Remember when we all used to avoid drawing hands?

Last month, I finally tried to paint a portrait with hyper-detailed, realistic hands using just my basic tablet and a default round brush. I spent maybe 4 hours on the fingers alone, and the result looked weirdly plastic and stiff, nothing like the rest of the piece. It taught me that sometimes the old 'cheat' of hiding hands was actually about focusing on the overall feeling, not just technical skill. Anyone have a good brush pack or method for making hands look less like mannequin parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

scott.grace28d ago

Four hours on just the fingers?

karen_martin16d ago

Seriously, who has that kind of time?

joelharris28d ago

Ever notice how a perfectly drawn hand can still feel totally wrong in a painting? I got obsessed with nailing the anatomy once, and my guy ended up looking like a creepy wax statue holding a coffee cup. It was technically fine but had zero life. Maybe we overthink the parts and forget to draw the gesture first.