NOTHING MUCH HERE

HANDS ARE EASY TO DRAW

December 19, 2025

The human hand has a reputation of being one of the most difficult parts of the human body to draw, paint, or otherwise render in a 2-dimensional format. For some reason, the most remarkable part of human anatomy - that which separates us from every other critter that can't pinch - is branded as being incomprehensibly difficult to draw.

Well, I'm here to say that it's not. They're not. Hands are not difficult to draw. Now, I'm not saying hands are easy to draw. Believe me, I've seen sooooo many janky lookin' hands in my time on the internet. Drawings of hands, I mean. What I'm trying to say is that hands are not the insurmountable obstacle you might be led to believe they are. Hands are not "easy" to draw, but it is very easy to learn how to draw hands, and I'm tired of pretending it isn't.

Let's start with a couple definitions. People love reading definitions. I once caught myself thumbing through the individual pages of a dictionary, blissfully unaware of the passing hours.
But in this case, let me define what I mean by
"difficult," "hard," and "easy."

"Difficult"

For something to be difficult in regards to art, I would define that as something that has no pre-resolved solution that I have found that works for me. If I have already approached the problem, worked out a solution/workflow, and ended up with satisfactory results, then that problem is no longer "difficult" for me.

"Hard"

Things that are hard to draw are things that, while I have worked out the solution to them, the results I end up with are a mixed bag. Sure, I know how to draw the other eye. I know how to draw the side profile of a face. But when I set out to draw those things, I often have to burn through several iterations until I find a solution that is acceptable to me.

"Easy"

Things that are easy to draw are things that I have drawn so many damn times I could do it without even thinking about it. I've drawn arms so much and in so many ways that I can do it in seconds. It's easy to me.

So how do hands factor into this?

Let's start with hands being in the "difficult" zone.
You don't know how to draw hands, you haven't figured out a method through which to try, and any time you try, it sucks. I've been there, don't worry. For me, I have approached dozens, if not hundreds of art and design problems over my life as an artist, and none of them have withstood my stubborn will.

One or two of them have withstood my stubborn will.

Several of them have withstood my stub- you get the point.

For something to be difficult to draw is only a matter of the availability of reference material. Nobody knows how to draw shrimp. Thankfully, the internet is bursting at the seams with shrimp pics. So all you have to do is hunt down your favorite shrimp jpegs and get to studying. However, not everything is as shrimple as that. Forsooth, some things are just not that well documented online.

Think about the weirdest, most unconventional car you've ever seen. What's it even called? Who made it? What search terms would you use to find pictures of that car? Now we're getting into the realm of things that are truly difficult to draw. Without visual reference material, how are you supposed to learn the correct proportions? The interaction between different parts? Where certain lines and forms intersect? If you only have your memory to go on, you'll have to draw from adjacent resources in order to get something close. Study cars, study concept cars, study... idk, weird sculpture. It's difficult. If you have one picture, then at least that's something. But let's say that picture was taken from the side. What does it look like from the front? The back? The other side? Is the other side the same as the side you can see? If it's a really weird car, it probably isn't. But the more pictures of that weird car you can gather, the more resources you have to work with, the easier it gets to draw it for yourself.

Hands are everywhere. Try to go one day without seeing hands. One hour, even. You can't. It's impossible. Why?

Look down.

You got two references right there in front of you, son.
Well-
I mean, most of us do…
I shouldn't assume.
But the point is, hands are so incredibly well documented. You can find entire libraries of hand poses as reference material for artists like yourself. There is no shortage of resources for you to tap into. And if you do somehow find yourself unable to source the exact right hand pose, then just make it yourself. Pose your hand exactly the way you need it, snap a pic, and use that. You don't even need to take a picture half the time, just hold one hand in the pose and use the other hand to draw it. Get creative. Prop your phone up on a pillow if you need to.
There is no wrong way to do it.

If you're struggling, trace some pictures. Pay attention to what you're doing. Where do the lines intersect? What are the major shapes of each part? Where do the fingers end in relation to one another? Where does the thumb start and end? How do the knuckles line up, or more importantly, how do they not?

So when I say "hands are easy to draw," that's what I mean. It's not that they are inherently easy to draw. It's just that, with the wealth of reference material you have at your literal fingertips,
how could it be difficult?