That pesky part of the drawing that we put off to the end, those appendages that dangle at the arm and taunt the most talented of artists... the hands. Considered the most expressive part of the figure the hands can tell a story of hope, loss, despair, longing or reaching for something. Intricate and detailed, they often present a challenge to new artists and accomplished artists alike. Like many artists, I have devoted pages and pages of drawing paper to the study and understanding of the hand and sometimes I feel no closer to mastering the hands then I did as a first year art student.

Many spiritual beliefs hold that our hands hold the key to our lives, that the lines etched there can foretell our future. But it is precisely those lines that give depth to the hands, a sense of realism and an indication of age. It can be tricky to capture the texture, wrinkles and folds of the hand and balance that with the graceful gesture and length of the fingers.

Here are some examples of the study of the hand to inspire you to tackle drawing your own hand, after all you dont need access to a model for this exercise in observation. You can thank Lockstock [link] for suggesting this feature!