The most effective means of capturing a realistic hand, no matter what position it’s in, is to begin by seeing the exterior shape of the whole.
Visualizing the exterior shape is useful for a number of reasons: first of all, it is a simple way of starting the drawing.
You have to start somewhere, and when you begin with a circle, square, or triangle (and so on), you immediately define not only the general dimensions of the final drawing, but you also control the size.
Visualizing the exterior shape is also a useful way of determining guidelines, which is the second thing you should do when laying out your drawing.
Consider how much easier it is to find the halfway point on a simple shape then it is on the finished drawing of the hand holding a wine glass pictured here.
And finally, beginning with the simple form is the only way to begin a drawing which takes into account that the interior shapes are only part of the whole; that they only look correct when drawn in relationship to each other.
Draw shapes separately, and you will end up with a finished piece that is more likely than not mis-shapen, incorrectly proportioned, and unrealistically formed.
To find the exterior shape, squint at the object and blank out everything but its outline. Pretend that you’re looking at a silouhette of the object. The exterior shape is not this precise outline; it is the simplest shape that contains all (or nearly all) of the the outline.
So in the examples shown here, the exterior shape may not include a fingertip, or it may extend beyond the form.
The shape can be adapted later, so that’s not important. The shape should be clear and easily transferred to the drawing paper, or it misses its purpose. Once the exterior shape is determined, you can move forward to adding guidelines to help place the interior shapes.
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