Drawing hands...

Does anyone have any special ways that they use to help draw hands correctly? For the life of me, I can’t easily draw a hand. I don’t know what it is. I eventually get it right but it’s just annoying. So, if anyone has any sketches that shows them using a circle and simple lines or however you do it...let’s seem 'em!

1. 

   a killer wombat said 8 months ago

   draw a rectangle / square combo... then make 4 lines coming off of them. Then i add cross lines for the nuckes, circles at the nuckles, and just kinda connect the lines. It works really well... pick up an anatomy for the artist books and just draw draw draw.

2. 

   gameyy said 8 months ago

   George Bridgman has some fantastic books on anatomical drawing, including hands. I’d really recommend him.

3. 

   drewB said 8 months ago

   a killer wombat said: draw a rectangle / square combo... then make 4 lines coming off of them. Then i add cross lines for the nuckes, circles at the nuckles, and just kinda connect the lines. It works really well... pick up an anatomy for the artist books and just draw draw draw.

   Yeah, I don’t know what it is. Hands are the only thing that I can’t smoothly draw from memory. I draw out proportions and everything correctly without looking at any reference, but then I struggle on hands.

   gameyy said: George Bridgman has some fantastic books on anatomical drawing, including hands. I’d really recommend him.

   I’ve been meaning to pick up a book, but I figured someone had a short-term technique for me. I’ll check that book out though Gameyy. Thanks.

4. 

   jimmyheartcore said 8 months ago

   Weird I just drew a hand yesterday while pooping.

   I’ll upload later.

5. 

   drewB said 8 months ago

   jimmyheartcore said: Weird I just drew a hand yesterday while pooping. I’ll upload later.

   haha. the best ideas come from the porcelain god.

   let’s see dat shiet! (no pun intended)

6. 

   seibei said 8 months ago

   I’m okay at it, but when it’s in a weird position that I can’t quite figure out, I’ll spend a little while staring at my hand doing the same thing, or take a photo of my hand for reference.

7. 

   horsebites said 8 months ago

   I draw too many hands.

8. 

   drewB said 8 months ago

   seibei said: I’m okay at it, but when it’s in a weird position that I can’t quite figure out, I’ll spend a little while staring at my hand doing the same thing, or take a photo of my hand for reference.

   Yeah I’m the same way

9. 

   drewB said 8 months ago

   horsebites said: I draw too many hands.

   You’re TOO good at it so it’s allowed

10. 

    horsebites said 8 months ago

    drewB said:

    horsebites said: I draw too many hands.

    You’re TOO good at it so it’s allowed

    Ha! Thanx but it’s so hard for me. It takes me forever to draw them because they are so complicated when it comes to perspective. It’s weird. I don’t know how to explain the process all I do I start over and over again.

11. 

    Sol Amstutz said 8 months ago

    burne hogarth books are great. i think he even has one just for hands. dynamic anatomy is a great book to have in general.

12. 

    drewB said 8 months ago

    horsebites said:

    drewB said:

    horsebites said: I draw too many hands.

    You’re TOO good at it so it’s allowed

    Ha! Thanx but it’s so hard for me. It takes me forever to draw them because they are so complicated when it comes to perspective. It’s weird. I don’t know how to explain the process all I do I start over and over again.

    Yeah, I kind of feel like it’s trial and error. But, I know what you’re saying. The perspectives that you want to put them into sometimes are so hard to draw and it takes awhile. But, if it’s any consolation, the hands you draw look spot on. My weakness with drawing is arms/hands and bodies because I don’t spend enough time drawing them. I always just draw monster heads/ random charcter’s heads. I don’t ever draw their whole body. I need to focus on that more and pick up an anatomical drawing book.

13. 

    justgeoff said 8 months ago

    The best way to get better at hands is to force yourself to draw them often. I hate when I see illustrations that purposely hide hands or feet.

    I was feeling rusty at drawing hands so I forced myself to draw a lot of them by drawing the Hindu goddess Kali. She has 4 arms and wears a dress made of human arms. It just forced me to keep drawing them. Towards the end of the drawing things were going smoother.

    Also, go to a used book store and pick up an anatomy book (either medical or art, doesn’t matter). One thing I did learn in art school was anatomy, since before we could even start doing life drawing we had to learn all about bones and muscles. It helps a lot when you do start drawing because you have an idea of what’s going on under the skin.

14. 

    drewB said 8 months ago

    justgeoff said: The best way to get better at hands is to force yourself to draw them often. I hate when I see illustrations that purposely hide hands or feet. I was feeling rusty at drawing hands so I forced myself to draw a lot of them by drawing the Hindu goddess Kali. She has 4 arms and wears a dress made of human arms. It just forced me to keep drawing them. Towards the end of the drawing things were going smoother. Also, go to a used book store and pick up an anatomy book (either medical or art, doesn’t matter). One thing I did learn in art school was anatomy, since before we could even start doing life drawing we had to learn all about bones and muscles. It helps a lot when you do start drawing because you have an idea of what’s going on under the skin.

    I’m going to pick up a couple burne hogarth books. I agree with you 100%. I try and force myself to draw full body characters with normal arms/hands. It just gets so frustrating that I settle for a less than perfect drawing of a hand. I want to be able to draw out of my head any character in any position. And, I know that it takes practice with anatomical drawing. That’s my plan. I just wanted to see how everyone else was with hands.

15. 

    jaynajaynajayna said 8 months ago

    yo dude you got one on the end of your arm that you don’t use to draw with just take a look at that shit

16. 

    horsebites said 8 months ago

    jaynajaynajayna said: yo dude you got one on the end of your arm that you don’t use to draw with just take a look at that shit

    That’s all I use for reference.

17. 

    justgeoff said 8 months ago

    Here’s a quick sloppy hand layout. The circles are roughly where the knuckles are. I always envision this in my head when I’m drawing hands. Most the time I draw this (in the pose that’s needed) before I start fleshing out the hand. Gotta make sure your proportions are right BEFORE you worry about details.

    

18. 

    jaynajaynajayna said 8 months ago

    horsebites said:

    jaynajaynajayna said: yo dude you got one on the end of your arm that you don’t use to draw with just take a look at that shit

    That’s all I use for reference.

    same

19. 

    drewB said 8 months ago

    justgeoff said: Here’s a quick sloppy hand layout. The circles are roughly where the knuckles are. I always envision this in my head when I’m drawing hands. Most the time I draw this (in the pose that’s needed) before I start fleshing out the hand. Gotta make sure your proportions are right BEFORE you worry about details.

    That’s a good way to do it.

20. 

    jimmyheartcore said 8 months ago

    jaynajaynajayna said: yo dude you got one on the end of your arm that you don’t use to draw with just take a look at that shit

    QFT!

21. 

    justinryan said 8 months ago

    

22. 

    heavyprints said 8 months ago

    I’d definitely suggest 'Drawing Dynamic Hands' by Hogarth. He really gets into the measurements so that you know that your proportions are correct. I’d also suggest brushing up on foreshortening techniques. That’s why hands are tricky, I think. Almost always there’s some type of foreshortening going on there. I’ve been practicing hands, too. Just start drawing them and fill up the page with hands. I might scan and upload some of my pages later to show.

    If you suck just draw it, then try to step outside of yourself and criticize it. WHY does it look funny? If you can figure out what you’re doing wrong then you can correct it. Once you get a handle on the basics of doing it right the speed will come.

23. 

    jaynajaynajayna said 8 months ago

    I was thinking, this is not everyone’s deal but I have a pretty intense fine arts background and a lot of my ability to draw people/people parts comes from a lot of figure drawing, (like three years sometimes once a week for months) not saying you should wait three years to be good at drawing hands but figure drawing is pretty sweet and helps a lot. You learn a lot about anatomy/proportions, the human skeleton, etc. But yeah basically just drawing from observation.

    Plus sometimes the chicks are hot, and they are always naked.

24. 

    printolithic said 8 months ago

    remember that theres bones and muscles under there.

25. 

    quakerninja said 8 months ago

    I use this http://graphics.smithmicro.com/go/poser but if you can put on a beret and hire a woman to go full monty in your apartment, for an hour a week.

26. 

    drewB said 8 months ago

    Yeah I have some books that I picked up on the human anatomy. I’m just used to drawing cartoons. Real life people were never my thing, but I’m changing that. So, once I practice and get through these books, hands shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

27. 

    jaynajaynajayna said 8 months ago

    quakerninja said: I use this http://graphics.smithmicro.com/go/poser but if you can put on a beret and hire a woman to go full monty in your apartment, for an hour a week.

    why isn’t this technology being used toward developing fully interactive porn is all I want to know, that could make them millions

28. 

    quakerninja said 8 months ago

    you can make pork with it. fully interactive pork.

29. 

    ThinkBaker said 8 months ago

    Study J.C. Lyendecker. and DRAW DRAW DRAW!!! that’s THE ONLY WAY to get better!

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