Evolution of a hand..

Kate Middleton's hand, precisely. 

Awhile back, I did  a digital piece of Prince William and his new fiance. I showed it here on my blog and also shared it on the ISCA forum (you have to be a member to access it) where I have a thread devoted to my studio stuff. What's so great about that forum is the advice and critiques you may get from peers. Of course, one doesn't have to agree with every crit that comes along, but several people commented that the hand wasn't up to par. With some good suggestions, especially from Court Jones, I was able to improve it by increments and learned alot about drawing hands in the process.

The first hand was done from imagination, since the pose I envisioned did not exist in the engagement photos of the prince and his lady. Aside from poor construction/painting, it also appeared to be floating. On the second try, the construction issue was fixed, but Court pointed out it was impossible to flex a wrist to the degree I had painted. So for the third attempt, I had my significant other photograph me in the pose I wanted, so the reference for that hand is actually...mine. With Diana's/now Kate's ring!! The fourth is a more visually interesting, graceful take on the third version.

Here is a link to the original piece and below is the new improved version:

As a self-taught artist, I'm glad to influenced by others who are masters. Sometimes you need them to point out your liabilities. I hope I never stop learning!

I also know I need to draw more hands.