The hands
Here is a subject that will interest more than one people...
One of the most difficult steps for the artists. Painters have difficulties to draw hands with a high and precise rendering. Their expressions are so different and numerous that the smallest detail could alter the quality of the whole painting !
In this session, you will see the key steps in the drawing of a hand through a fist example. This is not a general training but simply an approach of this subject. Using photography, we will try together to define these steps and go on step by step in order to make this drawing realistic.
Moreover you will find a database that you will be able to freely download in order to get a database for your own scenes.
Let's start by looking at the model we will use :
Notice the different shadow areas, the contours, the details, the shapes and the volumes.
The first step consists in identifying the main contours :
The forearm, the thumb base, the different phalanxes, the nails, the main finger lines, etc... It's obvious that the goal of the exercise is not to only know how to draw with a model, but it's a good beginning to automate your gestures. With experience, you will never ask yourself the question : «Do I have the right number of fingers ?» or «Do the fingers have the same length ?»...
If you have to paint this hand, whatever the technique, always use a pencil, a chalk or a very pale charcoal, and do not press trop much.
This first job achieved, you have to create the relieves. To do so you have to identify the main shadow zones :
The top of the thumb, the inside of the palm at the base of the thumb, the side of the index, the edge of the nails, the lines of the hand, etc. Always use a dry pencil in order not to engrave the support.
The next step will be the blending operation. If you draw with a pencil or a charcoal, the best tool is to use your finger.
For your own scenes, discover the L'Art Pour Tous database. This database is completely free and depending on your needs, you will have the possibility to download the photos of expressions and various forms.