How large are the hands you want to make?  Lifesized?  Tiny?

Styrofoam gives off a toxic gas when heated -- be careful.  And if you're doing it, get a second-hand microwave to do it in, don't use the one you use for food.

Sue

Not exactly sure what your goal is?  Do you want a piece to be posable when finished like a jointed puppet hand or posed “properly"  then finished.  I’m guessing you want it posed "right" and kept that way when finished.

I find hands difficult to draw and even more difficult to sculpt, as least for me.  My attempt is on my web page with a step by step description but there are many examples on line. I used a cardboard trace of my hand for the palm shape and stiff plastic tubing for the fingers that made them difficult to mold and shape so I don’t recommend that. Also I was after a scary Halloween style so it was an easier task then making an accurate “life like" piece but you’re right practice and experience count for a great deal.

My next attempt would be with wire fingers wrapped in aluminum foil that is then covered with masking tape, the cardboard palm worked well so I would use that technique again.  The wire, foil and tape combination would allow a large degree of control over shape, size (thickness/contour) and position (posable) before PM strips or PM Clay is applied.  Finishing hands is yet another entirely different set of skills I need to work on but I found it to be a fun and challenging project.

Bob C.

Last edited by Pelletor (2010-10-28 09:56:16)

There are two main approaches I usually take to making human/humanoid hands.  I don't use an armature/framework of any sort.

For the first, I construct a simple, solid mitten shape, and then cut the individual fingers free and then further develop them.  This is often the method I use for making fists/gripping hands as well; I just roll the mitten into a fist shape and then add further details.  If you want the hand to hold something (usually a weapon in my case), temporarily roll the fingers/thumb of the mitten around a thin cylinder of some sort (I usually use a sewing needle or paper clip) to create the gap that the handle/item will slide into.

In the second approach, I sculpt the fingers individually and then attach them to the 'main body' of the hand itself.  This is more time consuming, but allows for greater flexibility/complexity.

Sometimes I'll combine aspects of both, depending on the hand/finger positioning I want in the final sculpt.

This just an idea that popped into my head while reading these posts... no guarantee of workability!

What about laminating paper with a water-soluble glue to about half the thickness of the size hand you want (including some wrist), letting it dry flat, then drawing the basic hand on it and cutting it out with an Xacto knife or razor.

Then dampen it slightly so you can curve it into a natural position, dry it again, and then add toilet paper to build up the thickness.

Sue

For anyone interested Jonty has a good creepy hand tutorial at his site. Although it is not the hand I am after, it is a good technique to work with. It is at www.darksidecreations.blogspot.com. Scroll right down to nearly the bottom of the page for all his tutorials or simply go to Youtube and put in "darkjonty2". Should get you there. Thanks to you all for your help, still experimenting with all your great techniques.
Lesley