Summary for Hands & Anatomy
This category represents the "final boss" of AI image generation: realistic human anatomy. The analysis reveals that while the days of 7-fingered hands are mostly behind us, models now face a new challenge: texture realism. Many models produce anatomically correct hands that look like plastic mannequins.
🏆 Top Performers
- Most Consistent: Recraft V3 delivered the most reliable performance across the board, balancing anatomical structure with good texture.
- Best Photorealism: Nano Banana Pro and Midjourney v7 excelled at rendering convincing skin details like pores and veins, though they occasionally stumbled on complex anatomy.
- Logic Specialist: Nano Banana (2.5 Flash) achieved a rare perfect score on the difficult Mirror Reflection prompt, showcasing superior spatial reasoning.
🚨 Key Trends
- The "Plastic Skin" Problem: Models like DALL-E 3 and Flux 1.1 Pro Ultra often lost points for overly smooth, waxy skin textures despite good composition.
- Counting is Hard: Prompt adherence dropped significantly for group shots, with many models failing to render exactly Five People.
- Physics Failures: Mirror reflections remain a major weak point, with several high-end models breaking the laws of physics.
🧠 Deep Dive: Anatomy & Realism
In this category, the divide is rarely about image resolution but rather about biological plausibility and physics. Here is a breakdown of the patterns observed:
1. Texture vs. Structure Trade-off
We see a distinct split between models that prioritize structural correctness and those that prioritize surface detail.
- Structuralists: Models like Ideogram V2 and DALL-E 3 are excellent at following instructions (e.g., counting fingers, positioning subjects) but often fail the "squint test" due to synthetic, airbrushed skin textures.
- Texturalists: Models like Midjourney v7 and Nano Banana Pro produce skin that looks incredibly real—complete with imperfections and hair—but can occasionally "hallucinate" anatomical horrors like extra long fingers or claw-hands in complex poses like the High-Five.
2. The "Uncanny Valley" of Action
Dynamic poses, such as the Runner Mid-Stride or Yoga Pose, reveal significant weaknesses. Models often struggle to maintain anatomical coherence when limbs are under tension or viewed from extreme angles.
- Common Failure: A recurring issue was the "sausage finger" effect, where fingers lack defined knuckles and appear as smooth tubes, particularly in the Handshake prompt.
3. Logical Hallucinations
The Mirror Reflection prompt served as a logic trap. High-performing artistic models like Ideogram V2 and Recraft V3 produced beautiful images that defied physics (reflecting the wrong side of the person), proving that visual fidelity does not equal spatial understanding.
🎯 Best Models by Scenario
Based on the data, here are the recommended models for specific user needs within the Anatomy category:
📸 Best for Photorealism & Close-Ups
Winner: Recraft V3 & Nano Banana Pro
If you need close-up shots of hands (e.g., holding objects, drawing), these models handle skin texture and fine details (wrinkles, nails) better than the competition. They avoid the "wax figure" look that plagues others.
🧘♀️ Best for Complex Poses & Action
Winner: Imagen 4.0 Ultra & Nano Banana (2.5 Flash)
For full-body shots involving yoga, running, or dynamic movement, these models maintained mostly correct limb proportions and didn't "break" the skeleton.
🧠 Best for Logic & Composition
Winner: Nano Banana (2.5 Flash) & Ideogram V2
When the prompt involves counting specific numbers of people or handling complex reflections, these models are the "smartest" of the bunch.
🎨 Best for Artistic Consistency
Winner: Flux 1.1 Pro Ultra
While it sometimes struggles with plastic skin, it delivered solid scores across diverse prompts like the Heart Shape Hands, making it a safe "all-rounder" choice for general purpose use.
