In this lesson, instructor Miles Yoshida will teach you how to draw the hands from life using ink. You will learn that your hands are the most convenient and accessible references to practice from. Miles will show you how to capture the gestures of the hands and hatch around the forms using a variety of inking tools.

This lesson belongs to the course Introduction to Inking. In this 12-week course, Miles Yoshida will provide you with a complete manual for inking. You will start the course by examining old Renaissance drawings. You will study the essential materials needed for inking, including a ballpoint pen, a technical pen, a dip pen, and a brush. Then, Miles will demonstrate hatching and creating gradients using straight and curvilinear lines. From there, he will show you how to apply those skills to a compositional study of basic forms. You will also get a chance to create a master copy which will further strengthen your hatching ability. Toward the second half of the course, Miles will teach you how to draw a still-life, hands, animals, and landscapes in different approaches. Lastly, you will learn to create a self-portrait drawing from life on toned paper using a combination of black and white inks. This course will offer you many opportunities to practice your hatching skills so that you can capture any subject and master the art of inking.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.