{"id":1601,"date":"2015-09-15T23:24:05","date_gmt":"2015-09-16T03:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/?p=1601"},"modified":"2026-01-19T22:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T03:56:18","slug":"how-to-draw-hands-part-2-beyond-structure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/2015\/09\/15\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-beyond-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"How to draw hands part 2 &#8211; Beyond structure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1636 \" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-old-2.jpg\" alt=\"how to draw hands old 2\" width=\"386\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-old-2.jpg 461w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-old-2-300x294.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-old-2-428x420.jpg 428w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This is the last part of a 2 part tutorial. Part 1 covers basic proportions of a hand. If you have not reviewed it, please click <a title=\"How to Draw Hands Part 1: Construction\" href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/2015\/08\/19\/how-to-draw-hands-part-1-construction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Being able to draw the shape of a hand is great, but what happens after that? In this tutorial, I will be covering how to draw nails, skin, wrinkles and folds for several different types of hands: baby, elderly, masculine and feminine. What characteristics make a hand look strong, gentle\u00a0or young? Read more to find out!<\/p>\n<p>*Most of the drawing techniques are covered in the first section (how to draw elderly hands). Don&#8217;t skip this section if you want to get the most out of this tutorial :)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to Draw Elderly Hands<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/How-to-draw-old-elderly-hands-wm.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1617 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/How-to-draw-old-elderly-hands-wm-1024x270.jpg\" alt=\"How to draw hands - old elderly hands\" width=\"640\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/How-to-draw-old-elderly-hands-wm-1024x270.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/How-to-draw-old-elderly-hands-wm-300x79.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/How-to-draw-old-elderly-hands-wm-696x184.jpg 696w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/How-to-draw-old-elderly-hands-wm-1068x282.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/How-to-draw-old-elderly-hands-wm.jpg 1479w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><strong>1.\u00a0Structure<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Elderly people generally have less body fat, so when you draw the outline, make sure to pronounce the joints.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>2. Skin<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1608 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-old-hands-skin-2.jpg\" alt=\"how to draw old hands skin 2\" width=\"167\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-old-hands-skin-2.jpg 180w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-old-hands-skin-2-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 167px) 100vw, 167px\" \/><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Instead of shading with long pencil strokes, use a fine <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2d0HYK8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">0.5mm HB <strong><br \/>\nmechanical pencil<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to create layers of\u00a0circles with even amounts of pressure. Avoid shading the nails. Switch to a 2B or even 4B to darken areas between bones or around tendons to make the hand appear even skinnier. Layer the circles on until the gaps are really small, but still visible to achieve the look of fine lines.<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthline.com\/human-body-maps\/hand-muscles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a> to see an interactive diagram of a hand in layers<\/p>\n<p>In order to retain as much realistic skin texture as possible, do not blend or smudge! If you feel the need to blend any area of the drawing, use an HB pencil to layer on even more circles.<\/p>\n<p>I will go into more details in a future tutorial on skin. Follow me on Facebook to get an update whenever I post a new article!<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/2016\/07\/19\/how-to-shade-the-ultimate-tutorial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a> to learn how to shade!<\/p>\n<h4><strong>3.\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Veins,\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Wrinkles and Folds<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1611\" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/draw-wrinkles-and-folds-s2.jpg\" alt=\"how to draw hands wrinkles and folds s2\" width=\"206\" height=\"323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/draw-wrinkles-and-folds-s2.jpg 239w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/draw-wrinkles-and-folds-s2-191x300.jpg 191w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Use a blunt 2B pencil to draw clean lines where prominent folds, wrinkles and veins\u00a0appear. Then apply different shading techniques\u00a0for each one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Veins:<\/strong> Gradual, soft shading<br \/>\n<strong>Wrinkles:<\/strong> Less gradual, darker valleys, more prominent highlights<br \/>\n<strong>Folds:<\/strong>\u00a0Gradual, less\u00a0prominent highlights<\/p>\n<p>Give some of the wrinkles\u00a0at each finger joint some wider valleys than others.<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><strong>4. Fingernails<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-fingernails-on-a-hand-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1621\" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-fingernails-on-a-hand-4.jpg\" alt=\"how to draw fingernails on a hand 4\" width=\"390\" height=\"172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-fingernails-on-a-hand-4.jpg 432w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-fingernails-on-a-hand-4-300x132.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To\u00a0make them easy to draw\u00a0you can section each nail into 3 main areas: the lunule (the white semi circle above the cuticle), body of the nail and the free edge.<\/p>\n<p>If you look at your fingernail up close you will notice many lines stretching across the entire nail. Because of these lines, there will be breaks in the light reflected off the nail&#8217;s surface. Draw lines to section off areas you need to\u00a0shade or highlight.<span style=\"color: #808080;\"> As we age, our nails grow thicker and the lines may\u00a0become\u00a0more apparent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Shade these areas in one at a time. Make sure to give the nail some shape by\u00a0making the\u00a0left and right side darker.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to Draw Masculine Hands<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-masculine-male-hand.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1625\" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-masculine-male-hand.jpg\" alt=\"how to draw a masculine male hand\" width=\"227\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-masculine-male-hand.jpg 256w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-masculine-male-hand-195x300.jpg 195w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Structure<\/strong><br \/>\nIn order to draw strong masculine hands,\u00a0we\u00a0need to go back to <a title=\"How to Draw Hands Part 1: Construction\" href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/2015\/08\/19\/how-to-draw-hands-part-1-construction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">part 1<\/a> and enlarge the bottom row of joints for each of the four fingers. For the thumb, enlarge the two bottom joints. If you look at your dominant hand, you may notice that the bottom\u00a0two thumb joints\u00a0are more prominent compared to your other hand. These joints change over time, especially for those who are frequently involved in laborious physical work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Skin<\/strong><br \/>\nWith a blunt HB pencil, use circular motions to draw the skin,\u00a0but this time follow up with a blending stump to smooth out the texture. Introduce lots of lines and\u00a0shapes for a chiseled look.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Veins, Wrinkles, Tendons<\/strong><br \/>\nAccentuate tendons and veins. You can find an interactive diagram with tendons and veins <a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthline.com\/human-body-maps\/hand-muscles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>. The only apparent wrinkles are located at each finger joint. Keep the lines narrow and shallow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Fingernails<\/strong><br \/>\nDraw short fingernails with lots of texture for a rugged look.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to Draw Feminine Hands<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-feminine-female-hand.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1624\" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-feminine-female-hand.jpg\" alt=\"how to draw a feminine female hand\" width=\"182\" height=\"346\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-feminine-female-hand.jpg 249w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-feminine-female-hand-158x300.jpg 158w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-feminine-female-hand-221x420.jpg 221w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 182px) 100vw, 182px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Structure<\/strong><br \/>\nPut less emphasis on the finger joints and knuckles. Especially the bottom 2 thumb joints.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Skin<\/strong><br \/>\nUse a blunt HB pencil to draw the skin using circular motions and then blend using tissue paper. Unlike masculine hands, avoid harsh lines and shapes. Make the skin as smooth and consistent as possible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Veins, Wrinkles, Tendons<\/strong><br \/>\nTendons should only be slightly visible with very gradual shading.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Fingernails<\/strong><br \/>\nMost people think fingernails grow out straight, when really they&#8217;re\u00a0curved. In fact, the longer they grow, the more apparent this curve becomes. Have you ever watched the episode of Guinness World Records featuring the lady who grew her nails 10 feet long? They literally <em>spiral out of control<\/em>!<br \/>\nFake nails or real&#8230; there will almost always be a curve. Don&#8217;t overlook this detail!<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to Draw Baby Hands<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-baby-hand-with-pencil.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1623\" src=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-baby-hand-with-pencil.jpg\" alt=\"how to draw a baby hand with pencil\" width=\"240\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-baby-hand-with-pencil.jpg 380w, https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-a-baby-hand-with-pencil-300x295.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Structure<\/strong><br \/>\nAdd thickness between each joint and round out the tips of each finger so they are nice and plump. If you are drawing a skinny baby hand, do not put too much emphasis on the bottom 2 thumb joints.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Skin<\/strong><br \/>\nBaby hands are smooth and plump, so you want to focus on making your circles as close together as possible. Keep your pencil pressure consistent and work in layers using only a blunt HB pencil until you are ready to do some darker shading. Avoid using any lead softer than 2B. Stick to gradual shadows for a cute chubby hand. Use tissue paper to smooth out the skin.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Dimples<\/strong><br \/>\nOne big characteristic of babies or children&#8217;s\u00a0hands are the dimples that appear on each knuckle (minus that of the thumb) when the fingers are outstretched. Use a 2B pencil to draw these cute little dimples, making sure to appropriately shade and highlight the space around it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Wrinkles and Folds<\/strong><br \/>\nBabies have very few wrinkles, so when drawing finger joints, draw\u00a0only a few large wrinkles. They should appear thick, so stick to gradual shading with\u00a0less\u00a0prominent highlights.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Fingernails<\/strong><br \/>\nA healthy baby has smooth, shiny nails. Avoid adding any additional textures.<\/p>\n<p>Need some pictures for drawing reference? Click <a href=\"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/2015\/08\/19\/how-to-draw-hands-part-1-construction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a> to download a whole bunch! :)<\/p>\n<p>I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on <strong>how to draw hands: beyond structure<\/strong>. If you have any questions or comments, please drop them in the comments section below!<\/p>\n<p>UPDATE: For more detailed instructions, checkout my new video tutorial! <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/j739xyYn0fE\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/j739xyYn0fE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is the last part of a 2 part tutorial. Part 1 covers basic proportions of a hand. If you have not reviewed it, please click here. Being able to draw the shape of a hand is great, but what happens after that? In this tutorial, I will be covering how to draw nails, skin, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[26,27,28],"class_list":["post-1601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-how-to-draw","tag-hands","tag-skin","tag-wrinkles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail.jpg",324,235,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail-300x218.jpg",300,218,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail.jpg",324,235,false],"large":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail.jpg",324,235,false],"ug_big":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail.jpg",324,235,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail.jpg",324,235,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail.jpg",324,235,false],"gg_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/how-to-draw-hands-part-2-thumbnail.jpg",324,235,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Darlene Nguyen","author_link":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/author\/darlenenguyen\/"},"uagb_comment_info":21,"uagb_excerpt":"This is the last part of a 2 part tutorial. Part 1 covers basic proportions of a hand. If you have not reviewed it, please click here. Being able to draw the shape of a hand is great, but what happens after that? In this tutorial, I will be covering how to draw nails, skin,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1601"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8222,"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1601\/revisions\/8222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}