The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FREEHAND
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
R
E
E
H
A
N
D
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FREEHAND mean?
FREEHAND verb- To conduct a procedure involving use of the hands without any helping device or guide.
- Drawn using the hand without any helping device.