The wrist tends to be the area of the composition that is so busy. I intentionally crop my photos to leave a portion of the wrist and arm. The area is vital to give that extra push of dimension to the hand that is being rendered. It is also the most interesting part for me to draw. The skin is usually richer in depth as it recedes into the background. The hair being present is such a wonderful contrast to the texture of the skin. Most importantly, the wrist is the area most influenced by what lies under the surface of the skin: muscles twisting, bones pushing, and the subtle shades of the underlying vascular system. I cannot express how important it is to the impact of the composition for me to have this area present. The complexity of the wrists sets off the simplicity of the hand in such a strong way.
As you can see, the graphite has been worked to the mid point of the palm. I decided to stop in that area, so the focus can turn to the little field mouse. This will leave me enough blank area to the right of the little critter to rest my drawing hand without smudging the details.
For those new friends arriving to Sketches, the you will notice that I edge the corner of my drawing with tape. It is a special non acidic drafting tape. There mustn't be erasures to the area that it is being applied, or the chance of damage to the Bristol is greatly heightened. I find that this tape works very in keeping my edges crisp and clean.
