Scroll-of-the-Mudras

Art Club – July

Welcome to Art Club online – where the Incinerator Gallery comes to you.

Our art educator Gina Panebianco invites you to learn about the meanings behind hand gestures in art from the comfort of your own home.

Please take a photo of your favourite galleries, museums, artists, artworks and your drawings and share them on InstagramFacebook, or our Facebook Group Incinerator Art Club.

Use the hashtag #IncineratorGallery so everyone can share and support each other, just as we do during the program at Incinerator Gallery.

Art Club – July 2020 from MVCC on Vimeo.

John Bulwar, Chirologia, or The Natural language of the Hand 1644
Folger Shakespeare Library
Scroll of Mudras, Heian period (794–1185), 11th–12th century, Japan
Handscroll; ink on paper, 28.4 x 247.6 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Make a 3D hand drawing

Watch the videos below for drawing tips to create a 3-dimensional illusion of your hand.

You will need:

  • paper or card to draw on – this could be plain, or coloured, large enough for your hand and wrist
  • HB or B pencil to lightly draw the initial outline
  • coloured pencils, biros, or felt tipped pens
  • ruler if you wish

Consider which position to place your hand on the paper — vertical, diagonal, central, or off centre. Experiment with different hand gestures to trace different combinations of fingers.

Consider what colours will look best, try different colour combinations or draw more than one hand on your sheet to challenge your optical drawing skills.