How to Draw a Cartoon Hand
Cartooning has been around for decades and is still going strong. Drawing realistic hands can be a difficult feat for any artist, but with a few tricks, you can master the art of cartoon hands in no time. Here are the basics of how to draw a cartoon hand that looks both realistic and charming.
Start with the Fingers
When beginning to draw your cartoon hand, you need to start by sketching the fingers. To make the fingers look realistic, it’s important to draw them slightly curved like a gently waving line. Most cartoon hands only have four to five digits, so make sure to draw them long enough. Keep in mind that the index finger is usually the longest, while the pinky is the shortest.
Add Some Shape to the Thumb
The thumb is a hallmark of any human hand, so make sure your cartoon hand has one too. When sketching out the thumb, it’s usually drawn slightly different from the rest of the hand. Instead of being as curved as the fingers, it should look almost straight up and down, tapered towards the tip. When shading, add some depth to the thumb by giving it a more rounded shape.
Draw the Hand
Now that you have the digits and the thumb drawn out, it’s time to finish off the actual shape of the hand. Take the individual digits and join them at the center, creating an oval-like shape. If your cartoon character has thicker hands, make sure to draw these parts out too. For a cartoon hand, the thickness of the wrist isn’t too important so you can exaggerate or downplay whatever looks best for your character.
Shade and Color
Now that your cartoon hand is drawn out, you can add some shading and color. The darker parts should be on the inner parts where the joints are and the knuckles. This will create a more realistic look while adding the illusion of depth. For coloring, you can pick any color you desire, depending on your character’s skin tone.
Final Touches
The last step for your cartoon hand is the thing that truly brings it to life – the details. Small details like fingernails and wrinkles can make all the difference when drawing cartoon hands. When adding fingernails, make sure that they’re rounded and no longer than the tips of the digits. Adding wrinkles to the fingers and around the knuckles also give it a more realistic, aged look.
Add a Bend to the Hand
When adding a bend to your cartoon hand, it’s important to take into account the perspective you’re drawing in. If the hand is far away, the bend will look slightly different than if it’s up close. When drawing the bend, angle the fingers slightly downwards and close to the hand’s palm. For a realistic look, draw out the inner parts of the hand individually and make sure the skin stretches between each finger.
Add a Highlight
To give your cartoon hand even more life and realism, add a highlight. This can be done by taking a white pencil or paintbrush and lightly drawing a few curved lines near the top of the fingers. This will add a nice, subtle pop to your cartoon hand and make it stand out from the crowd.
Practice and Have Fun
As with anything worthwhile, practice makes perfect. Keep your drawings simple, experiment with different techniques and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. With enough practice and patience, you’ll be an expert cartoonist in no time. So get busy, have fun and remember, there’s no right or wrong way to make a cartoon hand look great.
