ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hand with Reflecting Sphere

Dear little one,

Have you ever looked at your hand and noticed how it reflects light? Well, some artists like to draw or paint hands with a shiny ball called a reflecting sphere. This ball is usually made out of metal or glass and it reflects the things around it, like your hand!

The artist uses this sphere to help them see the reflections and highlights on the hand better. They can see how the light bounces off the hand and creates shadows and bright spots. It's kind of like a mirror, but it's round and small.

So, when you see a painting or drawing of a hand with a reflecting sphere, it means that the artist was paying close attention to how the light hits the hand and wanted to capture that in their art. Pretty cool, huh?