Hand modeling is a category belonging to the modeling profession. Many people dream of entering the model industry, and having a pair of good-looking hands might have influenced them to get into this niche, at least once.
In order to become a hand model, a person is required to do a few things like studying and practicing certain hand poses and body postures, take proper hand care, apply to agencies or find work on their own, watch video clips of other hand models for perfecting their poses, and so on.
This article will provide you a step-by-step guide of how to become a hand model and every other thing you need to know for making a career out of it.
What Is A Hand Model?
A hand model is a person who models particularly with their hands. Hand modeling is not just limited to displaying certain products like jewelries and nail polishes, but also perform actions based on the requirement.
Hand models can perform editorial work, in which they pose with hands for a series of photos taken to publish in the magazines. The work can be considered to be less common than the other modeling work – not all magazine issues only need hand images.
Hand models mostly work for commercials and advertisement campaigns. Any sort of action that hands can do has the potential to be in the commercial, as per the requirement, e.g. unwrapping a wrapper on a present, painting nails, wearing a watch, and so on.
It can feel a bit odd to think of a disembodied hand appearing in an advertisement, but if you look closely and become more attentive, you can realize that it is a very common thing. Hand models also double for celebrities in the close-up shots to make sure their hands look good.
Requirements For Being A Hand Model
For becoming a hand model, learning and understanding the potential requirements should be the top priority. Some requirements to be a hand model are mentioned below –
The hands will have to be beautiful and appealing for pursuing hand modeling.
No imperfections, tattoos, and the skin will have to be smooth, wrinkle-free, clean, and radiant.
Visible veins can become an issues in certain cases.
Having skin with freckles can limit the opportunities for work.
Narrow and slender fingers and they do not have to be unusually long.
The hands should be graceful.
The thumb is considered the most significant part of the hand, hence it should be similarly appealing as well.
Avoiding cuts, stains, and bruises is a must.
Neat, clean, well-maintained nails.
The requirements can differ project-to-projcet, e.g. small hands are preferable for children’s toys, short nails are ideal for household products, whereas long nails are needed for fashion products.
And, the needs for the male hand models can be a bit different, depending on the type of man preferable for the commercial or advertising campaign.
How To Become A Hand Model
Practice certain hand postures, gestures, and positions by focusing on other hand models in commercials, videos, and editorial shoots, and try to make pose themselves and hold them.
Take shots of the hand posture with the help of a friend, or contact a professional photographer to create a portfolio. Pose while holding things and focus on a certain theme. Remember, the focus should be on the product.
One can either send the portfolio to a hand modeling agency, wait for their response to take them on if they meet the requirement, or try to find work on their own by signing up on the casting sites like ModelMayhem, Starnow, and also other industry sites. The second option can be more effective to find work quicker, however, it can be slow and pay rate may be low in the beginning.
What Skills Do Hand Models Need?
Hand modeling can be a full-time job. Multiple days can be required for getting a single shoot. Hand models frequently required to keep their hands in a consistent and stiff position while looking effortless and graceful.
Hand models have to hold their bodies in particular positions to ensure they are not in the shot; which can be physically demanding and complex. Practicing certain exercises that can increase the flexibility of the body, hands, and fingers allows them to presume different posters with less difficulty.
Hand models need to think of their jobs before their selves, e.g. avoid wearing rings and other jwelery, and colored nail polishes which can stain the hands and nails, spend additional time to moisturize, and using gloves.
How Should You Prepare For A Hand Model Shoot?
There are few things that a hand model should do before a hand modeling shoot, such as –
Take additional care of the hands for some days beforehand.
Ensure to get a proper manicure.
Avoid drinking coffee or any sort of beverage that can result in shaky hands.
Get proper rest to ensure not get tired easily.
Avoid doing activities that can cause damage like chipped nail, finger cuts, etc.
- Hand modeling can be profitable, but it needs seriousness for reaching the top, and one may have to perform other sorts of modeling to make a proper living.
FAQs –
Q1.Who are the best hand models?
Ans. Adele Uddo is one of the best hand models who are active in the present modeling industry. She is consistently working in various ad campaigns for multiple industries. She often works as a celebrity double and has been seen to fill in for Reese Witherspoon, Katie Perry, and many others. Some other well-known hand models are Federico Hewson, Nina Taylor, Laura Lorente, Vincent Oliver, etc.
Q2.How much does a hand model make?
Ans. In general, hand models get paid on a project-to-project basis contract, which is why it is not possible to state an exact income. 1000 USD a day is a common average pay rate for TV-related work, and for print campaigns, the pay rate can be 2000 USD to 5000 USD per day. However, a successful hand model can even earn more than 10,000 USD from each shoot.
Q3. What are the requirements for a hand model?
Ans. The requirements for becoming a hand model are as follows –
Attractive hands, free from imperfections like scars, blemishes, dark patches, or moles.
No tattoo on the hands.
Smooth, clear, and wrinkle-free skin.
Long and graceful hands with narrow and thin fingers.
Properly moisturized hands with clean and well-kept nails.
Q3.At what age can you hand model?
Ans. For becoming a hand model, a person should be at least 18 years old and required to acquire some key skills along with the ability to portray themselves.
Final Verdict
Hand modeling can be a good career option for individuals who aspire to become models and have nice-looking beautiful hands. However, gathering knowledge about the basics regarding this category of modeling profession is vital, before making the ultimate decisions. Hence, in this article, the basics of how to become a hand model have been discussed.