Proportions of the head and body. Do-it-yourself manual "Human Figure" Master class with photo
Topic: The proportions and structure of the human figure.
Target: sketching the human figure.
Tasks:
Understand the proportions of the human figure age characteristics figures.
· To acquaint with the ways of constructing a human figure based on constructive schemes: “figure of a woman”, “figure of a man”, “figure of a child” (younger and adolescence).
Develop imaginative and constructive thinking.
· To develop self-reliance in the performance of practical tasks.
Equipment.
· PC, projector.
· Presentation: “Sketching a human figure”.
· Materials: paper, pencil, eraser.
Lesson progress
1. Organizational part of the lesson.
2. Announcement of the topic and setting the goal of the lesson.
The topic of our lesson is "Human's figure".
We will get to know you distinctive features proportions of the figures of a man and a woman, as well as with the age characteristics of the proportions of the figures of children, and we will perform sketches using constructive modular schemes.
3. Explanation of new material. The proportions of the human body
The desire to find a pattern in the size of the human body arose in ancient times. Painters and sculptors needed to know the proportions of the human body.
It is known that the Egyptians based the division of the figure into 21 parts. This number included 19 equal parts of the division of the figure itself, and 2 parts fell on the image of a traditional headdress.
The sculptors of ancient Greece and Rome took the size of the head in height as a unit of measurement. The sculptural images of Venus de Milo and Apollo Belvedere still serve as a model in art, as they combine the artist's talent and understanding of the patterns in the construction of the human figure, its typical proportions.
Knowledge of the aesthetic norms of the structure of the figure has been developed by man over the centuries. Correct observance of proportions gives truthfulness and vitality to a schematic representation. Male and female figures have differences. These differences are already built into the skeleton. Men tend to be taller, women shorter. The average height of men is usually above 170 cm. The height of women is usually 8–12 cm lower.
In men, bone protrusions and muscle reliefs are sharper indicated, the shoulders are always wider than the hips. The male figure is slightly tilted back.
In women, the shoulders are narrower, the hips are wider, the torso is longer, and the limbs are relatively shorter than men's.
Children at the age of one do not have a narrowing of the torso along the waist line. The chest is as wide as the head. The width of the shoulders is equal to the height of the head. Arms from shoulder to wrist are almost the same thickness. The legs are relatively short. The thickness of the legs at the hip line is slightly different from the thickness at the knee line. The limbs are proportionately shorter. The length of the arms reaches the level of the base of the body. The neck is short.
In order to correctly portray a person, you need to know his basic proportions. So what are proportions? (Entry in notebook)
Proportions are called dimensional ratios of elements or parts of the form among themselves, as well as between various objects.
For one part, the head of a person is taken. Head fits into shape adult person 7.5 - 8 times. The first part is the head. The second ends at chest level. The third is the navel.
The fourth part is at the level of the thigh. The fifth and sixth parts are taken at the same time and end under the kneecap. The seventh and eighth parts are the lower leg along with the foot. The lowered hand ends in the fifth part. The raised arm occupies three parts from the shoulder. The whole part is given to the brush.
When drawing a figure, a vertical is drawn on paper, this is a guideline necessary at the first stage of the drawing in order to identify the relative position of the main body shapes.
And so: We determine the compositional arrangement of the picture on a sheet of paper, mark its height with serifs, draw a vertical line, divide it into eight parts.
The head will be located within the first part, then at the next division there will be a chest line (from the chin). From the chest line, we outline the waist line - the hip line - the middle of the thigh - the line of the lower border of the patella. From the knees will pass the line of the middle of the lower leg, from the middle of the lower leg - the base of the foot.
The line of the shoulders will pass below the chin by one third of the part. The width of the shoulder girdle is equal to two parts, the width of the neck is half a part. Waist width is one piece. The width of the hips is graphically (according to the diagram) determined as follows: if you connect the points of the shoulder and waist, draw a vertical line from the intersection points of the resulting line with the chest line, you get an axis of symmetry. On both sides of the axis of symmetry and determine the width of the hips.
To depict the limbs, it is necessary to know the proportions of the shoulder, forearm, hand, lower leg, foot, their marking and construction.
The position of the hands is different. One arm is lowered, the other is bent at the elbow, etc.
As is known from the anatomical structure of the hand, it has, as it were, three levers: the guiding humerus, forearm and hands. The shoulder part will be longer than the forearm, the forearm will be longer than the hand. The hand is approximately two-thirds of the length of the forearm, or three-quarters of a part. The length of the fingers is half the total length of the hand. The lowered arm reaches the middle of the thigh. The elbow of the bent arm comes to the waist line. To find the position of the elbow joint of the bent arm, you need to draw an arc from the middle of the shoulder with a distance equal to the waist line, within which the elbow of the bent arm will be located.
We got acquainted with the proportions of the human body, modular schemes images of a person, and now, based on the knowledge gained, we will do practical work.
3. Independent work. Students in their albums draw the indicated scheme and sketch the figure of a person. At the end of the work, the diagram is not deleted, but remains to remind the main proportions.
4. Summarizing: Evaluation of works, demonstration of the best drawings.
The history of the development of fine arts and architecture knows many rules and canons for the size of the human body. Of all the most convincing, simple and true measure of the human body proposed by history, the head is. As a guide, we give only basic information about the size of the human body and its parts.
When the head is related to the figure and its parts, the following measures are used:
- head height;
- head height with neck;
- head diagonal;
- brush length and width.
In Fig. 25, the figure of a man with a swing of his arms to the sides is inscribed in a square. In this case, the head, arms, legs touch the sides of the square. This means that the height of a person corresponds to the distance of the arm span.
The same figure shows the proportions of the human body with age characteristics. In children, the head is much larger in relation to the body than in adults. Moreover, the torso in children is longer than the upper and lower limbs. In a newborn, the head fits into the length of the body three and a half to four times, in a three-year-old child - 4.5-5 times, in a seven-year-old child - 6 times. At the age of fourteen - 7 times. As for the proportion of the child's head, the ratio of the facial part to the cranial, in contrast to the head of an adult, will be: in a child under one year old - 4 times; up to two years - 3.5 times. As the child grows older, the proportions of the body take on the position of an adult.
A person's height is divided into two equal parts. The point of dividing the growth in half is the pubic articulation of the pelvis or the point of intersection of the diagonals of the square and the center of the circles inscribed in the square (Fig. 25,26).
The chest is one of the main shaping parts of the human body, its height is determined by the size of the head with the neck and humerus. It resembles an inverted ovoid shape, where the lower base is wider than the upper one with a ratio of 1:2, or its lower base is equal to the size of the diagonal of the head. When viewed from the side, the shape of the chest is flattened in volume in relation to the front view in a ratio of 1:1.5. The distance between the nipples of the chest is equal to the height of the front of the head (from the base of the tip of the chin to the frontal tubercles) or the length of the hand. Shoulder width corresponds to two head heights. Between the jugular notch and the navel, approximately in the middle, is the lower base of the pectoral muscles. The distance from the navel to the pubic joint corresponds to the height of the front of the head or the length of the hand.
The shape of the pelvis is the second component in the lower region of the body. It has the following characteristics: the upper base is equal to the diagonal size of the head; the lower base is the width of the head; the height of the pelvis - the height of the head. The female pelvis is wider and lower and has an enlarged pubic opening, unlike the male one. The distance between the bases of the chest and the pelvis is about half the height of the head.
The width of the hip joint in relation to the width of the shoulder in men is 1:1.8; for women - 1:1.
The length of the arm corresponds to three heights of the head. In this case, the ends of the middle finger with the lowered hand reach the middle of the thigh. The shoulder, if we mean the distance from the humeral process of the scapula to the elbow, is one and a half times the height of the head.
The forearm, foot and diagonal of the head have the same dimensions (Fig. 26, 27). The length of the hand, the height of the front part of the head, the length of the sternum, the distance from the pubis to the navel and the length of the part of the forearm with the arm bent in front (to the bend of the front edge of the shoulder) have the same values. The length of the hand is divided in half by the distal ends of the metacarpal bones (at the level of the fold). Measurement of the length of the phalanges of the fingers from the first to the fifth is carried out according to the level of the fold of the interphalangeal joints. Thus, the lengths of the proximal phalanges and the lengths of the middle and distal phalanges of the second and fifth fingers taken together are equal.
At the level of the middle of the proximal phalanges, there are interphalangeal connections called membranes. As for the thumb, its metacarpal bone in relation to the two parts of the phalanx is smaller and is approximately 1:1.8. The length of the proximal and distal phalanges of the thumb with a straightened hand almost reaches the bend of the index finger.
The dimensions of the thigh are equal to the length of the lower leg, including the height of the foot, and correspond to two dimensions of the height of the head. On fig. 27 shows the dimensions of the head and neck, shoulder, forearm, hand and foot and their relationship to each other. The length of the thigh is equal to the distance from the nipples to the pubic joint, the protruding bone of the thigh from the outside - the greater trochanter - is located at the level of the pubic tubercle.
Data on the proportions of the human body have average proportional values, a proportionately built person of 30 years old with a height of 172-175 cm is taken as the basis for measuring and studying. These data can help to find individual and characteristic features in each person when drawing his head and figure.
The portrait conveys not only the external characteristics of the face, but also reflects the inner world of a person, his attitude to reality and emotional state at a certain point in time. In fact, a portrait, like any other genre painting, is an arrangement of lines, shapes and colors on canvas or paper so that their final combination repeats the shape of a human face.
Sounds almost like magic? In order to correctly place those very lines, shapes and shades on paper, you must first of all study the proportions of a person’s face (when drawing a portrait, they must be observed without fail) and their dependence on the movements, direction and shape of the head.
What is a portrait?
Regardless of the level of skill, working on it intimidates any artist. The remarkable painter John Singer Sargent gave the portrait two characteristics that every artist would agree on:
- “Every time I paint a portrait, especially on commission, I lose a friend.”
- "A portrait is a painting in which the lips end up looking somehow wrong."
Portrait - one of the most difficult genres of drawing and painting. The reason is that the artist often works to order, and pressure from outside interferes with the creative process. The portrait in the view of the customer often differs from what the artist creates. In addition, working on the image of a human face requires special knowledge and a fair amount of patience.
Why study proportions
Proportions are needed in order to understand how objects are located relative to each other in a dimensional, planar and intermediate ratio. If even a small amount of realism is important for a portrait, this cannot be achieved without knowing the proportions. On the other hand, nobody canceled abstract portraits.
Knowledge of proportions helps to convey not only facial features, but also emotions and facial expressions of a person. Knowing the dependence of the change appearance from the position of the head, the emotional state of the model and lighting, the artist can transfer the character and mood of a person to the canvas, thereby creating an object of art. But for this you need to know the correct proportions of the face and be able to build a composition in accordance with the rules.
Ideal Proportions
During the High Renaissance, Raphael created paintings that were considered the standard of perfection. In fact, all of today's ideal proportions originate in the oval faces of Raphael's Madonnas.
If you draw a vertical line in the very center of the face and divide it into three parts - from the hairline to the eyebrows, from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose and from the tip of the nose to the chin, then these parts will be equal in an ideal face. The figure below shows the ideal proportions of a human face, a scheme for drawing and building an ideal face oval, as well as the ratio of the main features. It should be noted that the ideal male face characterized by more angular features, but, despite this, their main location corresponds to the presented scheme.
Based on this scheme, the ideal proportions of the face when drawing a portrait correspond to the following formula:
- BC=CE=EF.
- AD=DF.
- OR=KL=PK.
face shape
Correctly constructed proportions of a person's face when drawing a portrait depend largely on the shape of this face. Raphael created a perfect oval, and nature does not limit perfection to just one geometric shape.
Probably, it is most convenient to study the construction of proportions and their change during movement on a perfectly oval face, for this there are many ways and techniques that will be discussed below, but the essence of the portrait is not in creating an ideal, but in depicting a person with all his features and imperfections. That is why it is important to know what the shape of the face can be and how it affects the construction of proportions when drawing portraits.
Rounded faces
elongated face has rounded hairline and chin. The vertical midline of the face is much longer than the horizontal. Elongated faces are usually characterized by a high forehead and a large distance between the upper lip and the base of the nose. Usually the width of the forehead is approximately equal to the width of the cheekbones.
Oval face similar in shape to an egg turned upside down. The cheekbones are the widest part of it, followed by a slightly less wide forehead and a relatively narrow jaw. The length of an oval face is slightly greater than its width.
Round face characterized by almost equal midlines of the vertical and horizontal sections of the face. Wide cheekbones are smoothed out by a smooth rounded chin line.
Angular face shapes
Rectangular face characterized by a wide jaw, accentuated by an angular chin and a straight hairline. The median line of the vertical section is much longer than the horizontal one. The width of the forehead of a person with a rectangular face is approximately equal to the width of the cheekbones.
triangular differs from the heart-shaped only by the hairline, in the triangular it is straight. A characteristic feature of this face shape is high cheekbones and a very narrow, pointed chin, while the cheekbones are almost as wide as the forehead. The vertical section line of a triangular face is usually slightly longer than the horizontal line.
Square shape characteristic of persons with low, wide cheekbones and an angular chin. The length of a square face is equal to its width.
Trapezoidal defined by a wide jaw, low cheekbones and a narrow forehead. Usually on such a face, the chin is angular and wide, and the cheekbones are much wider than the forehead.
diamond shape the face is given a proportionally narrow forehead and chin, the latter usually pointed. The high cheekbones are the widest part of the diamond-shaped face, and its horizontal section is much smaller than the vertical one.
Correct facial structure
The correct construction when drawing a portrait is based on measuring the facial features of the model and the distance between them. Each portrait is individual, just as no two faces are exactly the same, with the exception of twins. The formulas for calculating proportions give only basic tips, following which you can make the drawing process much easier.
To create your own characters or draw faces from memory, it is extremely important to know the correct rendering of proportions. It is important to remember here that the shape of the head is much more complicated than an inverted egg or an oval, and therefore it is worth following the rules to avoid eyes on the forehead or a mouth that is too small.
face outline
First, draw a circle - this will be the widest part of the skull. As you know, the main features of the face take place under the circle. To approximately determine their place, we divide the circle in half vertically and continue the line down so that the lower outline of the circle divides it exactly in half. The bottom of the line will be the chin. From the sides of the circle to the "chin" you need to draw lines that will become the preliminary outlines of the cheekbones and cheeks.
If the portrait is drawn from the model's face or from memory, then you can correct the shape with a few light lines, determine the approximate width of the chin and the hairline. It is worth noting that the hair in the portrait will occupy some part of the circle that was drawn at the very beginning.
Eyes and eyebrows
Draw a horizontal line at the base of the circle, perpendicular to the first. The eyes are on this line. It is on it, not higher, no matter how much you want! The horizontal line must be divided into five equal parts - each of them is equal to the width of the eye. The central part may be slightly wider. The eyes are located on the sides of her. For further calculation of proportions, it is best to indicate where the pupils will be located.
To determine how high above the eyes the eyebrows should be, divide the circle into four equal parts, from bottom to top. Eyebrows will be located along a horizontal line passing directly above the eyes.
Nose and lips
The vertical line of the lower part of the face must be divided in half. Mark the middle where the base of the nose should be. The width of the nose is easy to determine by drawing parallel lines down from the inner corners of the eyes.
The rest - from the nose to the chin - must be divided in half again. The middle line coincides with the line of the mouth, that is, it is located directly above it upper lip, and below it - the bottom. The width of the mouth can be calculated by drawing parallel lines down from the middle of the pupils. The width of the chin is usually equal to the width of the nose.
Building the proportions of the human face, described above, is a simplified method and is suitable for perfect faces, which are rare in nature.
However, given the number of existing methods for measuring proportions (canons), we must understand how differently proportions can be interpreted, and that perhaps none of these methods is completely accurate.
What are proportions?
Proportions are the ratios of the width, height and depth of the object.
In order to draw a believable image of anything, no matter what it is or who it is, we need to convey the proportions of the proportions of this object as accurately as possible.
For example, in the picture on the right, the width and height of the rim of the mug are approximately equal, while the depth of the mug is about one and a half times the width. These proportions are typical for this circle, in this particular situation.
What happens if I change the proportions? The mug drawn won't look exactly like the one in front of me, but it will still be pretty recognizable.
However, if we need to draw a human figure or portrait, an accidental change in proportions can lead to noticeable distortions that make the drawing implausible.
Small errors in body proportions will only reduce the resemblance to a particular person, while large errors can seriously distort the anatomical structure.
It is not at all surprising that artists at all times have tried to develop a single standard for measuring proportions!
How convenient it would be to just remember such a system, and rely on it for everything ... but can one really rely on any of these systems, no matter who we draw?
To find out the answer to this question, let's take a look at a brief history canons of proportions.
A Brief History of the Canons
Each canon (a system of measuring proportions) was born in search of a certain ideal of beauty. Since the concept of beauty is very subjective and changeable, the canons have been the same throughout history.
For example, the famous ancient Greek canon, created by Polykleitos, forms the image of a strong, courageous athlete who has achieved success in gymnastics and has excellent command of weapons.
A typical example of work in this canon is the statue of Doryphoros, one of the most famous statues of the Classical Greek era.
In our time, you do not often meet people whose body fully corresponds to the modern “ideals” of beauty, so, probably, in the time of Polikleitos, few could boast of such an “ideal” body as that of Doryphoros.
In addition, the canons were used to establish units of measurement, with the help of which it was convenient to break the body into parts, which were then compiled into “ideal” proportions. For example, in the ancient system of proportions, the ancient Egyptian canon, such a unit of measurement was the length of the middle finger. It was believed that it is equal to 1/19 of the length of the entire body.
In the ancient Greek canon of Polykleitos, the palm was chosen as the unit of measurement.
The ancient Roman architect and writer Mark Vitruvius believed that the height of the head is 1/8 of the total height of a person.
Leonardo da Vinci demonstrated many of Vitruvius' ideas with the famous "Vitruvian Man", which depicts a man in two poses superimposed on each other, inscribed simultaneously in a circle and a square.
Canons of proportions today
As you might have guessed, finding perfect methods for measuring proportions is a pointless exercise. Human bodies are so different that they can never all fit into a single standard. The uniqueness of each of them is the most complex and fascinating part of the image of the figure. Nonetheless:
Knowing a few, very basic proportions will be of great help to us in drawing if we apply this knowledge in combination with a careful study of the body of a particular model.
Today, the most common unit of measurement is the head. It is believed that the total body length is on average 7.5 - 8 heads.
What is the difference between 7.5 and 8 head figures?
A figure with a height of 8 heads will have a very long legs, such as those of top models, while a figure with a height of 7.5 heads looks more than average. Note that these generalizations should not be considered a rule either.
Seven proportions of the human body
Before diving into the study, please remember that these proportions refer to a standing figure. If the figure is tilted, sitting or lying down, it will be much more difficult to measure the proportions, and they may not match the proportions given below.
Here are seven proportions of a standing figure that are useful to remember:
The system of proportions of the human figure: pros and cons
- the proportion system gives you basic guidelines for determining correct distances
- proportions help create a more accurate drawing when compared to the proportions of a particular model
- memorizing proportions will be an indispensable help in drawing from memory or “from the head”
- memorizing proportions will help you let your imagination run wild, for example, an animator may decide to lengthen or shorten a figure by one or two heads, in case he is drawing a fictional character
Against:
- relying too much on memorized proportions can cause you to be too lazy to look at the model and your drawings become lifeless
- due to the huge variety of figures and body types, no single system of proportions can be considered an immutable rule
Using proportions effectively
The proportion system can make your drawings more versatile or more specific, depending on how you use it. How, knowing the proportions, to achieve greater accuracy in the drawing?
Don't expect the model to match exactly the proportions shown above, instead use them to find the differences. For example, you know that the navel is usually three heads below the top of the head. Measure and find out if this rule is true for your model.
If not, then in the process of measuring, you will be able to determine at what height the navel is located in the person you are drawing.
Knowing proportions will help you develop that special flair that allows you to calculate the correct distance by eye, even if the proportions of the model are far from classical.
Artist John Watkiss completely breaks down compositional and anatomical techniques to create an accurate illustration of the classic Tarzan character.
Two keywords in art: technique and principles. The principles include composition, structure, and expression, and their meanings are presented in the art.
Technique is the use of any physical tools such as: oil, watercolor, pencil, pen, Photoshop, but they will be ineffective if you do not understand the principles.
This article will talk about both sides of harmony. Many people give themselves too much to technology and very often forget about the principles.
1. Composition
Even though this article is about Tarzan's anatomy, let's start with composition. This is very important stage in the creation of the human figure.
Let's start with straight lines to create a strong silhouette of Tarzan in action. This will be the base in which we will place the body of our hero.
2. Generalized skeleton
The next thing to keep in mind is the implementation of the skeleton. The example summarizes groups of bones. Each black line represents a separate bone.
Rectangular elements symbolize a group of two bones. Hands, feet, legs and shoulders will be asymmetrical, and the skull, chest and pelvis will be symmetrical.
3. Details of the skeleton
If the previous construction was too general, then this one will be more detailed. It is very important to compare asymmetrical bones with symmetrical ones.
The most important bones are labeled on the diagram. A little later, you will understand why understanding symmetry and asymmetry plays an important role in creating anatomy.
And again, we start with a generalization of the muscles, so that later we can understand the details. Note that the asymmetry of the muscles follows the symmetry of the bones.
Also note the symmetrical large muscles that lie on the symmetrical bones and see how they affect the contour of the figure.
One of the principles of composition is to go from the general to the detailed. Muscles have their own compositional dynamics. The picture shows the most important muscle groups.
Latin names may seem a little exotic to you, but it's worth focusing on the shape of the muscles, and not on their names.
Now, based on everything that we discussed above, we create a silhouette. Please take the time to learn about symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes.
Note that due to the asymmetrical arrangement of the muscles, the shapes and curves also differ from each other in the upper body: the arms and wrists.
The same goes for the legs. We notice this because very often people draw arms and legs symmetrical to each other with the same curves on both sides.
This geometric construction will help you understand the location of light and shadow, it gives an example of a three-dimensional action that a character performs.
Now we can understand the features of contouring. Compare this diagram with the diagram in step 2, it will give you an idea of how you can rethink the chest and pelvis according to the scene.
This image makes it feel like Tarzan is alive. If you remember this, then the drawing will turn out better and more emotional. The diagram builds on the previous one, so it gives us a complete understanding of Tarzan's silhouette.
Such a “mummy” is an excellent replacement for a living model of a person. Therefore, try to apply this method when you draw the human body.
This image clearly shows the light and shadow in the future drawing. Such a contrast diagram helps to see the nuances better. For Tarzan, we will use three tones: light, lighter shadow, darker shadow. And also the tone for the accent.
We hope this drawing speaks for itself. Using the listed nine principles, one can understand how to correctly depict the human figure. Also, do not forget about the background elements, but try not to interrupt the main silhouette.