Shape Individual Fingers Use the side of a rounded toothpick or a dental tool to round off the side edges of each individual finger on the top and palm side of the hand. If you are making a young person's hand, try to keep the finger lines as smooth as possible. If you are using polymer clay, you may have to let the clay harden before you work on the next finger.
Check the Position of the Thumb Begin to shape the hand to a final position. Do you want the thumb against the forefinger? Do you want the hand to rest with the fingers curved? Do you want the hand positioned so it can hold a particular object?
Add Detail When the hand position is correct, make small circles at the base of each finger on the top of the hand to mark the knuckles. These will be more prominent if the hand is bent. Take a pointed toothpick or a fine blade, and mark the position of the two knuckles on each finger.
Trim the Fingers to Length Trim the ends of the fingers to create the little finger, and the difference in height between the ring, index and fore fingers. Check your own hand for comparison. Trim the ends of the fingers to make them tapered. Men's fingers will be less tapered and more blunt. Press a fine line into the end of the fingers to mark the nails. You can cut a toothpick on the diagonal to make a convenient nail marking tool. Set the hand aside to cure (epoxy) or to air harden (polymer clay and air drying clay) when you have the pose and detail you want.
