This video provides a comprehensive explanation of the structure of the human hand. It explains how to subdivide the hand into its major parts.
- Watch the 9 min. version
- Watch the 75 min. version
- Watch the Draw Along
These large sections of the hand are then broken down into smaller forms, including the metacarpals, phalanges, the wrist, and more. Lecture by Art Prof Clara Lieu.
Video Walkthrough
- Why are hands so hard to draw?
- Look for planes in the hands
- Most people draw hands too small
- Avoid getting distracted by fingers
- Build the mass of the hand first
- Prioritize the bones in the hand
- Phalanges, metacarpals
- Show the difference between skin, muscle, and bone
- Find the line of the knuckles
- Hands can tell a story
- Look for areas of tension
- Where is the skin compressed?
- The thumb vs. the 4 fingers
- Don’t just outline fingernails
- Lighting is helpful to show structure
- Foreshortening in hands looks odd
- Veins are on the surface
- Hands have very little muscle
- Subdivide the palm
- Hands can be very expressive.
Bones, Landmarks mentioned
- Phalanges
- Metacarpals
- Wrist
- Knuckles
- Palm
- Fingernails
- Veins
Reference Photos
Artists mentioned
Movies mentioned
- Shame
- The Counselor
- X-Men: First Class
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
- X-Men: Dark Phoenix
- Jane Eyre
- Steve Jobs
- Slow West
- Hunger
- Macbeth
- Inglourious Basterds
Timed Drawing Videos
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