Expressive Hands - Easy Art for Beginners

Hands - Easy Acrylic Painting for Beginners
Minimalist Folk Art Tutorial

Description:
In this beginner-friendly tutorial, I’ll guide you through the process of painting expressive hands using acrylics on paper, inspired by the simplicity and charm of folk art.

Hands are a powerful subject in art – they can tell stories, evoke emotions, and represent memories. In this step-by-step lesson, you’ll learn how to create minimalist hand paintings that are easy to follow, even if you’re new to acrylic painting or drawing.

We’ll explore:
🎨 How to draw and paint simple, stylised hands without worrying about realism
🎨 Creating expressive compositions inspired by everyday gestures and emotions
🎨 Using overlapping shapes and adjusting paint values for depth
🎨 Mixing harmonious colour palettes for cohesion
🎨 Adding floral and decorative details inspired by botanical art
🎨 Painting flat yet impactful compositions that tell a story

This tutorial is perfect for anyone who:
✔ Is a beginner looking for easy acrylic painting ideas
✔ Wants to explore folk art style or minimalist design
✔ Enjoys painting hands, flowers, and simple narrative compositions
✔ Feels intimidated by realism and wants to focus on expression instead

We’ll paint several compositions together, from simple warm-up sketches to more elaborate designs – including a hand with floral patterns, two hands embracing, a bird perched on a hand, and hand-held flowers. You’ll also learn useful tips for mixing cohesive colours and creating contrast to make your designs stand out.

By the end of this video, you’ll have the skills and inspiration to create your own hand-themed paintings – or adapt the techniques to other subjects such as portraits, animals, or still life.

Materials Used:
Acrylic paints (mix of umber, blue, black, magenta, cream, yellow ochre)
Paint brushes (flat and round)
Acrylic paper / mixed media paper
Sponge for background texture

Whether you’re here to improve your painting skills, explore a new style, or simply relax with some creative time, this acrylic hand painting tutorial will give you both the tools and confidence to create beautiful, expressive artwork.

📌 If you enjoy this tutorial, check out my other videos on flat botanical paintings, minimalist animals, and stylised portrait techniques – all beginner-friendly and easy to follow.

Useful links:
   • Portraits  
   • Animals  
   • Botanicals  

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:10 Basics of drawing
02:03 Folk hand
04:07 Hug
05:32 Bird in the hand
17:26 Hands and flowers 01
10:02 Hands and flowers 02
13:52 Cry for help
15:13 Results
15:50 Outro

Hashtags:
#AcrylicPainting #HandPainting #FolkArt #BeginnerAcrylicPainting #PaintingTutorial #AcrylicArt #MinimalistArt #ExpressiveArt #ArtForBeginners #HowToPaintHands #AcrylicPaintingForBeginners #PaintingHands #DIYArt #StepByStepArt