Really, it all depends on the focal point(s) of the drawing and the opinion of the viewer. I get a bit annoyed with people who are obsessive over proportion (especially when the subject of the drawing is not portrayed as being naturalistic, such as in an anime-style or other cartoon form of art), but that's mostly because I like to draw my hands and feet a bit oversized. On purpose. I just like the way that looks--some people don't. Personally, I look at the head first and the body second when looking at human figures in art; as other people have mentioned, though, it all boils down to how well the whole piece flows together.

Of course, if there weren't some leeway given in proportion of body shapes, the Mannerists would never have gotten anywhere.

As in all art, it's all about personal preference. There is no one right or wrong--that's part of the beauty of it. ^.^

I would say that it's important to be able to draw both hands and feet. They're hard to get to look right: in aspects of size, proportions, shape, even.

I would say that drawing a pretty face is much more of a simple task than drawing good hands/feet. xD Many artists have a very tough time doing both. I know I spend most of my time trying to perfect hands or make them look right. I don't really need references for faces as much as I need for hands/feet. It really seems that it can make or break an illustration.

Hands are important because they help create gestures and convey emotion. A face is easy to draw, but when it comes to hands, there's a lot to keep in mind, like foreshortening and what not.

I have an artist friend that I really respect, who has amazingly beautiful coloring work. But her hands are always really wonky and weird. XD

Feet aren't too bad for me, but then again, I'm used to my feet, which have very stubby toes. So they don't move around too much, they just curl a little. :P I should probably do a foot study or something.

I think hand and feet determine the level of detail at time,s for they are hard t odraw, but not impossible. There are many I know that can do hands, but only where the hands are the focus, or the face is, but i don't know many people who can draw a person in thought leaning on their hand correctly, because both the face and the hand have to be detailed. I think it isn't a do all, but is defiantly some part of a factor in the end product.

i think they are important... however i belive they are just as important as the rest of the image... like if you have really amazing hands and/or feet but anything else isnt well done... it has the same effect~ i dont think not being good at everything that is within the image will ruin it at all as long as you work hard and to things to the best of your ability its going to look just as good~ sure you want to try to be good at hands and feet however dont feel it will ruin your image if your not the best... and the worst thing you can do is always hide them... youll never get better if you do that~:3

Every part is essential, from eyes, nose, mouth to the body and limbs... each play an important part of the picture as a whole.

Some[artists] aren't good with specific part like the hands so they just draw some bust shots, while there are those who aren't good with legs and feet so they create half body illustrations. well those are temporary option while they hone/exercise their skills on those specific weak spot and flaws; so that they wouldn't ruin their artworks.

That is just my 2 cents worth of thought. :D

"I draw hands and feet very well, but I do not think they make the picture. Sure, it will add more quality to the picture, especially if well drawn, but I have seen plenty of drawings that are amazing without a show of hands or feet. Though, I can imagine what you are saying, it really depends on where the hands are located. Like if you have a hand touching the face, or even covering a part of it, if it looks like a tree branch, then yes, I can see how it ruins the picture. But it isn't everything. Thats all I'm trying to say." n.n'

I think that bad hands or feet can indeed ruin a complete drawing. But a bad face can do that, too, or bad hair.
Anything that's bad in your drawing can ruin it, and therefore, it's important that everything you draw is of the same quality.
I mess up my hands and feet a lot, but since I started my drawing class at school I've gotten better at hands already, just because my teacher gave me some advice on how to draw hands.
Feet are still hard for me, but most of the time I can hide that with shoes or long clothing.

I think that hands and feet play a part just like every other detail in the drawing. If you mess them up, it could change it. Just like leaving out the folds in clothing and messing up the face.

Good hands will not completely save a bad picture.

Any blatant anatomical error will throw things off, not just those in the hands or feet.

I think the general anatomy of the picture raises it's value. But you can get away with hiding your flaws such as hands and feet. Especially if you draw a pretty face or fancy clothes to draw the eye away from the weak point.

Personally, I'd say that all art is wrapped up as a package, not one or two particular items that sell a piece or destroy it..
..yet certain features are noticed, and can harm the overall value..

..Remember, also, it's art, meaning original, so even if not done up as a perfect spirit and design representation, it's art that way.

I think from an artist's point of view, hands and feet are important because it can give you a good idea of the drawer's skill level. In general, people who haven't had much experience with drawing tend to have a very hard time making feet and hands look right or natural.

Speaking personally, If I see and artist who does pretty faces but always tries to hide the hands and feet, not to sound mean or anything, but I tend to think 'Oh. ...They can't draw it and they aren't going to try.' To me, it's very distracting from the beautiful face to see the typical "my hands are just behind my back cuz that's how I'm posing" type of thing.

There's a reason I normally draw simplified chibis.

I cannot draw hands or feet worth a shit.

It's true. Hands and feet are really kind of a guage of how good you *really* are. I mean, it's not the end of the world if you aren't that great at them, most people only draw for enjoyment and don't take it extremely seriously. But, if you are really considering a serious art career in any regard, you best be getting hands and feet down pat.

I have problems with them to this day, I'm always doing hand studies and foot studies to keep up to snuff because if I slack even for a moment, my quality goes way down.

It's possible I'm just paranoid. I feel like if I'm not constantly practicing I don't know what I'm doing, and even *when* I'm practicing I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I guess it just makes it all the more satisfying when Icreate something fantastic <3

It's true hands and feet can be just as important if not more so than a face. someone onece told me that if you put a little u shape in between yer fingers rather than clumping them all together it dosn't look so stupid (it actually helped me a little

Originally Posted by Solin

I think from an artist's point of view, hands and feet are important because it can give you a good idea of the drawer's skill level. In general, people who haven't had much experience with drawing tend to have a very hard time making feet and hands look right or natural.

Speaking personally, If I see and artist who does pretty faces but always tries to hide the hands and feet, not to sound mean or anything, but I tend to think 'Oh. ...They can't draw it and they aren't going to try.' To me, it's very distracting from the beautiful face to see the typical "my hands are just behind my back cuz that's how I'm posing" type of thing.

XD That is something that I try very hard to avoid. If I find that I've created a pose that involves not being able to see the hands, I sometimes actually resketch it to show them, simply because I don't want it to seem that I avoid them.

I don't think there's any one particular thing which tends to make or break a picture, although it can ruin the experience if you find a picture you just love, but you notice the hands are too small/large, or one of the eyes is drifting up the face, small things like that. Because, once you notice those things, you have to try very hard to see anything else; your mind just focuses on the tiny stuff.

Or my mind does anyway. That's why I hate looking in the mirror, from the profile the plane of my face is too flat, and from the front it is very asymmetrical.

ha! Im afraid I have to disagree with that! You can draw a hand like a glove, you know: All fingers glued together except for the thumb. And itll look ok in the overal drawing.

I myself tried to make a surrealistic movie in which I made a character with feet that looked alright, although they looked very small and swollen.

Weird feet and hands may give you a strange impression of the character, but won't ruin the whole picture. You could give tentacles for hands, but does that ruin the picture? Not really.

Though, yes. I do agree that the way hands and feet are drawn reflect the skills of the drawer very well.

I don't think there's anything thats more important, hands, feet eyes, hair usually everything can ruin the picture but if your hands are crappy and your eyes are beautiful people will still say "ah that looks so nice especially the eyes" and so on

Though you can always cover it up by doing the hands and feet the way its most easy for you, but where's the fun in that? plus your drawings dont have to be perfect people will know that and always look to the best of the image, thats what i do