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Technique for Establishing Proportion

Drawing in proportion is essential if you want to create life-like drawings.  At life drawing classes, you will likely observe individuals repeatedly holding out their drawing tool at arms length. This is in fact a common way to establish proportion. For example, if at a distance, the head is approximately one quarter of the length of the pencil, you can easily measure this length onto your paper using the pencil as a form of measuring stick. The next thing you might measure is the torso and find that it is approximately one half the length of the pencil. Similarly, you would then use the pencil as a guide when drawing your contour lines.

Once you have gained a certain amount of experience, you may find that you are able to eye proportions fairly accurately without the use of this measuring technique. To a large extent, artists practice the trial and error method, combined with their best judgement to establish proportion. You may also find yourself in situations where you do not have enough distance between you and the subject to be able to measure using your pencil or other drawing tool since the view would be more magnified, requiring a larger measuring tool and larger paper.

Other pages of interest

Life drawing class
Class format
Proportion
Pose
Life drawing steps

 

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