Tutorial: Hands & Feet
Welcome to the second half of Tutorial Tuesday! Drawing hands and feet has been the bane of a number of budding artists. Even some professionals skirt the issue of drawing these parts correctly by conveniently hiding them behind other characters or placed items such as rubble, machinery, etc. I had a friend in college who dubbed the phenomena linked to the avoidance of drawing feet as the dreaded ‘foot fear.‘ Well, fear no more. Today we’re going to tackle the mechanics of drawing feet and hands in the easiest way possible – by showing you how they are broken down into a series of really simple shapes. With enough practice, you won’t have to rely on the base shapes and work your way to a completed hand or foot – you’ll just do it from memory.
Okay – check it out…
Drawing the Hand
The hand is comprised of 4 fingers, 1 thumb, a palm and a series of connective ligaments, joints and bones, etc. People tend to get too hung up on details when drawing hands, and forget about the basic shapes within. Here is an example of a regular hand, palm down, fingers outstretched.
It’s not the most detailed hand, but you get the idea. But pay closer attention and you’ll see the following things that can make or break a realistic looking hand.
- The middle finger is the longest
- The ring finger and index finger are almost the same length
- The pinky finger is smaller and thinner
- The thumb is drawn in profile when the hand is flat
You’ll note that on the fourth point, it is extremely difficult to get your thumb to lay flat with your fingers outstretched while it is in a resting state.
In order to draw a hand successfully, you need to break it down into its simplest parts. Let’s assume that each part of the hand is like a circle. Here’s what it would look like in comparison:
Note the single circle at the fingertips, a circle for the location of the main joint, a circle for the position of the knuckle, and a large circle outlining the area of the palm. These are the basic construction lines used to create the hand. The main difference lies in the creation of the thumb, which has an elongated section for the secondary joint instead of a pronounced knuckle. The next time you draw your hand, think of how each digit would look in a series of circular forms like the one shown below, then rough in the drawing with connecting lines, and complete the details.
Also, when in doubt, use reference material!
Examine where the circular forms are for the joints and digits, and connect the pieces to make your basic form. Then add in your details like skin creases, fingernails, tendons, etc.
Drawing the Foot
Similar to the hand, the foot is also a tricky body part to draw correctly. But, if you break the form down to its simplest parts, it becomes a lot more manageable. With time and practice, you’ll get over your foot fear. Here’s a basic foot shown in overhead view:
Just like the basic hand drawing I did earlier, this may not appear to be the most detailed, but if you pay close attention, you’ll notice all the interesting nuances that make this foot appear normal.
- The toes form a curve from the largest toe at the peak, to the smallest toe at the low end of the curve
- Each toe gets progressively smaller, but maintains the one joint crease
- The toenails on all the toes except the big toe are drawn right to the edge of the outline. This creates the illusion of the toes curling inward, which they do in their natural relaxed state
- There is a slight bulge in the foot after the big toe which leads into the arch of the foot
- The ankle bone on the big toe side sticks out as far as that bulge, with the arch connecting both sections
When you’re drawing the foot, here are the basic circular forms used in its construction.
Note the position of the small circles for the toes, a large circle and a smaller circle to form the ends of the toes (metatarsal area), two circles to indicate the location of the ankle bones and a large circle to indicate the heel. These 10 circles comprise the main joints and bones of the foot. Now, using reference photos, determine the shape of the connecting lines which will create your arch and outer lines of the foot. Just remember to draw these basic circular forms first and build them up into a solid foot drawing.
This jumble of circles can easily be transformed into a great looking foot. As always, refer to real life photographs for accuracy:
Take note of where your circles would appear on a side view of a foot. The big toe is obscured by the other toes in front of it. Examine the heel, the arch of the foot, leading through the metatarsal area into the toes.
See how the foot changes shape slightly in different action poses? But the forms still remain the same – circular forms for the toes, ankles and heels. It’s all in where you position them. One piece of advice, draw as many feet in action poses as possible – running, jumping, standing, etc. You will get a better understanding of the shape of the foot and how to draw it in various situations.
Keep practicing! Even the most accomplished artists need to use reference from time to time to guide them. I hope you learned something from this basic hand and foot tutorial. In the future, we’ll tackle more specific hand and foot rendering. For now, work on building your hands and feet using these tips, and you’ll be a pro in no time. See you next Tuesday for another tutorial!
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Tags: Drawing, proportions, tutorial
