Drawing: Head in Hands

Head in Hands (charcoal) by M-J Kelley 2013

I draw a lot of hands. I like the complexity and individuality of them. And you either get them right, or you don’t.

Hands are best drawn when you understand their underlying anatomy. I start a hand drawing with very light and simple geometrics. I move through the drawing as if I were trying to put “ducks in a row” – a lot of back and forth – gauging of values and adding hits of contrast here and there.

And though all of that happens rather seamlessly, I do make sure to pay close attention to one other little thing…the space between the pinky and the fourth finger — because it is larger than you think and getting it right makes all the difference.