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    sketch drawings of hands in 6 different gestures - peace sign, thumbs up, handshake, fist side, fist front, pointing finger

    Arts & Crafts
    School Specialty • Jun 29, 2017 • Last Modified: Sep 11, 2023

    Drawing Hands 101

    Learning to draw hands is a crucial part of being able to sketch the human form. Hands, along with drawing faces, can be a daunting task, but we’re here to give you a hand with the simple tips below. What are you waiting for? Pick up a pencil and give it a go!

    Analyze Your Own Hand:

    Take a look at your flat hand and note the following:

    1. The length of the fingers is roughly equal to the length of the palm or back of the hand.
    2. The middle finger is the highest and forms the top of an arc comprised of the other fingers. All three sets of knuckles and joints follow the same arc.
    3. The base of the thumb is a triangular shape attached to the side of the palm.
    4. The palm is distributed evenly on both sides of the middle finger.
    graphic showing a 3 part analysis of the hand shapes to aid in drawing a hand

    Let’s Sketch:

    Once you’re done with your self-study, it’s time to begin sketching.

    1. Begin by drawing the general shape of the palm or back of the hand as a square, slightly wider at the top than the bottom.
    2. Loosely add lines for the fingers, beginning with the middle fingers and arcing the others down around it.
    3. Give the fingers some dimension by “boxing” them out—remember, fingers are actually more rectangular than circular.
    4. Sketch the triangular base of the thumb on the same side of the palm as the index finger and add the thumb shape.
    5. Add the details, including rounding the fingertips, adding fingernails, and sketching in the knuckle and joint lines.
    initial sketch of a hand in 3 parts

    Once students have mastered the basic hand, experiment with different gestures, including holding up one or two fingers or making a fist. If any students want to take gesture drawing even further, check out our Gesture Drawing 101 article for more tips!

    Gesture Drawing 101

    3 part progression drawing of a hand showing a peace sign
    3 part progression sketch of a hand making a fist

    Have you taught your students how to draw hands? Do you have any tips or tricks to share with your fellow art teachers? Let us know in the comments below.

    Shop Art Drawing Pencils

    Tagged With: 101 Art Series, Drawing

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    1. 30 Amazing Hand Drawing Ideas & Inspiration – Sweet Saw says:
      Jan 9, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      […] 30 amazing hand drawing ideas and inspiration.  Found at shop.mybluprint Found at blog.schoolspecialty Found at blog.schoolspecialty Found at blog.schoolspecialty Found at annebobroffhajal […]

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