How to Draw Thin, Supple Hands

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STRANSKI hands are realistic but highly simplified and stylized. In this article, we show tips and tricks on how to draw this kind of thin, supple hand.

For a flat palms, you begin with just two shapes below.

Look for both the straight lines and curves that occur within the hand.

The contrast between straight and curved lines is especially important when drawing the fingers, though far more subtle than those found in the shape of the hand itself.

Sometimes you can add a small curve to the top portion of the finger where it meets the fingertip.

Notice how the same “s”- curve repeats on different parts of the hand.

In close-ups, the fingertips are slightly rounded.

Hand gestures with thin hands appear both bold and delicate at the same time.

Whichever way you spread the fingers, be sure to preserve the arc length the produce as they break away and fan out.

Personality and gesture come from how you break the grouping of the fingers.

Note how the hand changes when maintaining these groupings while broadening it.

1. The lines of the top and bottom of the hand are softly curved, and the fingers have a gentle bend.
2. The lines of the top and bottom of the hand now have angles and the gaps between the fingers are widen.
3. The lines of the top and bottom of the hand have angles and the gaps between the fingers are even wider. Alternate fingers are also parallel to each other.

Thin hands can communicate subtle complex gestures.

Relaxed fingers hang like soft, heavy fabric off a rigid joint.

Even the simplest hand pose can have personality just by breaking the pattern. This is most important trick to drawing well-balanced hands.

The break in the pattern implies movement and gives life to a pose.

This improves even really boring poses.

Thin hands are often used to draw attention to key details.

Think of motion as a length of rope along which a gesture travels.

Look for opportunities to put small exaggerations into the movement.

When in doubt, remember that at the end of the day, any hand can be simplified into rectangles and tubes!