How to Draw Hands
By Kelly | June 3, 2007
The three most expressive body parts, those that are key in depicting a character’s mood, are the face, hands, and feet respectively. In other words, you should spend almost as much energy on a figure’s hand as you would the face! Don’t hesitate to draw hands- many anxious young artists hide them in pockets or behind the back. It takes study and practice, but you can learn to construct a pretty convincing hand if you understand the basic forms and underlying anatomy.
This tutorial makes frequent use of Constructive Anatomy by George Bridgeman, a work in the public domain hosted by the Internet Archive.
I also recommend the following:
Check the Recommended Reading Booklist for more reference books, and tips on getting them cheap.
1. Basic Hand Anatomy
Anatomy studies by George Bridgeman
Understanding the components of the hand – bone, muscle, and tendon- will help you draw believable hands. Draw studies of your own hands, paying particular attention to silhouette and form, and with particular empahsis on change of direction in the lines of the silhouette.
Exaggerate plane changes and overlapping forms to make more dynamic hands
Do many studies of your own hands for practice. After studying, try drawing some new poses using your memory!
2. Simplified Forms
I like to think of the hand as three big pieces- the palm, thumb, and fingers. Imagine the hand as a mitten, with the fingers as one mass. Then, in your mind convert that mitten into a more three-dimensional form. The hand is long and relatively flat, it’s just the folds of the palm and joints of the fingers that make it seem complex.
The fingers have three joints- the knuckle, where it attaches to the palm, a smaller middle joint, and an even smaller joint near the tip. The natural movement of the finger’s bend goes from knuckle, to middle, to tip. In other words, the tip joint only bends in the most extreme poses, and it only bends alone if there’s pressure on the finger tip (such as poking an object).
Don’t forget which side the thumb is on! A simple ‘rule of thumb’ – palms out, thumbs in. Palms in, thumbs out. Check your pose with a mirror or get a buddy to model if you aren’t sure.
Here are some of Bridgeman’s hand studies, showing how he simplifies the form, including some very geometric plane studies-
3. Animals and Anthro Hands
Here are a couple of techniques for making anthro/furry hands:
Cartoony paws use simple, rounded forms to convey the structure of the hand. Detail is minimal, since with animated characters every line must be re-drawn thousands of times. These animated characters typically have 3 fingers and a thumb, and lack extraneous details like furry accents and paw pads.
Mid-way between animal and human, this style of hand has stubbier fingers and bigger joints, plus the animal characteristics of fur and paw pads. This kind of hand is better for more beast-like or masculine anthros.
These examples are how I’d draw hands for my Good Cheese characters. The female hand is slender and elegant, with only pointed nails (and perhaps a pink palm) to lend it some animal flavor. The male hand is more beast-like, with stubby fingers and hints of fur at the knuckles.
Feel free to experiment with different styles, and draw the hands that best fit your character’s design.
Happy drawing! 
Topics: Drawing tutorials | 84 Comments »
84 Responses to “How to Draw Hands”
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The Weatherly Guide to Drawing Animals |
 
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Drawing the Head and Figure |
 
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Cartoon Animation |
 
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The Art of Animal Drawing |
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June 5th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
This is rather helpful, especially the breakdown of the three approaches to how to draw hands.
June 7th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Heh, sweet! Hands!
I hate drawing hands for my anthro dudes, but this is making it easier!
Yeah!
June 10th, 2007 at 4:00 am
This tutorial really helped me with hands. I really liked the anthro ones, because i mostly draw in anthro :P. Thanks for the tutorial.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:17 am
Bridgman is awesome. I’ve been trying to incorporate his techniques into breaking down forms. Thanks for this tutorial. It was helpful.
June 13th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
THANK YOU! I’ve always had trouble drawing the hands and stuff,but it could be that I use a computer.Now if there was only an anthro tutorial onlegs ^^;;;
June 14th, 2007 at 12:53 am
Thank you so much! This is very helpful!
June 28th, 2007 at 3:03 am
I like this. The hands are the hardest thing for me and this helps.
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:07 pm
OMG this web site rocks!!!!!! I LOVE IT…
July 12th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
this is such a great help!! I’m new to anthro drawing so this is amazing help for me.
September 25th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Quite helpful!
I very much think that also adding anthro animal hands is useful!
Escpecialy when you put in cartoon virson! ^^
October 25th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Any help involving hands help. They are the greatest bane to my drawing next to the body and feet.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:22 am
thank for a lot of insight in to the hand and head those are definitely my trouble areas um i was wondering if you had any thing on wings i am having a bugger of a time with those for my character an anthro Clydesdale Pegasus
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:19 am
Hands are a right pain in the harris , my technique has developed in all areas but still hands are the beating of me. Not litteraly obviously.
Trying to draw the hands on a Adult form cabbit woman doing a bow in a big Victorian dress with little success.
November 26th, 2007 at 8:10 am
hey, this really can help me and otehr people =3 thanks very much!
btw, i discover your comic today, and i read it completly in one try ^^ excellent work! keep with your story! =3
November 26th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
thank you, you may have just saved my bacon. I’ve been looking for a tutorial like this as I am doing forepaws for a dragon which I don’t want to be too scary.
Thank you.
Shy
December 15th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Very helpful. Hands are always tough and since I’m attempting my first furry character this is a good start for me.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Wow, you make such a great point with the hands. I have taken your advice and it has done such a wonderful touch to my toons. Thank you. This is a Great Site! One I stop being a “guest carttonist” at a friends site and get my own up, I’m make sure I’ll link this site!
February 13th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I LOVE THIS SITE!! Its helped me soooo much. I was having such a hard time with the hands until Now!!!
February 23rd, 2008 at 10:40 pm
thank you for your help, it is well appreciated
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:01 am
i have had a series for years in manga but now i might change it to furry b4 its published online.this site helps me sooo much
April 1st, 2008 at 9:34 am
Thank you very much for this tutorial, I’ve drawn a believable hand for the first time in my life using one of these techniques (a wolf’s hand with three fingers plus a thumb).
April 16th, 2008 at 1:08 am
This little drawing lesson seriously redefined the look of my characters’ hands, although it would be really neat to toss in a few examples of different hands holding stuff.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:35 am
Whoa. You have no idea how big of a help this is for me and a friend of mine. Major props!
May 9th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
i think this webbi is great it has some good idea’s and it made me win a comp at school so who ever made this website thak you sooo much xxxxx
May 9th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
hands are the hardest part for any artist no matter what your drawing so this really help me (^0^)
May 25th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I went to have a look at your comic, but it wasn’t there. D: I so wanted to look at how you’ve done your hands in there!
June 6th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Thankyou thankyou thankyou THANKYOU!
I really needed this! I’ve been meaning to learn how to draw hands properly for AGES!! Their so awkward to do xD but thankies! This helped tons!!
June 16th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
I Googled how to draw hands and this site was about the third listed. I couldn’t believe it, because I just happened to be drawing a furry character! This tutorial was a big help. I have bookmarked your site and will be returning soon.
June 20th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I love those figure drawing thanks
July 5th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I like the tutorial with the anthro/furry hands it helped me out.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:10 am
thank you so much I had almost given up hope about ever being able to draw anything let alone hands and now I can thnk you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 17th, 2008 at 11:52 am
wow, this was one of my main problems, i never was good at drawing hands, thanks, this helped quite a bit! =]
October 1st, 2008 at 12:18 am
This another big help!
But I have another problem in drawing:
Hair,as in the stuff on top of my furries head :/
Can you make a tut about that?
Keep it real and furry-
TheFurFreak
October 12th, 2008 at 10:10 am
This website really influenced me alot on my way to drawing furry artwork.I feel that my artwork owes some credit towards this site.Thanks so much!:D
October 18th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Thanks, this helps! I’m trying to draw some Anthro/Furry characters and this helps a great deal! ^^
October 19th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
do you think you could show us how to draw hands holding some thing like a sick?
November 7th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Finally, I don’t have to stare at a mirror while I’m drawing the right hand on a furry. I can just use this.
November 8th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
this was very helpful to me. if you have more tips on how to draw I ask of you to please send me them I would really appreciate it. thanks
November 18th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Thats awsome stuff. This helped me alot. And i mean ALOT.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
This was very helpful! I always have trouble with forming the perfect hands.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Um yea hey just curious.
you’re hands are well scaled and neat around the knuckles
what would you use say doing a burned or crippling hand
detail is no issue for me but my fingers have a tendency to lean towards squared edges.
January 15th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Very helpful for female hands, but the male hands disagree with my personal writing style, but still, good advice all in all!
March 8th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Thanks for the tutorial. Even just looking at the pictures and following the basic paw design helped me SO MUCH in my first, real furry drawing. :3
March 21st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
This was really helpful with a wolf-fox hybrid character I’m drawing. =3
But I’m having trouble with the feet. Well, mostly just the toes. Are there any good books/tutorials out there on furry anthro toes?
March 25th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Thank you very, very much for existing, and further more, for bringing all of your tutorials into existance with your wonderfiul talent. My paws/hands/whatevers looked absolutely… uncleaver(?) but, with your ideas, hints and walkthroughs, (and the piccies, really), I’ve drawn better anthro characters! Thanks much!
April 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 am
Good hands, I draw anime but i’m only a begginer, and I do POrtraits, I just started on a full bodt though, and was searching for some good ways to draw hands, It looks much better now.
April 16th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I am not going to lie but I found this of little use. :( I think it would have been more useful if it where a step by step from the first stroke of the pencil. So I hope that that is something that gets posted.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Your tutorials are very helpful! I find hands to be tied with proportions for hardest things to draw on a figure. I love your style though, this should aid me quite a bit.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:13 am
One never seems to find these kinds of sites and to be grateful can only be an understatment
May 26th, 2009 at 11:06 am
This is helpful in a way. I want to ask if you would put up some examples of left hands.
May 29th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Furr One) I love Good Cheese, so please, keep going with the comic creations, I love your characters, and my favorite is Jerome, cause his being a skunk is kinda cool, and Calib is sort of mean to him when he is sitting outside Priya’s house. Furr Two) Thanks for the tutorials, I’ve learned tons from these sites, and I can draw Anthro really well.
May 30th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Wait, I just thought about something!!! You should totally make more links pics, maybe one with Jerome in it….(I get it, I sound kinda gay cuz he’s a dude and so am I…well…..I don’t feel like answering that one, because I don’t like the sound of my answer.) Yes, I realise that I say everywhere that I’m not like that, but some of them are really hot…so, yeah, I like Jerome….so what? He’s got a good look to him. He should get more publicity!!
August 20th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
thanks ^_^ it would be awesome if you did a humanoid leg tutorial cause im crap at them
August 26th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Hay, was just wondering if you could do some tutorials on like the stages of creating a hand xD, just started drawing Anthro’s and its Great fun!! Love the anatomical references :P
September 4th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Really great tutorial, learned allot from it
your work inspires me, keep it up!
=)
September 21st, 2009 at 3:20 am
mastery of anatomy quite perfect. certainly been through a long time to process object of detailed observations
October 10th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
im kinda new to draw furries and beside the face, the paws or hands are the hardest part, put this was pretty helpful
November 6th, 2009 at 1:28 am
The pictures alone helped me a lot… this was really useful. Along with eyes, I find anthro handpaws to be mind- bengingly hard to draw. I’ve always struggled with the thumb, in particular, and using my own hands as a reference didn’t really help… it’s really great to have someting like this around when you’re working on a drawing.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
this really helped try showing us how to draw the hand gripping something :D
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:12 pm
i love your art, but i have a quick question. how do i draw furry yaoi? i came across your site and i found everything i needed BUT that.
December 8th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Thanks a lot I’m new to furry drawing i can do the face, and body all pretty well i just struggle with the hands and feet big time so big thanks again.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Thanks so much, this helped a lot.
I’m a begginer furry artist, and i really suck at drawing hands, so thanks!
this helped…like a said xD
December 20th, 2009 at 3:12 am
lol im about the same sonic, thou i can do the feet good
December 24th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
very nice tutorial! XD
will try this myself
thanks! :P
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Wow… Just wow really helpful now I can start my manga. Thanks guys your so convienant. (crap I think I spelled that wrong)
January 7th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Great hands tutorial, you saved my day!
January 21st, 2010 at 10:41 am
thank you so much I had almost given up hope about ever being able to draw anything let alone hands and now pl help me how to draw a hand having apple with small finger towards me and also showing thumb upward not touching apple.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:56 am
Great Hand studiesh Well done.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Thank You Soo Much For This, This Is Tho Only Decent Anthro-Drawing Site On The Internet
February 4th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
This is a great website, I actually learned every bit of anthro drawing I know from here. Thank you
February 19th, 2010 at 1:04 am
all i need now is how to make a hand griping something, such as a bottle or can
April 21st, 2010 at 5:12 pm
You don’t know how much THIS helped! Now I have the shape of the hands! Griping/Spreaded! Thanks a TON! You should really try to draw more body positions, & lay out more of a description.
May 2nd, 2010 at 7:56 am
Excellent tutorial.Helped me a lot.Awesome.
Thanks
May 7th, 2010 at 8:51 am
WOW. This is awesome. It’s too bad I’m in school right now, otherwise I’d be drawing away! XD
May 13th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
thanks for this ‘lil tutorial. it’s going to help me in the future!=^.^=
May 24th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
It’s very good article.
May 29th, 2010 at 3:31 am
Thanks a lot.I loved drawing but hands and feet were the only parts pausing problem.
But now with your help it’s no more a problem.Thenks a lot.
May 31st, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Have the hands down on my reference page for later.. Thanks.. Hands and feet are the only things I cannot draw..
June 1st, 2010 at 9:50 am
this has been a lot of help. Do you think that you could possibly do some hooved habds causse they are really hard and i cant find any thing that can help me…any ideas?
June 14th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I can do ears,eyes,torsos,breasts,legs…My Achilles heel is getting hands,feet and accurate noses.Thanks for the article!
July 25th, 2010 at 7:31 am
i dont draw hands, i draw paws :3
August 16th, 2010 at 4:40 am
This is the number one spot for reference in drawing furries…now only if you guys can expand into drawing anthro legs..now that would be great.
August 23rd, 2010 at 10:00 am
hands used to be my worst thing, now im sooooo much better at it!
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:20 pm
O Snap! He Doesnt Draw Hands He Draws Paws! Watch Out lol