NEED A HAND?

I find the best way to make a skeleton hand is literally in sections how these sections can be made is entirely up to the individual creator of course ‘my’ method can be seen in my YouTube HOW TO videos showing how I made a surreal hand. The first selection of videos being: parts 1-7 (0f 9) refer to the actual skeleton section of the build. The links to these are below.

MAKE A SUREAL PAPER MACHE HAND:
PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qORY8PnSVc0
PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f249uDmF3
PART 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjaBoBvE8Ik
PART 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMyRzq4GIk

PART 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Md-xz1gdww

PART 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COa83_dpowU
PART 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds45gxcJu7g

The problem is the human body (as with many things in nature) when divided down the vertical plane are not exact mirror copies of the opposite side(s). Whilst this is hard to see with the naked eye alone of course this odd feature is there. Below is a ‘new’ skeleton hand I made recently to be part of some new grim reaper builds (amongst other things) I have planned. Now two things immediately spring to mind here (if you are paying attention?) I said “a ‘new’ skeleton hand”. Surely if I am going to be making reapers then they’d require ‘two’ hands each? Okay that’s the first thing to spring to mind.

THE NEW HAND:
Click on image to enlarge

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Now the second thing to spring to mind, (still paying attention?) is if you are making either a true to life or as close to as need be project (such as a pair of skeleton hands) the best way is to make the individual bones separately. No matter what size, method or even materials you are going to be using unless you are very skilled you are going to have some problems gauging the sizes & the shapes of individual sections etc. Not to mention it is going to get pretty tedious & very time consuming after the first pair.

Not including the ‘between joints’ sections in ‘my’ skeleton hand I have constructed this single hand from ‘thirty one’ separate pieces. I have three new reapers in mind for future project builds, so I need six hands in all. Now for me each hand is only going to take a day to make all six hands but even then I don’t want to spend the whole day making the same parts over & over all day long so would probably take say three days to make them all. Now again it’s making all these separate sections as close to the same size & shape to each corresponding hand that’s even for me going to be tricky & tedious to say the least. For those less skilled it instantly becomes a daunting task & possibly even ends up seeing the whole project going out the window in favour of something simpler.

Even those not so well skilled can still make all the skeleton hands they want however. Remember this blog is not about what I am ‘making’ nor is it about how ‘you’ can make the same projects as such (you can if you wish of course), no this blog is more about showing you more simplified methods of doing things. Having said that if you have been following each of the mass copying either by plaster or ‘other’ mould making techniques then you should (with practice of course) then be able to employ ‘those’ skills in then making as many pairs of hands as you choose once you have made the first ‘master copy’.

Once you have your master copy as I have above you then simply copy it using your chosen molding method. Once you have two copies then all you need do is turn the copied skeleton hands so the thumbs are facing each other. Then cut into the knuckles slightly (on the same facing side) to then be able to bend the fingers & glue them in the final chosen position for your project.

More on this & the reapers they are for later.