4. Space - Drawing your own hands and feet

Hand Studies

I set out to create several studies of my left hand in various poses, focusing on both the positive forms of the hand and the negative spaces around and within it. What seemed like a straightforward task at first quickly became a fascinating exploration of tone, shape, and composition.

I started with a relaxed posture, letting my hand rest naturally. My main focus here was the negative spaces between my fingers, especially the darkest tones that appeared in the folds and creases. I was surprised by how much depth these spaces added to the overall image. Even the tiny shapes in the fleshy areas beneath my fingers contributed to the composition, and I started seeing my hand not just as a whole, but as a collection of intricate shapes and tones.

Next, I spread my fingers out wide, which completely changed the dynamic. The ‘V’ shapes between my fingers became the focus, and I enjoyed exploring how these triangular negative spaces could frame the fingers themselves. I experimented with letting part of the hand extend off the page, which created interesting cropped compositions and shifted the attention to the shapes left behind. This pose really made me think about balance and how to lead the eye around the drawing.

Turning my hand over, I worked on a study of my open palm. This was trickier than I expected because the rounded shapes of the fingers and the cupped palm introduced more subtle shadows. I did another version with my fingers curled inward, focusing on how the tones shifted to suggest depth. The darkest negative spaces here were more dramatic, and capturing the curves of the fingers as they overlapped the palm was a satisfying challenge.

Finally, I clenched my hand into a fist. This was the most bold and sculptural of the poses. The negative spaces almost disappeared, so I shifted my focus to the silhouette of the fist and how its strong shape filled the page.

Going through these different sketches helped make me more aware of the importance of light and how it interacts with form.

I also got an appreciation for how a small shift in angle or pose can transform a drawing. The spread fingers felt light and dynamic, while the clenched fist was bold and weighty. Each study taught me something new about shape and proportion, and I found myself becoming more confident in capturing the subtle details that make the hand feel alive with every sketch.

Overall, this was a challenging but rewarding exercise. It’s amazing how much complexity is hidden in something as simple as a hand.

Feet Studies

Drawing my feet wasn’t something I’d thought of as particularly exciting, but as I worked through the steps, I discovered how much complexity and interest could be found in such a simple subject.

I started by placing my feet close together so that some parts touched.

Instead of diving straight into the outlines of my feet, I began by drawing this negative space first. It felt counterintuitive at first, but it really helped me see the shapes around my feet.

Working outward, I used a variety of loose lines and marks of differing tones to capture the forms and shadows around my toes and the curves of my feet. The smaller negative spaces between my toes were particularly interesting to draw, as they added depth and character to the overall image.

For the next study, I decided to use a reference photo of feet where one foot was crossed over the other. This is because I damaged my toe and I didn’t really fancy photographing it or drawing it.

This time, I chose to work on a full sheet of A3, starting at the edges of the paper and worked inward, focusing on the spaces between the borders of the rectangle and the outer edges of my feet. It was a bit like creating a puzzle, blocking in the background around the feet and leaving a pale silhouette behind. This approach really emphasised the shape of the feet by contrast, and I found it satisfying to see how the empty space defined the composition.

Once the ground was established, I went back to add the smaller negative spaces and details. I chose to use a 6B thick graphite stick as I know I could utilise the sides of the stick to make sweeping shadows and the point of the stick to pull out detail making dark bold marks. I played with varied pressure to create thick and thin lines, alternating between light and dark marks to build up texture and depth. I tried to capture the tonal variations that helped bring the forms to life. Drawing in this way reminded me of the gestural and fractured marks I experimented with earlier in Part One, and I made a conscious effort to keep the marks loose and expressive rather than overly precise.

This exercise was an eye-opener in terms of how negative space can completely transform how a subject is perceived. By starting with the spaces around and between my feet, I felt less caught up in getting the outlines perfect and more focused on the overall composition. I was also surprised by how much the tonal variations and marks added to the realism and energy of the drawing.

Working at a larger size than I am used to was also interesting. I tried to take some inspiration from my research into Ergon Schiele with the placement of the feet, having the toe touch the very top edge of the paper and the leg parts to almost fall off the bottom.

The process of blocking in the shapes first was a really valuable technique that I’d like to use in other drawings. It not only emphasized the silhouettes of my feet but also helped me think more about the relationship between the subject and the space around it.