Drawing Hands and Feet

Why Is This Important?

Drawing from observation is a necessary skill for all artists to have. The tradition of drawing the figure from life has been a part of academic art since its invention. It is not until we understand how to observe nature that we can deviate from it with confidence. This homework assignment, in combination with the rigor of observation that will take place in the classroom, will give each of you a better understanding of what it means to truly “look” and observe a thing.

Often, I see students in my class who do intricate drawings of the figure, leaving the ends of the model's legs or arms unfinished. Other students ingeniously crop their compositions as to avoid the feet and hands altogether. The Masters of Art (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rubens, etc) did not shy away from the difficult task of rendering the extremities of the human form, but rather did countless hours of study in order to truly understand them. Some of these artists even went to the extreme of dissecting the human form to better understand the skeletal and muscular structure beneath the surface.

For this assignment you are to create a drawing that is composed only of hands and feet. As you do this assignment, be aware of the whole space, as these hands and feet should work together in the space provided. Listed below, are the instructions for this assignment.


Directions
Begin by staining your drawing paper. You may use coffee, ink, watercolor or any other wash material. 

Use a very dark pencil or charcoal to complete these drawings.

Utilize the whole space in a series of drawings. The finished product should consist of at least three feet and three hands.

The drawings should focus on quality line and they do not need very much shading. Instead of shading, try to accomplish a linear feel through the use of contour lines.  If you decide to shade your drawing, do not smudge the medium, instead develop your forms through the use of cross contours.

Drawings are to be done on a full sheet of 18 X 24 inch paper.


Rubric
Time On Task: (25 points) 
Does your work reflect at least 3 hours worth of work? 
Is it evident that you were focused while working on this project?

Craftsmanship: (25 points) 
Drawings should be free of wrinkles and unwanted marks. Neatness counts.

Design: (25 points) 
Did you use the entire space effectively? 
Does your work contain movement through the use of diagonals? 
Do you have a variety of sized hands and feet? 

Following Directions : (25 points) 
Did you create at least 3 hands and 3 feet? 
Is your paper stained?
Did you emphasize the contour lines, and rely less on shading?