Swirl of wind carrying leaves round the calf15 cm, 5 minutes. A long curling line that loops twice, with five small leaves riding along it, each tilted differently.
Anchor with a rope through the ring3 cm, 3 minutes. Ring, cross bar, shaft, then a wide smile with a barb at each end. Loop the rope round the shaft.
Barcode with your lucky number3 cm, 2 minutes. Upright lines of mixed width: thin, thin, thick, gap. Letter the digits in a row underneath.
Battery on its last bar3 cm, 1 minute. Rounded rectangle, a nub on one end, one bar filled in. Best drawn on a Monday.
Bee with a looping dotted flight path5 cm, 3 minutes. Oval body, two stripes, two teardrop wings. The dashed loop back to the wrist does most of the work.
Big button that says DO NOT PRESS3 cm, 2 minutes. A circle inside a circle, with the words curved round the top. Someone will press it.
Butterfly with its body on a hand cord4 cm, 4 minutes. Spread your fingers and a cord stands up on the hand. Body on it, a wing each side. Wiggle to flap.
The capital L your left hand makes6 cm, 1 minute. Hold the left hand flat with the thumb out: finger and thumb make an L. Trace along both and label it.
Cat face with flicked whiskers2.5 cm, 2 minutes. A wide U, two triangle ears, a tiny Y for nose and mouth. Whiskers are three fast flicks each side.
Compass rose pointing at your fingers4 cm, 5 minutes. A cross, then four long diamond points and four short ones between. Letter N toward the fingertips.
Crescent moon beside the thumb knuckle1.5 cm, 1 minute. Two arcs that meet at sharp tips. Fill the sliver solid so it reads from arm's length.
Crocodile with your thumb as its jaw6 cm, 4 minutes. Zigzag teeth along both edges of the thumb gap, an eye bump on the knuckle, nostril dots at the tip.
Curling wave about to break3 cm, 3 minutes. A big comma shape with a hollow inside. Foam is a row of small bumps along the top lip.
Daisy chain across the back of the hand7 cm, 5 minutes. One looping stem from the little-finger side to the thumb, then a five-petal daisy on each loop.
Elephant with a finger for a trunk9 cm, 6 minutes. Eyes and big ears on the back of the hand. The middle finger is the trunk: a wrinkle at every crease.
Flower growing from between two fingers5 cm, 3 minutes. The stem starts in the dip between two knuckles and runs up the side of a finger. Bloom at the top.
Friendly ghost saying boo2.5 cm, 2 minutes. An arch with a wavy hem and two solid oval eyes. Put BOO in a speech bubble beside it.
Frog sitting on a lily pad3 cm, 4 minutes. The pad is a circle with one V cut out. The frog is a wide bean with two eye bumps and folded legs.
Game pad: a cross and two round buttons5 cm, 3 minutes. Plus-shaped pad on the left, two circles on the right. Shade one edge of each so they look raised.
Goldfish with a bubble trail3 cm, 3 minutes. Almond body, fan tail, one big eye. Three bubbles of shrinking size rise toward the knuckles.
Half a heart to match a friend's hand3 cm, 2 minutes. Half on the little-finger edge of your hand, half on a friend's. Press the two edges together.
Hedgehog with flicked spines2.5 cm, 2 minutes. Teardrop body on its side, pointed nose, one dot eye. Flick every spine away from the nose.
Lightning bolt striking from a small cloud3 cm, 2 minutes. Three-bump cloud, then a zigzag closed into a shape and filled. Point it down toward the wrist.
Loading bar stuck at 99 percent4 cm, 1 minute. A long rounded box filled almost to the end, with 99% lettered underneath.
Long-necked dinosaur with its neck up a finger9 cm, 5 minutes. Body on the back of the hand, neck up the index finger, head on the last joint. Bend the finger to nod.
Noughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe) grid4 cm, 1 minute. Two lines down, two across. Play a friend in a second colour, then draw the next grid further up.
Octopus with an arm down every finger12 cm, 8 minutes. Head on the back of the hand, a curling arm down each finger and the thumb. Three more hide behind.
Pair of beamed quavers2 cm, 1 minute. Two tilted ovals filled solid, two stems, one thick beam joining the tops.
Pair of dice showing a lucky seven3 cm, 3 minutes. Each cube is a square front plus a slanted top and side. Show 3 on one and 4 on the other.
Paw print on the back of the hand3 cm, 2 minutes. One rounded triangle pad with four oval toes above it. Leave clean skin between the shapes.
Peace sign in a thick ring2 cm, 1 minute. Circle, one line top to bottom, two short legs from the centre down to the rim. Go over the ring twice.
Power symbol below the knuckles2 cm, 1 minute. A circle with a gap at the top and a short bar standing in the gap. A thick line looks printed.
Rabbit with two fingers for ears8 cm, 3 minutes. Face on the back of the hand below the first two knuckles. Hold those fingers up and they are the ears.
Rain cloud dripping toward the wrist3 cm, 2 minutes. Flat-bottomed cloud of four bumps. Drops are short dashes that get further apart as they fall.
Ringed planet with two tiny moons2 cm, 2 minutes. Circle first, then a flat ellipse. Break the ring line where it passes behind the planet.
Rocket with an exhaust trail to the wrist6 cm, 4 minutes. Bullet body, round window, two fins. The trail is a row of cloud puffs that grow as they fall behind.
Sailboat riding a single wave line3 cm, 2 minutes. A wavy line, a half-moon hull, a mast and two triangles. Tilt it slightly so it seems to move.
Seven-spot ladybird walking to a knuckle1.5 cm, 2 minutes. Dome, centre line, solid head. Three spots on each wing case and one shared spot where they meet.
Shooting star with three tails3 cm, 1 minute. A five-point star drawn in one line without lifting, then three tail lines of different lengths.
Snow-capped mountains on your knuckles7 cm, 2 minutes. Make a fist: the four big knuckles are the peaks. Give each a zigzag snow line and shade one side.
Spider web fanning from the thumb corner5 cm, 5 minutes. Five spokes from the corner where thumb meets hand, joined by curves that sag toward the corner.
Sun rising out of the wrist crease4 cm, 3 minutes. The crease is the horizon. Half a circle sits on it, with long and short rays taking turns.
Talking mouth between thumb and finger5 cm, 3 minutes. Make a fist. Lips follow the gap beside the thumb, eyes sit on the big knuckle. Move the thumb to talk.
Three-arc rainbow joining two small clouds4 cm, 3 minutes. In a single colour a rainbow is three arcs. Keep the gaps between them even: that is the whole trick.
Toadstool with a spotted cap2 cm, 2 minutes. Half-circle cap, short fat stem, a frill under the cap. Leave the spots bare and fill round them.
Tree rooted at the wrist, a branch per finger14 cm, 8 minutes. Trunk up the middle of the hand, splitting into five branches. Twigs get thinner toward each nail.
Turtle with a shell of hexagons3 cm, 4 minutes. Oval shell, one hexagon in the middle, part-hexagons round it. Head and four flippers poke out.
Walking person with two fingers for legs5 cm, 4 minutes. Head and body on the back of the hand above the first two knuckles. Those fingers are legs. Add shoes.
Whale with a fountain spout3.5 cm, 3 minutes. Fat teardrop with an upturned tail, a belly line from mouth to tail, a spout that splits and curls.
Wide-open eye with a highlight dot3 cm, 3 minutes. Almond shape, iris tucked under the top lid, solid pupil with one bare dot. Lashes on top only.
Fingers and knuckles 28
A star on every knuckle1 cm each, 2 minutes. Five-point stars, each drawn in one unbroken line. They tilt and stretch when you make a fist.
Ants marching up a finger6 cm, 3 minutes. Each ant is three dots in a row with six legs and two feelers. March five of them nose to tail.
Bird perched on a fingertip2 cm, 2 minutes. On the side of the index finger near the tip: round body, triangle beak, flicked tail, gripping feet.
Caterpillar crawling over four knuckles6 cm, 3 minutes. One round body segment on each big knuckle, a face on the first. Make a fist and it arches its back.
Finger family: a face on every fingertip1 cm each, 5 minutes. Draw on the soft pads, facing you. Same two-dot eyes on all five, a different hat or hair on each.
Finger turned into a pencil7 cm, 3 minutes. The nail end is the point: a cone with a dark tip. A metal band and an eraser go at the knuckle end.
Gemstone ring on the ring finger1.5 cm, 2 minutes. A hexagon gem with a smaller one inside, and a band that runs off both sides of the finger.
Googly eyes on two knuckles3 cm, 1 minute. A circle on each of the first two big knuckles, pupils looking the same way. Your fist now stares.
Half a heart on each index finger1.5 cm, 2 minutes. Half on the side of each index finger. Your weaker hand draws the second half, so go slowly.
HI in Morse code down a finger4 cm, 1 minute. H is four dots and I is two. Leave a wider gap between the letters than between the dots.
King and queen knuckles3 cm, 3 minutes. Two knuckle faces side by side, each with a three-point crown drawn above the joint. Dots on the tips.
Knuckle crease turned into a sleeping eye1 cm, 1 minute. The crease on a middle joint is already a closed eyelid. Add lashes under it and a small Z above.
Ladder climbing a finger6 cm, 1 minute. Two rails up the back of the finger, a rung at each crease and one between. A stick figure halfway up.
Moustache along the side of a finger4 cm, 2 minutes. On the thumb side of the index finger, curled at both ends and filled solid. Hold it under your nose.
One word, a letter on each finger6 cm, 2 minutes. Four-letter words fit: DRAW, CALM, KIND, PLAY. Block capitals between the knuckle and the first joint.
Owl on the pad of your thumb1.5 cm, 2 minutes. The thumb pad is the widest fingertip. Two ring eyes touching, a V beak, rows of U feathers below.
Reminder string tied in a bow2 cm, 2 minutes. Two thin lines round the finger and a small bow on top. Letter what it is for on the back of your hand.
Ribbon spiralling up a finger6 cm, 3 minutes. Slanted pairs of lines across the finger, all leaning the same way. The eye joins them into one ribbon.
Sliver moon and star on the side of a finger1.5 cm, 1 minute. The side of the middle finger faces your neighbour, not you. One thin moon, one four-point star.
Smiley on a knuckle that grins when you bend it1 cm, 1 minute. Two dots and a curve on the middle joint of a finger. Bend it and the skin stretches the smile wider.
Snail whose shell is a knuckle2 cm, 2 minutes. Start the spiral on top of a big knuckle and wind outward. Body and eye stalks reach toward the nail.
Stack of three thin bands1 cm, 1 minute. Three lines across the finger between the knuckle and the first joint. Make the middle one dotted.
Stripy socks on two fingertips2 cm, 2 minutes. A cuff line at the last joint, stripes to the tip, a solid toe. Walk them across the desk.
Thumbs-up character2 cm, 2 minutes. A face on the thumb pad and two stick arms on the sides. It only shows when you give a thumbs up.
Tiny checkerboard on a thumbnail1 cm, 3 minutes. A nail is slick, so dot and dab instead of dragging. Three squares by three is as fine as it goes.
Traffic light down a finger4 cm, 2 minutes. A finger has three segments: one circle on each, inside a long box. Fill only the one nearest the nail.
Vine winding up the index finger7 cm, 4 minutes. One S-curve crossing the finger at each joint, a pair of leaves at every bend and a curl at the tip.
Zigzag band round the thumb1 cm wide, 2 minutes. Two lines round the thumb below the joint with a zigzag between them. Fill every other triangle.
Wrist 27
Bracelet of stars joined by dots1 cm wide, 4 minutes. Small five-point stars a thumb-width apart, three dots between each pair. Fill every other star.
Bracelet of touching beads1 cm wide, 3 minutes. Circles that just touch, one bigger bead in the middle, a short tail of string at each end.
Bunch of balloons with strings tied at the wrist15 cm, 6 minutes. Strings fan out from one knot at the wrist. Overlap the balloons and leave a highlight on each.
Cassiopeia: a W of five stars4 cm, 2 minutes. Five dots in a stretched W, joined by straight lines. Ring each dot with a tiny four-point star.
Cat peeking over the wrist crease2.5 cm, 2 minutes. The crease is a wall. Two ears, two eyes and the top of a head above it, two paws hooked over it.
Charm bracelet with five charms1.5 cm wide, 6 minutes. A chain of small ovals with a star, moon, key, shell and heart hung below, a finger-width apart.
Chevron friendship bracelet1 cm wide, 5 minutes. Two parallel lines as far round as you can reach, V shapes between them. Fill every other V.
Feather lying along the wrist5 cm, 4 minutes. A curved centre shaft, then barbs flicked outward from it. Leave two V notches where barbs split.
Five birds sitting on the wrist crease4 cm, 2 minutes. Each bird is a fat comma with a dot eye and a beak. Face one of them the wrong way.
Infinity loop with a tiny star2.5 cm, 1 minute. A sideways 8 drawn in one slow stroke. Break the line where the loops cross and put a star in the gap.
Initial inside a tiny wreath2.5 cm, 2 minutes. One block capital with a ring of leaf pairs round it. Leave the wreath open at the top.
Key hanging from a chain3 cm, 3 minutes. Round bow with a hole, straight shaft, two teeth. The chain is tiny linked ovals round the wrist.
Lace cuff of scallops2 cm wide, 5 minutes. A row of scallops round the wrist with a dot in each, then a row of smaller ones hanging below.
Leafy laurel band round the wrist1.5 cm wide, 5 minutes. One line round the wrist, leaf pairs all leaning one way. Let the two ends nearly meet on top.
Paper plane with a looped dash trail4 cm, 2 minutes. A long kite shape with one fold line. The dashed trail does one loop before it reaches the plane.
Ribbon tied in a bow at the wrist4 cm, 3 minutes. Two loops, a knot and two tails with V-cut ends. A pair of band lines lead away round the wrist.
Saturn whose ring is the bracelet3 cm, 4 minutes. Planet on top of the wrist. Carry its ring on round the wrist as far as you can reach both ways.
Seven bangles, no two alike8 cm, 8 minutes. Rings round the forearm a finger apart: plain, dotted, twisted, beaded, chevron, wavy, chain.
Shirt cuff with a button5 cm, 3 minutes. A band round the wrist, a slit at the side and one button with four holes. Run a seam line up the arm.
Smart watch showing a pulse line3 cm, 3 minutes. Rounded square face with a strap. One zigzag pulse across the screen and a small heart in the corner.
Sports sweatband with two stripes4 cm wide, 2 minutes. Two lines round the wrist three fingers apart, two stripes between, short dashes for towelling.
Tiny mountain range with a moon3 cm, 2 minutes. Three overlapping triangles, a snow zigzag on the tallest, a sliver moon. Shade the right slopes.
Tiny wave beside the wrist bone2 cm, 1 minute. One curl like a comma lying down, with a short line under it. Small enough to sit under a watch strap.
Turtle whose shell is your wrist bone3 cm, 3 minutes. The bump on the little-finger side of the wrist is already a dome. Shell on top, legs round it.
Twisted rope bracelet with a knot1 cm wide, 4 minutes. Two lines with slanted S strokes between them read as rope. The knot is a pretzel shape on top.
Washing line pegged to the wrist crease5 cm, 4 minutes. Use the crease as the line. Hang a sock, a shirt and a pair of shorts from it, each with two tiny pegs.
Wristwatch set to home time4 cm, 4 minutes. Circle on the back of the wrist, strap lines off both sides. Mark 12, 3, 6 and 9, then set the hands.
Arm 29
Armband of triangles2 cm wide, 6 minutes. Wrap a paper strip round the arm and trace both edges to keep it level. Fill alternate triangles.
Autograph box for friends to sign8 cm, 2 minutes. A rectangle with a scroll curl at each end and SIGN HERE on top. Friends sign in skin crayon.
Bird tracks walking up the arm15 cm, 2 minutes. Each print is three toes forward and one back. Alternate left and right of a line, or it hops.
City skyline wrapped round the forearm3 cm tall, 8 minutes. Rectangles of mixed heights and widths. Windows are dots; one roof gets an aerial, one a tank.
Constellation joining your own freckles8 cm, 5 minutes. Pick five to seven freckles, ring each with a tiny star and join them with straight lines. Name it.
Dot-to-dot for a friend to solve8 cm, 6 minutes. Plan a simple shape in faint dots, number them and let a friend join them up. A star needs ten dots.
Dots-and-boxes grid for two players5 cm, 2 minutes. Five rows of five dots. Take turns joining two dots; close a box and you put your initial in it.
Dragon with its tail curled at the elbow20 cm, 15 minutes. One long S for the spine first. Zigzag ridge on top, belly line below, head resting by the wrist.
Eight phases of the Moon in a row12 cm, 6 minutes. New, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, then the same shapes flipped as it wanes.
Flying saucer beaming up a cow6 cm, 5 minutes. A flat saucer with a dome, a beam of two widening lines, and a very small surprised cow at the bottom.
Kite with a tail of bows18 cm, 5 minutes. A diamond with a cross inside, near the elbow. The string wanders down to the wrist, bows along it.
Koi swimming toward your hand8 cm, 10 minutes. An S-curved body, wider at the head. Scales are rows of U shapes, fins are fans, two mouth whiskers.
Maze with the exit at the wrist8 cm, 10 minutes. Dot the winning path in first, build walls either side of it, then add dead ends branching off.
Orion with his three-star belt8 cm, 4 minutes. Three stars in a slanted row for the belt, two above for shoulders, two below for feet. Seven in all.
Paper-chain people holding hands round the arm3 cm tall, 5 minutes. Circle head, triangle body, arms straight out so hands meet. Go as far round as you can see.
Patterned cuff in five bands5 cm wide, 10 minutes. Five rings round the forearm, a different fill in each: stripes, dots, scales, zigzag, checks.
Pine forest band with one deer3 cm tall, 8 minutes. Trees are stacked zigzags in three sizes, overlapping. Leave one gap for a deer in outline.
The Plough, or Big Dipper, on the forearm8 cm, 3 minutes. Four stars make the bowl and three make the bent handle. Join them with thin straight lines.
Railway track with a tiny steam engine18 cm, 8 minutes. Two rails, a sleeper every finger-width. The engine is a box, a boiler, a funnel and growing puffs.
Roller coaster with one loop18 cm, 10 minutes. Two track lines kept the same distance apart, cross-ties all along, a loop mid-arm, one car.
Ruler down the inside of the forearm15 cm, 5 minutes. Copy it from a real ruler held against the arm. Long ticks for centimetres, short ticks for halves.
Snake coiled round the forearm20 cm, 10 minutes. Draw only the top of each coil, a slanted band across the arm. Head by the wrist, tail at the elbow.
Solar System in a row, Sun at the elbow20 cm, 8 minutes. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Jupiter is biggest. Ring Saturn.
Sticker-sheet patch of twenty tiny doodles5 cm, 15 minutes. Mark a square and pack it with tiny icons that never touch: star, bolt, leaf, cloud. Dots fill gaps.
String of fairy lights winding up the arm20 cm, 6 minutes. A loose looping wire from wrist to elbow, a teardrop bulb at each dip, short glow lines round each.
Tiny weightlifter on the upper arm4 cm, 4 minutes. A stick figure holding a bar with two big discs. Flex, and the bar bends with the muscle.
Treasure map from elbow to wrist20 cm, 10 minutes. A dashed trail past a palm tree, two mountains and a sea-serpent hump, ending at an X by the wrist.
Winding river from elbow to wrist20 cm, 6 minutes. Two lines that widen as they travel. Add a bridge, stepping stones, reeds and a boat at the wrist.
Wrinkly face on the point of your elbow5 cm, 3 minutes. You cannot see your own elbow, so use a mirror or a friend. The loose skin makes instant wrinkles.
Leg, ankle and foot 26
Anklet with one shell charm1 cm wide, 5 minutes. Tiny ovals round the ankle, dipping under the bone. Hang a fan-shaped shell at the low point.
Beaded chain from a toe ring to an anklet10 cm, 6 minutes. An anklet, a loop round the second toe, and a line of tiny beads joining them down the foot.
Beanstalk up the shin to a castle on the knee25 cm, 10 minutes. A twisting double stem with big heart-shaped leaves. Castle towers and a cloud sit on the kneecap.
Cat curled asleep on the kneecap5 cm, 5 minutes. A circle, a tail wrapped round the front, two ear points, one closed eye. The knee does the rest.
Flip-flop straps drawn on8 cm, 2 minutes. A V from between the first two toes to each side of the foot. Double the lines to make a strap.
Football on the kneecap5 cm, 5 minutes. One pentagon in the middle, a hexagon on each of its five sides. Fill pentagons, leave hexagons bare.
Friendly spider dangling from your shorts hem8 cm, 3 minutes. One straight thread down from the hem above the knee, a round body, eight bent legs and a smile.
Grass growing up from the sock line3 cm tall, 2 minutes. Flicked blades of mixed heights all round the ankle, leaning both ways. Add one daisy.
Hopscotch grid down the shin20 cm, 4 minutes. Single and double squares taking turns, numbered 1 to 10, with 1 at the ankle.
Hot-air balloon with your kneecap as the balloon9 cm, 5 minutes. Stripes curve over the round of the knee from top to bottom. Ropes and a small basket hang on the shin.
Knee face that changes when you bend6 cm, 3 minutes. Draw it on the kneecap with the leg bent. Straighten up, the skin bunches and the face scrunches.
Little wing beside each ankle bone3 cm, 3 minutes. Three rows of feathers sweeping back from the heel. In Greek myth Hermes wore winged sandals.
Map of an invented island8 cm, 10 minutes. Wobbly coastline, tiny triangles for mountains, dashes for paths, V marks for waves. Name every bay.
Patterned sock drawn onto your ankle8 cm tall, 10 minutes. A cuff line above the ankle, then a grid of diamonds like argyle. Stop at the top of the foot.
Sandal straps on a bare foot10 cm, 6 minutes. One strap across the toes, one round the ankle, one joining them down the middle. Add a buckle.
Smiley on the big toe1.5 cm, 1 minute. Two dots and a curve on the top of the toe. Wiggle it at someone.
Spiral galaxy on the kneecap5 cm, 4 minutes. Two curling arms from a solid centre, made of dots that thin out toward the edge. A few stars outside.
Sports sock stripes round the calf3 cm wide, 3 minutes. Three bands round the calf: thick, thin, thick. Trace along a paper strip to keep them level.
Sun with the ankle bone as its centre4 cm, 2 minutes. Ring the bony bump, then add long and short rays taking turns. The bump makes the sun stand proud.
Swirl of wind carrying leaves round the calf15 cm, 5 minutes. A long curling line that loops twice, with five small leaves riding along it, each tilted differently.
Three fish swimming round the ankle2 cm wide, 5 minutes. Nose to tail, all facing the same way: almond body, V tail, dot eye. Bubbles fill the gaps.
Three-panel comic above the knee12 cm, 12 minutes. Sitting down, your thigh is the flattest spot in reach. Three boxes: set-up, surprise, reaction.
Toe family in hats1 cm each, 5 minutes. A face on the top of each toe. The big toe gets a top hat and the little toe gets a bobble hat.
Trainer laces on top of the foot8 cm, 5 minutes. Two rows of five eyelet dots, criss-cross lines between them and a floppy bow nearest the ankle.
Two snails racing up the shin12 cm, 4 minutes. A start line at the ankle, a finish flag below the knee, two spiral-shelled snails with wobbly trails.
Waterline round the ankle with a paper boat1.5 cm wide, 4 minutes. A band of curling waves all the way round. One folded paper boat sails above the ankle bone.
How it works
159 small doodles, each written for one patch of skin: the back of the hand, fingers and knuckles, the wrist, the arm or the leg. Each of these things to draw on your hand gives its size and its minutes. Pens are for paper: use a face paint crayon or body marker sold for skin.
Read the full guide
Hand drawing ideas that use the hand itself
A smiley on a knuckle grins wider when you bend the finger, and a caterpillar over four knuckles arches when you make a fist. Skin slides under the tip, so stretch it flat with your other hand, keep lines short and build long curves out of dots.
Size decides the placement
The small things to draw on your hand are 1 to 3 cm across: a crescent moon, a paw print, a seven-spot ladybird. Things to draw on your arm get room to travel: the snake coiled round the forearm is 20 cm and ten minutes. Things to draw on your leg are the most comfortable: a thigh is flat and close when you sit.
Pens and markers are made for paper, not for skin. If you want to draw on skin, use a product that is sold for use on skin, test a small patch first, keep it away from your eyes and lips, and wash it off if your skin reacts.
The easy things to draw on your hand are built from dots and short lines, like HI in Morse code down a finger.
Bracelets drawn freehand drift into a spiral. Wrap a strip of paper round the wrist and trace along its edge.
Questions and answers
What are good things to draw on your hand when bored?
Pick stuff that does something afterwards. The talking mouth between thumb and finger moves when you wiggle your thumb, and the DO NOT PRESS button always gets pressed. The rabbit with two fingers for ears turns your hand into a puppet.
Is it safe to draw on your skin with a pen?
Pens and markers are made for paper, so nothing here calls one safe for skin. The US Food and Drug Administration's advice on novelty makeup is to use only things intended for skin, to try a dab on your arm for a couple of days first, and to keep it out of your eyes. If your skin reacts, tell a parent.
Does it have to be the hand?
No. The Arm group has 40 ideas and the Leg group 28, including a knee face that changes when you bend your leg. Pair Arm with Cute for a kite with a tail of bows. Cannot decide what to draw on your hand? Press the button with Anywhere chosen.