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Drawing a well-proportioned human body freehand requires a bit of training. Practice regularly: You will be amazed at how fast you progress. To your pencils! What you need to knowFrench has an expression "Quel canon" ["What a canon!]said about attractive looking people. This expression comes from Ancient Greece. Canon in both English and French refers to the norm for calculating the proportions of the "perfect man." Of course, you don't need to follow it to the letter, but it is a good guide. 1. Drawing a silhouetteThe Vitruvean Man: This is the "perfect man" drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in 1490 in his still famous sketch. By drawing the body human as geometric forms, he showed the proportional relationships between its various limbs. Nowadays, more simply, we use head height as our unity of reference. Total body height is equal to eight times head height. Drawing a man using the following equivalences for each part of the human body:
2. And for real?To get an idea closer to reality, do the partitioning yourself:
MemoFor children, proportions are different from adults. The younger the child, the more room its head takes. For a 6 year old child, body height equals 6 times its head height. For a 12 year old child, it is 7 times. We have all seen paintings that appear perfect in form and shape, everything is in proportion; the figures are in relation to each other and their surroundings, as well as their body parts, are in relation to their bodies. When there is proportion in art, there is a harmony or unity of the whole, but conversely, when things appear out of proportion a painting seems strange. In this article, we will discuss what is proportion in art and provide several accompanying examples. Table of Contents
If we look at the word “proportion”, according to the dictionary, it means a “harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole” and “proper or equal share”. What this definition tells us is that proportion works in ratios, where one part is in relation to the other.
To answer this question, we would explore how different parts in a visual composition share “proper” size, so to say, with each other to create a “harmonious” relationship between them and ultimately a harmonious visual composition. Still Life with Fruit (c. 1603) by Caravaggio; Caravaggio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons However, sometimes the different parts in a visual composition do not share the “proper” size between one another and it appears out of proportion. In art, this can either be intentional or as a lack of skill or training. Proportion in art is one of the principles of art, of which there are several, namely, balance, unity, harmony, variety, rhythm, movement, repetition/pattern, scale, and proportion. The principles of art are used as guidelines with the elements of art, which make a visual composition. These are color, value, shape, form, line, texture, and space. The Difference Between Scale and Proportion in ArtYou may have noticed that scale is also amongst the principles of art; scale and proportion in art can cause confusion if it is not understood properly. It is important to remember the differences between the two when creating artwork or analyzing an artwork.
The Hunters in the Snow (1565) by Pieter Brueghel the Elder; Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons We already have a basic understanding of what proportion means, which is the relationship between the size of parts within a composition, specifically in terms of their dimensions; these parts can be anything from an object to a person’s body parts or facial features.
We can think of proportion as zooming in on or focusing more on the intricacies between the relationship of the sizes of parts in a visual composition, and scale provides a broader indication of the relationship of size between the parts when they appear as their whole. Fukagawa Susaki and Jumantsubo (1857) by Utagawa Hiroshige, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, no. 107, part 4: Winter; Utagawa Hiroshige, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The Types of Proportion in ArtThere are several types of proportion in art, namely, altered, hierarchical, out of proportion, and standard proportion. Below we explain each one with accompanying examples. Standard ProportionStandard proportion in art means that accurate or correct proportions are utilized for the subject matter. This applies to facial and body features as well as the general congruency of proportion between parts in the art composition that would suggest normal proportion. Paris Street, Rainy Day (1877) by Gustave Caillebotte; Gustave Caillebotte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons However, according to some art sources, it is important to note the questions around this in terms of standardizing facial and bodily features, which would be an impossible task as no body would measure the same.
One standard proportion in art example includes the famous marble sculpture by Michelangelo titled David (1501-1504). Here, we see a 17-feet sculpture of the Biblical figure David, however, regardless of his large scale, he is in seemingly perfect proportion. David (1501-1504) by Michelangelo, Florence, Galleria dell’Accademia; Jörg Bittner Unna, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Altered ProportionAltered proportion in art refers to an artwork where the proportion has been changed, distorted, or altered for specific reasons; this is also called “exaggerated” proportion by some. This type of proportion is utilized to tell a story, have a specific meaning or message, or emphasize certain aspects to create an effect.
Some of the altered proportion in art examples include those from Cubist Pablo Picasso and his Mother and Child (1921). Here, we see the exaggerated features in the mother’s figure; not only are her arms quite large and her head smaller, but her facial features have an angularity. Some describe this painting as having a “solidity” and “sculptural” quality, which emphasizes the mother’s role as a safe and stable figure for the child. This also ties in with the altered proportion of the female figure throughout art history, where female body parts are exaggerated to emphasize the idea of fertility or motherhood. A famous example of this is the Venus of Willendorf(c. 25,000 BCE) limestone figurine. Venus of Willendorf figurine (c. 25,000 BCE), seen from all four sides; Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hierarchical ProportionHierarchical proportion in art focuses on the importance of the subject matter, in other words, the hierarchy of figures in a composition to denote their status or level of power or importance in a monarchy or social structure.
A hierarchical proportion in art example includes the Egyptian Palette of King Narmer (c. 3000-2920 BCE), which depicts the larger-sized figure of the pharaoh in the center, surrounded by smaller objects and figures. Both sides of the Narmer Palette (c. 3100 BC), Egyptian Museum, Cairo; Unknown, perhaps more than one, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Another example, also Egyptian, includes Nebamun fowling in the marshes (c. 1350), which depicts the figure of Nebamun standing on a boat with his wife and daughter, who are depicted as smaller figures. This is from the Nebamun Tomb-chapel, which depicts the dead figure in the afterlife as happy and vibrant. His larger figure presides over the composition emphasizing his stature. Nebamun fowling in the marshes (c. 1350); British Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Out of ProportionOut of proportion in art simply refers to the subject matter, be it figures or objects, that are not in proper proportional relation to one another. For example, a figure’s head could be the size of an apple in relation to the rest of the body, which appears larger.
Namely, it can result from an artwork that is intentionally meant to be out of proportion to emphasize an idea, like the altered proportion we discussed above, or it is done by “accident”, which means that the artist did not convey the correct measured proportions in the composition. Madonna and Child with Angels, known as the “Madonna with the Long Neck” (1534-1540) by Parmigianino; Parmigianino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Some of the out-of-proportion in art examples include the Surrealist work by René Magritte, Personal Values (1952). Here we see a room with everyday objects like a comb, a wine glass, matchstick, shaving cream foaming brush, soap, a bed, a cupboard, and rugs.
Another Surrealist artwork includes The Elephants (1948) by Salvador Dalí, which depicts two elephants with elongated legs that appear wholly out of proportion to their bodies. This painting is believed to symbolize ideas of weight and power, as is characteristic of elephants, and weightlessness due to their thin and gangling legs. Summary of Proportion in Art
Principles of Art – Further Readings
Take a look at our proportion art webstory here! Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat Does Proportion Mean in Art?As one of the principles of art, proportion refers to how parts of an artistic composition, whether it’s a human figure or a face, or other objects that make up the subject matter, relate to each other in size, referring to its dimensions. What Are the Types of Proportion in Art?There are four primary types of proportion in art, namely, standard proportion, which is the accurate or normal proportion between parts; the altered proportion is when the proportion is altered or changed for different reasons; the hierarchical proportion is when the primary figure or object is usually larger than the rest to indicate its hierarchical status, lastly, out of proportion, which refers to figures or object that are visibly not in proportional relation, this is also usually intentional or accidental. What Is the Difference Between Scale and Proportion in Art?The difference between scale and proportion in art is that proportion refers to the relation between parts of a whole, and scale refers to the size of figures or objects in a composition. These figures or objects could be small or large in scale, but still be in proportion. Which of the following profiles has an inward curve often the result of a dominant protruding forehead and chin or a small nose?Concave Profile A concave profile has an inward curve, which is most often the result of a dominant, protruding forehead and chin or a small nose.
What is elongated and angular face shape?People with rectangular faces have elongated angular lines with equally wide cheekbones, forehead, and jawline.
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