Drawing the 3/4 View Portrait with Hands - Page 2 of 4

With my landmarks all accurately placed and proportioned I can now fairly quickly sketch in the facial features using a very sharp 8B pencil. At this juncture I only want to articulate only the information that I need. You’ll notice that I have not sketched in the eyes, only the orbits; although I have gone as far as rendering the interstice (opening) of the mouth and the Nasal Labial Furrows (smile lines).

The hands have even less information. My main concern with the hands is to first place the Metacarpophalangeal Joint (the large middle knuckle) and the primary knuckle lines. Like the brow ridge in the head, the primary knuckle line is the hands’ major landmark. Get that wrong and everything goes askew!

The reason I used the anatomical terms belies my firm belief that an understanding of the underlying structures of bone and muscle is absolutely critical in establishing a sound foundation upon which you can grow as a portrait and figural artist.

Drawing hands is in the beginning a structural, anatomical endeavor somewhat akin to free hand mechanical drawing. But soon you will graduate from that level and your drawings of hands will become fluid and expressive.

Once you have sketched in the basic features it is a good idea to check both their vertical and horizontal relationships with your plumb bob.

With the tapered side of my 8B (I sharpen my pencils to about a 1 ½” lead using a safety razor blade and sandpaper) I evenly lay in the primary dark tone and stump it down with my finger. Be advised: Tortillons and paper stumps will deaden your tone.

You need only establish a singular dark tone. Always work from the general to the specific – I’ve said this many times before and it does bear repeating. An elegantly distilled simplicity is the objective.

At this point I have spent approximately eight to ten minutes on the drawing. A beginner should spend about two hours, maybe even three, to arrive at this juncture. There is little to gain drawing in a hurly-burly manic rush. As you acquire and become more comfortable with your drawing skills your speed and eloquence will naturally increase. I would hazard to say that is very much like swimming. At first it is a massive effort to refrain from drowning, but with persistence and practice you eventually find yourself moving with relative ease.