Help drawing hands!

[armando]

I need help with a specific part of the hand. On the palm side two carpals can easily be felt, I don't know which bones they are. On the drawing I highlighted the approximate area of these bones. It would be helpful if you told me your source of information, for those of you who answer. Thank you for your help.

Trapezium or scaphoid, pisiform or hamate?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a152/_armando_navarro/Aug24_03.jpg


The trapezium or scaphoid is easy to see below the ball of the palm.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a152/_armando_navarro/Picture.jpg

[antquin]

my god, man. sometimes i think there are more doctors on this board than artists! :teeth:

i think grey's anatomy has this information.

[one2hit]

The easiest way is to find a method that works for you, then after a while you just draw the hands without any real method, because you've learned how they are put together.

[Elwell]

How is knowing this going to help you draw hands? The individual carpals have practically no bearing on surface anatomy.

[Main Loop]

How is knowing this going to help you draw hands? The individual carpals have practically no bearing on surface anatomy.


yeah, what difference does knowing the name make? you know they're there, you know they're bones, thats probably all you need to know

[Marie]

Are you going to school for medical illustration?

Do you just like to know?

If you are having trouble drawing the hand due to not knowing which is which, then you might try to take up a looser approach to it.

Grab some napkins and a ball point pen... nothing to lose there, and go at it drawing your hand, draw the shapes out, or the line of movement... no need to hold back or worry, its a napkin, you can always blow your nose on it later to hide anything you don't want people seeing.

As odd as it sounds, though, I do my best work on crap for paper (read: napkins etc...) because I'm so less inhibited. I think for hands, most people start off with a handicapped because they are "supposed" to be hard to draw. We start off with that impression given to us by society or whoever, when actually... these things... these hands are with us since we are born, in front of our face, doing things for us 24-7... yet why can't we draw them with ease!? kind of ironic, or maybe that is precisely the reason they give so many people trouble. Too much thought for so close to bedtime, good luck with your hand studies!

[armando]

yeah, what difference does knowing the name make? you know they're there, you know they're bones, thats probably all you need to know

I need to know because particular muscles connect to them, and it will help me to understand the way forms change during certain movements. It's just the way that I think about things, I'm the curious type.

[Dizon]

I need to know because particular muscles connect to them, and it will help me to understand the way forms change during certain movements. It's just the way that I think about things, I'm the curious type.

And that's good!

Anyway, don't portray those bones as protruding like that in your drawing! They're not that apparent.

[Marie]

There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn as much as you can, taking a scientific interest also. If that is your goal and desire.

I am though, confused on your question, do you simply need to know the name of one or the other, or are you also looking for help drawing hands?

Help drawing hands!

Or both?

I think a lot of the responses are because of confusion on what exactly it is you were asking and why :wink:

While its great to know the underworkings, there is a lot more than that when it comes to representing a hand (or any anatomy) on paper. Things such as line weight and variation are important and thats one area you could use a little work on.

I'd love to see a lot more of your hand studies if you are working on the drawing hands too. (in addition to your curiosity in the technical aspects of the anatomy)

As far as the anatomical part... I'm not sure, I wish I could help you there. There may be some good reference on the web if you do a thorough search and/or picking up the anatomy book mentioned too.

Good luck to you :)

[armando]

Yeah the title is misleading, but I couldn't think of a better one. I guess "help with carpals" might be better. I don't know. I thought that picture said everything: What are these bones sticking out here, and what are they called? Sorry for any confusion I've caused.

[Marie]

You dont' have to apologize Armando! And I still dont' know the answer to your question, but if I find out, I'll be sure to post :)

[Mike Frank]

Just taking a quick glance through Hogarth's "Drawing Dynamic Hands".. the drawing at mid-left might be the answer to your question. Sorry for size, wanted to make it legible.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/some_guy/hogarthHands.jpg

[briggsy@ashtons]

Just a footnote that may save you some confusion if you are looking at other anatomy books: The terminology of these bones is actually quite messy. The bone Burne Hogarth calls the hamate is sometimes called the unciform (e.g. in Bridgman and Perard), and the bones referred to as the scaphoid and trapezium are sometimes called the navicular and the major or greater multangular respectively (e.g. in Peck, Gray, and Farris). ARRGH! Hogarth's terminology is consistent with Richer and Goldfinger, so my recommendation would be to stick with that.

Whatever you call them, these ARE important little bones, and it was a little disappointing to see you being howled down for asking about them. It's true that some books on life drawing don't go into their individual names, but all decent books stress the arch shape of the carpal mass, and these bones are important as the pillars and surface landmarks of that arch. They make visible bumps when the hand is bent back as in your photo, and retire away when the hand is flexed forward. But in artistic anatomy, bones have an importance as constructional elements to be borne in mind, quite apart from whether or not they make visible surface bumps. The pisiform, which is the equivalent in the hand of the heel-bone, is particularly important. It bears the insertion of the large flexor carpi ulnaris, which makes a prominent mass and plane break in the lower arm (the equivalent of the calf muscle of the leg). It also marks the base of the hypothenar eminence, or little-finger-side mound of the palm, as it were somewhat dragging the corner of the palm down to it. In the same way the thumb-side pillar gives us the origin of the thenar eminence, and the limit of the flexor tendon group. Considering the relation of both pillars to the flexor tendon group helps to explain the step between the palm side of the hand and that of the arm.

In addition to the book on hands by Hogarth, you might also like to look at Figure Drawing by R.G. Hatton (Dover). Rather quaint looking, but it contains a wealth of practical ideas on applying anatomical knowledge, including some good tips concerning these and other landmarks of the wrist.

[the_allejo05]

whats wrong with knowing?...besides it sounds cool when you talk scientifically..hehe..gotta get me that book by hogarth grrrrrrr

[armando]

Someguy, you've made my day. That's exactly what I needed to know.

[briggsy@ashtons]

I SWEAR those last two replies were already there when I posted mine, but somehow I'm seeing mine inserted before them. Don't ask me how!