Hands, hands and more hands ...! (A drawing and sculpting project for my younger students.)

This is the start of a month-long project my younger students (ages 4 years to 12 years old) are working on.  We are studying hands: proportions, shape, size and other details such as wrinkles in the skin, shadows and light, and the bone and muscle structure under the skin.  

The students are beginning with lines drawings of their own hand and will work towards a more conceptual drawing with the hand holding something or grabbing something, making an artwork that is meaningful to the student, and that conveys an idea or emotion through the expressiveness of the hand. 

We will go on to make clay sculptures of their hands, taking their second drawing as inspiration, but not necessarily just copying what they did in their drawing.  Through the sculpture, the students will develop their ideas as well as their observational and technical skills.

Drawings after the first hour of intense observation and plenty of readjustments:

  

Drawings at the beginning of the first hour: