Hand studies--outside assignment #1

Hands can be one of the most challenging aspects of figure drawing and aside from the face, one of the most expressive parts of the body.  To start, find the directional lines of the outside fingers and the angles connecting the tops and knuckle joints of the fingers.  There is often an axis line connecting knuckles that can be helpful in determining finger placement.   You can use the blocking method (shown above left) to define the planes and surfaces of the hands and emphasize the points where the lines change direction.  i.e.: It is helpful to divide the finger into segments (usually cylindrical or rectangular) with each joint ending a shape and often changing the direction of line.  Let the weight of your line give space to the drawing, with darker lines coming forward and lighter lines moving back.  The quality of line can mirror the quality of the skin---Is it rough, bumpy, smooth, soft?  Allow your studies to create a composition that works as a whole, with a variety of hand positions, lights and darks, eraser lines, and searching lines.

Axis lines in the figure

                          

Here are a couple examples of axis lines in gesture drawings. When referring to the back of the body, the spine is the most reliable center line.  From the front view, the central axis line runs from the sternum bone, through the naval, to the center of the pubic bone between the legs. This line often curves, depending on the model's pose. Try to determine the initial attitude of the posture and how the body shows this charge--then emphasize or exaggerate this in the drawing. In gesture drawing there is only time to capture the most important truths!  In the first drawing you can see axis lines running down the spine (S curve)and the back of the legs.  In the third drawing there are horizontal axis lines determining the angle of the hips and shoulder space and one main vertical axis determining the gravity line of the body.