mostly hidden from view. In children and young people, the tendons on the back of the hand are not visible, but become more noticeable with age.
The bones and tendons on the back of the hand are close to the surface, but those around the palm and inside the fingers are hidden from view. There is a pad at the base of each finger. It protects the bones lying inside and creates grip on the object being held.
Hand proportions
The next important thing is the curved placement of the fingertips and knuckles. Two fingers lie on either side of a line drawn through the middle of the palm. The tendon of the middle finger divides the back of the hand in half. Also important is the fact that the thumb moves at right angles to the movement of the other fingers. The knuckles are located just in front of the folds underneath them on the inside of the palm. Pay attention to the curve along which the knuckles are located and that the curve becomes steeper the closer the knuckles are to the fingertips.
The middle finger is the key finger that determines the length of the palm. The length of this finger to the joint is slightly more than half the length of the palm. The width of the palm is slightly more than half its length on the inside. The index finger is almost level with the base of the middle finger nail. The ring finger is almost the same length as the index finger. The tip of the little finger is almost level with the last knuckle of the ring finger.
The figure shows how to correctly determine the position of the palm socket. Also pay attention to the curve of the back of the hand. The hands will not look natural, capable of grasping, until the artist masters these details. The hands in the picture are depicted as if they were holding some kind of object. The loud sound of applause is produced by a sharp compression of air between the hollows of the two palms. Poorly drawn hands will look incapable of clapping.
Women's hands
Women's hands differ from men's mainly in that they have smaller bones, less pronounced muscles and greater roundness of the planes. If the middle finger is made at least half the length of the palm, the hand will be more graceful and feminine. Long fingers, oval in shape, will add charm.
Man's hands
Babies hands
Children's hands are a good drawing exercise in themselves. The main difference from the hands of adults is that the palm is much thicker compared to small fingers. The muscles of the thumb and the base of the palm are very voluminous, even small children can support their own weight. The knuckles on the back of the hand are hidden by the flesh and are visible by the dimples. The base of the palm is completely surrounded by folds; it is much thicker than the pads under the fingers.
Hands of children and teenagers
The proportions remain basically the same. Aged primary school the difference between hand and is small, but in youth big changes appear. The boy's hand is larger and stronger, showing the development of bones and muscles. Girls' bones remain smaller, so they never develop large knuckles like boys. The base of the palms also develops more in boys; in girls it is much softer and smoother. Boys' nails, like their fingers, are slightly wider.
Children's hands are a cross between the hands of a baby and the hands of a teenager. This means that the muscles of the thumb and base of the palm are proportionally thicker than those of an adult, but thinner in proportion to the fingers than those of an infant. The proportions of the fingers to the palm are the same as those of adults. The hand is smaller overall, a little fuller, more dimpled, and the joints are of course more rounded.
Hands of elderly people
Once you have mastered the design of hands, you will enjoy drawing the hands of older people. In fact, they are easier to draw than young hands because the anatomy and structure of the hand is more noticeable. The basics of the design are still the same, but the fingers become thicker, the joints are larger, and the knuckles protrude more strongly. The skin becomes wrinkled, but this wrinkling needs to be emphasized only when viewed from a close distance.
Hand drawings
Hand drawings in painting
It’s not hard to guess whose hands these are :)
In terms of colors, it is worth noting that the fingers and palms are slightly redder than the general skin tone of the hands.
The material was collected from various sources.
The image of hands, or rather hands, is quite a difficult task. Even many successful artists, with craftsmanship and landscapes, avoid compositions involving hands. Therefore, having set yourself the task of learning to draw hands correctly, you should understand that this is a long and painstaking work. First of all, you need to study the structure of the palm, the physiological basis - the skeleton. Most The best way for this purpose it is drawing from life.
Many people refuse to learn to draw. Fears that they will not be able to overcome difficulties, that they are not talented enough, prevent them from even trying to master basic drawing skills. They are looking for reasons and culprits, because it is easier to give up on an idea than to sweat a lot. And it's really sad. After all, you should understand that the learning process will not be easy. Some lessons are easier and it only takes a few hours of practice to get satisfactory results. And some aspects cannot be studied “at once”; you need to work long and hard before the first positive results appear. Both in life and in drawing, it is easier to give up obstacles than to stress and move on.
In order to start drawing you will need: regular drawing paper, HB and 2B pencil, eraser. The first sketch is best done with a subtle HB pencil, and to further add tone and detail we use the 2B markings.
Step by step instructions
Turn the paper over horizontally and divide it in half. Place your hand on one half and start drawing on the other. Imagine that your fingers are cylinders, your hands and wrists are geometric shapes. Thus, we can imagine the volumes that make up a human hand.
First, let's draw several straight lines repeating the axes of the fingers. Then we will install the top of the middle finger, little finger and thumb. Between extreme points draw a connecting line along the axes of the thumb and little finger to help calculate the distance and make it easier to evaluate in further calculations of the distance between the joints.
The sketches made may seem like nonsense, and you may have a question: “How will a hand come out of these lines and dashes?” Remember that even great things begin from small things, and it is impossible to correctly build a palm without referring to the physiological structure.
Draw the thickness of the fingers along the marked ellipses so that thin cylinders are formed.
Erase the dark construction lines and smooth out the image and add fine details such as nails, creases and wrinkles.
Then, using an eraser, select light colors and shades, erase the excess lines that remain from the sketches around the hand.
Remember that the attitude with which you start work determines the success or failure of your venture.
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Anatomy of hands when drawing
Video lesson: how to draw realistic hands with a pencil
How to draw the proportions of a person's hands
![](https://i0.wp.com/purmix.ru/images/uroki/karand/chelovek/124.jpg)
How to draw palms
![](https://i2.wp.com/purmix.ru/images/uroki/karand/chelovek/126.jpg)
Hand drawing angles
![](https://i0.wp.com/purmix.ru/images/uroki/karand/chelovek/127.jpg)
Video lesson: how to draw a hand with an extended index finger
How to draw women's hands with a pencil
![](https://i0.wp.com/purmix.ru/images/uroki/karand/chelovek/131.jpg)
Video: how to draw a man's fist and a woman's hand with a pencil
How to draw women's hands from different angles (detailed photo lesson)
- Step 1
You can fit several options for turning your hand at once. Mark them using a base oval and a guide line.
- Step 2
How to draw hands. Start drawing individual fingers.
- Step 3
The next step is to draw the contours in more detail.
- Step 4
Erase unnecessary lines, mark small folds of skin and nails.
- Step 5
How to draw hands. Use a TM pencil to shade the shadow on the brush, just try not to immediately darken it.
- Step 6
The next brush is oriented a little differently. This angle can be used quite often in drawings. Outline the general shape.
- Step 7
Refine the drawing of your fingertips
- Step 8
Draw the nails with a sharpened pencil.
- Step 9
Use a soft eraser to remove all unnecessary construction lines.
- Step 10
Feel free to start working on the light and shade.
- Step 11
Now you can try to draw horizontal hands. Just like in the previous sketches, start by marking out the general shape.
- Step 12
Work out the contours of the hands in detail.
- Step 13
By using soft pencil You can add accents to the drawing to make it look natural.
- Step 14
Using a hard pencil, draw a shadow on the lower arm.
- Step 15
Do the same with the top one.
Video: How to Draw Drawing Hands Step by Step
How to Draw Baby Hands with a Pencil
![](https://i0.wp.com/purmix.ru/images/uroki/karand/chelovek/134.jpg)
In this tutorial we will look at basics of drawing human hands.
Essentially, there is an invisible line that runs through the middle finger and through the center of the wrist. It should be perpendicular to the horizontal line crossing the wrist.
At the intersection of the lines, a circle is drawn around which the hand rotates freely.
Depending on the person’s hand, the location of the joints on the fingers also varies. However, to get an idea of where the joints should be, you can draw two curved lines coming out of the thumbnail. If you add wrinkles in these places, your hands will look very natural.
Moving Parts
Now we will look at how the hand moves. Once you understand these basics, you will be able to draw realistic hands.
Each area of the hand will be designated by a color, which will have corresponding text of the same color.
Inner side
This area moves towards itself, along with the four fingers.
Outer side
This area does not move - this is very important to remember.
This area moves with the thumb into the palm.
This area moves with the little finger, however, the movement is small.
Drawing hands
Let's draw the outline of an egg-shaped hand. The top of the egg will be the end of the middle finger. Next we will draw the extension of the hand, the wrist and the circle inside.
Now let's outline where the thumb, palm and four fingers will be. For convenience, you can draw a vertical line passing through the center of the palm.
Notice how the fingers are connected to each other and how they move.
Make the outline smooth and erase the auxiliary lines.
Size and proportions
The size and shape of the hand differs from person to person: wide palm, narrow palm, long fingers, short fingers. This list goes on - that's why there are rules in proportions when drawing a hand.
Basically, the length of the hands is approximately equal to the length of the middle finger, doubled.
The middle finger is usually the longest. The index and ring fingers are approximately equal, but sometimes the ring finger is longer. The little finger reaches the top joint of the ring finger.
Hand bones
In order to understand how muscles and skin move, consider a diagram of the bones of the hand.
Note that the bones of the index, middle, ring and little fingers are mostly connected, which means they cannot move far from each other. The thumb has much more wide circle movement.
Male and female hands
There is a big difference between a man's and a woman's hand. A person's hand looks more masculine if it is given a more angular shape, and more feminine if it is given a soft roundness.
The hand drawing with nails looks more realistic.
The average nail is about half the length from the tip of the finger to the first knuckle.
Women's nails are drawn more elongated and rounded, while men's nails are more square and angular.
Drawing a fist
Let's draw a circle that will correspond to the basic shape of the fist. Then we will add the lines of the thumb and wrist.
If you have trouble imagining where your thumb will be, just clench your hand into a fist and take a closer look at the position.
The back and top of the hand doesn't move, so you just have to pay attention to how the fingers are connected. We mark the upper part of the hand and four fingers, usually of the same width.
As for the shadow, you can add it to create more realistic depth.
However, how detailed you draw the hand is up to you. Find your style that works best for you!
Different options for drawing a fist
This picture shows a hand clenched into a fist on the outside. The index finger is much higher than all the others.
In this drawing, three fingers are pressed into the palm, the thumb is pushed back, and the index finger is pointing to a point.
Please note that with the help of shadows and wrinkles, the index finger looks voluminous. The same applies to the fist, despite the fact that only some phalanges are drawn on the three fingers, a volume effect is created.
This picture shows a hand clenched into a fist on the inside. The index finger is also higher than all the others.
Exist various ways placement of wrinkles and shadows in order to create the effect of the volume of a fist.
Other Positions
Movement from an open hand to clenching it into a fist.
If you still find it difficult to draw fingers, imagine them as cylindrical elements that connect to each other to form fingers.
However, sometimes it is necessary to distort the fingers a little to give more depth.
For example, in the image, you see the index finger bent in an unnatural way, but it looks much more realistic than a straight look.
Translation: Prescilla
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