How to draw hands: an open palm, a fist, a hand holding a pencil

Step sheets for artists who find hands the hardest thing to draw. Each picture builds one pose from a palm block and finger lines before the outline, then adds the knuckles and creases. The three poses are an open palm, a closed fist and a hand holding a pencil. Type a different pose, such as pointing or waving, and the page is built to that request.

• a figure drawing class
• a character sketch reference
• an art school warm-up
• a sketchbook page of hand poses

Frequently asked questions

Why does each hand start with a block?

The palm is drawn as a square block first, so the finger lines sit on a fixed shape. The first panels of each sheet show this.

What is the blue pencil style?

It is drawn like an animator's construction sheet: the shapes and guide lines are in light blue pencil, and the finished outline is inked over them in bold black.

Can I ask for a different pose?

Yes. Type a different pose, such as a peace sign or a hand waving, and the page is built to that request. The result is not guaranteed to match the nine shown.

Are these hand-drawn?

No. They are illustrations made for this page, not scans of hand drawings.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.