Hands

Exploring the Portrait/Self-PortraitGlenn Hirsch, Instructor

Hands

In the 18th-19th century, student competitions were held at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.

Nicolas de Largillierre, 1715

Hand gestures have universal meaning.

Nelly Nassif

Hand gestures have universal meaning.

Emma Mankin

Hand gestures have universal meaning

Rob Huegel

Hand gestures suggest narrative

Michelangelo

Fingers touch

Peggy Millar

Hand to the temple suggests thought

Cynthia Kanios

Hand to the temple, suggests thought

Matisse

The hand is a place for ornament

Ilya Repin

Subtle distortion of the fingers

Botticelli

Botticelli

Hands point the way and the eye follows.

Leonardo

Hands suggest narrative

Max Beckmann

Hands with props – suggest narrative.

Max Beckmann

Hands with props – suggest narrative.

Max Beckmann

Hands with props – suggest narrative.

Otto Dix

Hands with props – suggest narrative.

Edvard Munch

Hands with props – suggest narrative.

Steve Chapman

Take away the hand …

and you take away a person’s power.

Arshile Gorky

Structure of the Hand

The hand is as big as the face

Carolyn Wales

The hand is as big as the face

Glenn Hirsch

Hands appear bigger as they get closer to the viewer

John Reamer

Hands appear bigger as they get closer to the viewer

Gene Faktorovich

Find the rectangle

Exaggerate the geometry of the wrist

When trying to get the

right size of the hand,

start with a simplified

“paddle” shape

Or simplify the hand into a ‘mitten’ shape

August Macke

Exaggerate geometry in the fingers

Cynthia Kanios (detail)

Exaggerate geometry in the fingers

Steve Chapman (detail)

Finger tips are angular in shape

Steve Chapman (detail)

Finger tips are angular in shape

Emma Mankin

Fingers foreshortened

Michelangelo study

Practice!

Even Leonardo da Vinci had to practice