Hand Gestures
With a firm grip on the hand and its components, you are now ready to develop a wider range of emotion in your drawings. The position of a character's hands can reinforce, contradict, or provide a context for the words being spoken. Having practiced drawing hands, you're now ready to position them effectively.
Making a Fist
If you're planning on drawing an action comic or superhero comic book, you'll be drawing fists with predictable regularity. Remember, when the fingers come down into the palm area, the palm itself becomes a square shape. The padding under the fingers folds under, becoming the resting spot for the fingertips. Likewise, the thumb crosses over into the palm region, pulling its base muscle over and under the fingers.
Pay attention to a few details here: the way the skin bows out on the pinky side from the front, the space between the fingers and knuckles from the top, and the loose skin between thumb and forefinger from the side. Also, notice how the act of making a fist makes the veins in your wrist more pronounced. These details will make your action sequences seem much more dramatic.
Pointing
Pointing — index finger extended while the rest of the hand is making a fist — is one of the most popular and useful hand gestures. When the index finger points straight up, the speaker looks as if she is speaking authoritatively on a subject. This could also connote a discovery or an idea. In any case, the overall indication is one of intelligence.
Pointing the finger outward is an act of directing another's attention. Whether it's an accusation (“He did it”) or an instruction (“Look over there”), the finger out draws the reader's eye to the intended target. It's a useful compositional tool and can be extremely powerful in helping to organize a complex scene.
Here are a few other pointing gestures to consider:
Finger pointed down: “Come HERE”
Finger pointed at head: “I'm thinking” or “You should think”
Fingers pointed different directions: Confusion
Finger pointed, thumb extended: the gesture of holding a gun
Finger in front of lips: “Shhhh!”
Countless other gestures are created when the pointed index finger gesture converts to a curled index finger. Now a character scratches his head in thought, strokes her chin deviously, or motions to another to approach. It's a valuable gesture to learn to draw well. Adding the angle of the wrist, you now have the ability to produce countless gestures with the pointed finger position alone, as shown in the illustration below.
Notice how small changes in the same hand gesture produce a wide range of expressions.
Thumbing
Another versatile gesture involves the hand in a fist position with the thumb extended. A thumb straight up indicates approval. A thumb to the side directs attention to the target in a less formal way than the pointed finger does. A thumbs-down, obviously, indicates displeasure. Of course, these are just a few options for using a thumbs-out gesture. Paired with other body parts, this gesture takes on additional meanings. Here are some more possibilities:
Thumb to mouth: Childish behavior
Thumb to chest: Somewhat proud reference to self
Thumb under chin: Thoughtfulness
Remember, when drawing a thumbs-out gesture, the palm/dorsum becomes a square shape. The entire hand will appear more compact. The natural response is to overcompensate by drawing a huge thumb. Refer back to your hand studies, if necessary, to keep the thumb as natural looking as possible.
As you may have noticed, the thumbs-out position is similar to the pointed finger in several connotations. The latter, however, is more direct and more threatening. It is for this reason that you see politicians making their points with their thumbs. You will seldom see a seasoned politico wagging a finger into a TV camera.
Loose-Finger Gestures
Of course, not all gestures are limited to ones that are based on a closed fist. Many gestures involve an open palm, with the fingers flexed to different degrees. One thing to remember when drawing a hand in such a pose is that the index finger is still the dominant finger. In a relaxed position, the fingers are more relaxed the farther they are from the dominant finger. In other words, the middle finger drops a little more than the index finger; the ring finger drops further, and the pinky further yet.
If you draw a loose-fingered hand that does not follow these rules — for example, the pinky is more rigid than the others — the resulting gesture is awkward and ungainly. Breaking the dominant-finger rule is a good way to portray a character experiencing severe discomfort.
In a loose-fingered gesture, the wrist becomes much more important in determining mood. A turn of the wrist can turn a gesture from helplessness to prayer. Don't be afraid to experiment with different angles. The main danger in drawing a loose-fingered hand is that the hand hangs straight down and becomes meaningless.
Loose-finger gestures
OK Sign
Another example of the dominant-finger rule is in the OK sign gesture, made by touching the tips of the index finger and thumb. In this case, the index finger is flexed, the middle finger is less flexed, and so on. The pinky, although physically higher than the other fingers, is the most relaxed. A beginner's mistake to avoid is to draw the three nonactive fingers sticking straight out. It's not an impossible gesture, just an improbable one. The OK sign gesture is rather limited in its direct use. However, it's a good starting point for hands that are making a pinching motion or manipulating something very small (pulling a slender thread, for example).
An extended pinky can add a much-needed flair to several bland gestures. In all cases, the pinky lends an air of superiority or regality to the emotion. Sipping a cup of tea becomes more formal when the pinky is out, and crossing one's arms in displeasure becomes that much more haughty, thanks to the pinkies.
