Ever wondered why a painting/drawing look odd but couldn't work out what it was? Maybe it is the proportions: they make all the difference.
What I hope to achieve here is a comprehensive list of proportions and examples. When I first learn this ( and I am still learning it) I found it improved my art no end.
Please feel free to suggest things and talk about what worked for you and what didn't.
[color]for the Body:
Man
These are approximate please not they will vary slightly.
7-7 1/2 heads tall
2 heads in shoulder breath
More information to be added.Woman:
6 heads tall
elbows start slightly above the waist.
Soon I will have an example of the difference height makes
More information to be added General:
Feet and hands are surprisingly big. Feet are about a head long and hands are easily the same length as from the chin to the forehead.
a bottom is roughly a head high
If the arms are hanging freely, the wrists are around mid-point between hip and thigh (I believe) and the fingertips mid-thigh
More information wantedChild:
Head is larger
mouth smaller
The head of very young children makes up about a quarter of their total height.
By the time they're six or seven, the head is about a sixth of their height.
Head is wider then it is long
the eyes, nose, mouth take up a very small amount of the head with the eyebrows being roughly the midway point.
eyes are born nearly adult size so they seem very large compared to other features
HINT: If a child is looking too old this may be because they have the features of an adult
Information yet to be added Facial:
The same distance from back to front of head is the same as from the chin to the top of the head.
centre of the eyes align with the corners of the mouth unless smiling
mouth begins just under halfway between nose and chin
eyes are the same distance as between the nose.
eyes halfway between top of head (without hair) and chin
distance between the eyes when facing front on is the same as the width of the eye.
neck starts just inside the jaw line
the eyebrows extend beyond both sides of the eye
tip of the ears finishes within the brow or the nose and eyebrows and the bottom with the tip of the nose.
The mound of the chin starts at the inner corner of the eyes
Example of most of the above:
I am currently looking for an image of the facial lines.
Information yet to be addedEntire paintings portions:
A painting needs to look balanced- the basic portions are thirds, quarters and plain halves don't look as good.
E.g Where the sky meets the sea in this painting is roughly 3/5 of the way up the left side.
There is a start and soon I will have a couple of examples up