Hands Down......
One of the biggest challenges for artists is painting and drawing the hands. They are difficult to paint, no doubt. Some artists and collectors believe that you can judge the quality of the painting by the how well the hands were rendered.
One way to simplify the drawing and painting of the hands is to see the hands as part of the gestural expression of the whole arm. There are many details in the hands, but remember the hands should look soft and flowing, yet show a certain amount of anatomy.
Another technique that artists use in achieving success in painting and drawing the hands is they will try to concentrate on rendering abstract shapes, instead of concentrating on "I am trying to paint a hand". Think bold abstract shapes. And keep in mind the hands are like a box, with a top, sides and a bottom.
But most important for the artist to achieve in rendering the hands is to capture the expression in the hands. Whether they are held together, up to the face, holding a pair of glasses, or laying gracefully on the sitter's lap, the hands should denote the character of the sitter.
The portrait painter Michel Jacobs stated in his book, "Portrait Painting", that "the artist Rubens, as great as he was, could seldom paint hands. Rubens struggled with the hands in many of his paintings." Jacobs says, " if you see a painted hand in a Rubens painting, you can safely say that it was painted by Van Dyck, his pupil and friend, who was very good at painting hands."
For any artist, the study of drawing hands is a life long pursuit. Take time to do studies of hands of a model or practice drawing your own hand. This can add so much to your growth as an artist.
Below are samples of hand details from a two portraits from Deborah Ridgley. The first photo is a detail from the painting "Mr. Warren Hitner" , oil on canvas, 30" x 20". The second photo is a detail from the painting "Michelle G. Schneider", oil on canvas, 40" x 30"
