Every hand is different. So is every drawing.

A complete observational drawing lesson for ages 10–14, using the one subject every pupil always has with them: their own hand. Pupils trace its outline, discover the negative space between the fingers, then follow Cézanne’s advice to see the world as simple shapes, breaking the hand into rectangles, squares and triangles in proportion. They search for the form with light exploratory lines, commit with confident lines, and finish with a five-tone value scale.
The finished example on the sheet is presented as “someone else’s hand”: pupils are invited to make their own choices, not to copy it.
What’s inside (PDF, 4 pages, A4, print-ready)

• Illustrated pupil sheet with Barti
• A steps page: six pictures showing outline, negative space, Cézanne’s shapes, main lines, the two kinds of line and the five tones
• Audio QR code: pupils hear Barti tell the mission in about a minute (optional)
• Teacher guide: materials, how to support, questions for afterwards, easier and harder versions
• Classroom page: a 45-minute lesson plan, variations (including the same method with a shoe) and display ideas
  National Curriculum links (KS2–KS3)
• Use a range of techniques to record observations
• Improve mastery of drawing: line, shape, proportion and tone
• Learn about a great artist (Cézanne) and link his way of seeing to their own work
  Materials: a 2B pencil and a sheet of white paper (an eraser is optional: the searching lines can stay).
  Every pupil works individually on their own hand; sharing at the end is voluntary, with no comparisons between drawings.
  Licensed for classroom use with your own pupils. For paid workshops, clubs or events, a separate workshop licence is available from the author.