Hands and Feet

Hands and feet have a reputation for being the hardest parts to draw. Many artists hide them in pockets and behind objects. But with the right simplification, they become manageable, and drawing them well makes your figures far more expressive.

Hands: simplify into a box and tubes

• The palm is a flat box, slightly curved, about as long as it is wide. It's thicker on the thumb side.
• The fingers are tubes with three segments each, getting shorter toward the tip. The middle finger is the longest, about as long as the palm.
• The knuckles form an arc, not a straight line. So do the fingertips when the hand is open. This arc is the single most useful observation for drawing hands.
• The thumb is different: it attaches near the wrist, on the side of the palm, and has a big fleshy base (the thenar mass). It rotates toward the palm to oppose the fingers.

Hand gestures

Hands are almost as expressive as faces. Pay attention to their gesture: a relaxed hand curls gently, with fingers progressively more bent from index to pinky. A tense hand spreads or clenches. Use your own hand as a model constantly: it's the reference you always carry.

Feet: a wedge and a ball

• From the side, the foot is a wedge: high at the ankle, sloping down to the toes.
• The inside of the foot has a high arch; the outside touches the ground along its length.
• The inner ankle bone is higher than the outer one.
• The toes are short; the big toe is separate and points slightly upward; the others curl down and grip the ground.
• From the front, the foot is wider at the toes, with the toes forming a sloped line (big toe highest).

Foreshortening

Hands and feet are often foreshortened: a foot pointing at the viewer, a hand reaching out. Use overlapping forms and cross-contours (see foreshortening). Draw the nearest form completely and let the farther ones tuck behind it.