Most of us, since we were little, have been taught how to draw with symbols. Numbers, letters, simple diagrams, cartoons, etc. That’s why when an untrained person sets out to draw a hand, they end up usually with a ball with five sausages glued to it. Because a hand is a blob and fingers are like ovals right? Nope. Those are symbols, real hands don’t be looking like that yo. Get it together! You gotta draw for REAL.

This next technique is all about training your hand and your eyes to see what’s there, and be faithful to it. And what you’re going to be drawing is something you know like the back of your hand. That’s because it is in fact the back of your hand that you’ll be drawing. Like the last technique, this is probably going to come out looking awful. Buck up, this is practice, not art. Stop expecting that everything that comes out of your pen is gonna end up in the Gugenheim. It’ll look like crap, and that’s GOOD.

So here’s the drill: Get your sketchbook ready and put a pen in your hand. Touch the pen to the sketchbook. There are two rules from here on out. Rule 1, don’t pick up your pen. Rule 2, don’t look at what you’re drawing! Seriously.

OK. Now, hold your other (non-drawing) hand up, and pick a spot on it. I usually start from one side of my wrist. What you’re doing, without ever picking up your pen, is drawing the contour of your hand. That’s the line that forms the edge of it. Basically you want to draw every line you see on your hand, including the wrinkles in the knuckles, your fingernails, etc. without ever picking up the pen or looking at what you’re drawing. I mean it. No peeking! I saw that! Don’t! Seriously! Just trace your hand with your eyes, and then let your pen follow those lines on the paper. Once you reach the other side of your wrist, you’re done. Now, take a look.

If you’re like most people (even accomplished artists!) it’ll probably look like a bunch of tangled lines that vaguely resemble fingers (if you’re lucky.) That’s great! Because what it doesn’t look like? A ball with five sausages glued to it. And that’s progress.