Proportion in figures — Art, 7–10
Proportion means comparing parts with one another, so a person or creature feels connected rather than accidentally stretched.
The idea
Proportion is about relationships between parts: how long an arm is compared with a body, or how wide a head is compared with its shoulders. There is not one perfect body size for every drawing. You choose relationships that make your character look believable, tiny, giant or deliberately strange.
Why compare parts?
When you draw each part separately, your eye can lose track of how they fit together. Comparing parts gives you a way to check the whole figure while you work. Artists have used measuring tricks for centuries because viewers notice when a body feels connected, even if they cannot explain exactly why.
Measure with a unit
Draw a standing figure using the head as one unit. Mark the top of the head and place the chin at 1 unit. Put the shoulders near 2 units, the hips near 4, and the feet near 7. This is only a guide, not a law. Compare your sketch with a real person and change the units when your character needs a different build.
A common trap
You may think a good drawing must obey one exact recipe, such as every person having seven heads. That seems reasonable because measuring helps, but real people and invented creatures vary. Use a guide to spot accidents, not to flatten every character into the same shape.
Where it is useful
Character designers use proportion to make a hero, a baby, a robot or a monster recognisable at once. Toy makers and animators also change head, hand or body size to suggest age, strength or comedy. When you invent a creature, decide which parts should be unusually large or small and keep that choice consistent.
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