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THE PROPORTIONS OF THE HEAD
A knowledge of the general proportions of the head and face helps us to sketch a
convincing likeness without reference to a model. It is the awareness of the small
variations in these proportions from person to person that enables us to create a realistic
portrait of the individual.
A lthough the proportions of a head
will vary from person to person and
change slightly with age, there are some
basic principles you can follow to
improve your drawing. You can use
these to check the general size, shape
and position of features in your
drawings.
Proportions of the Head - Illus. 1
If you view a head from the front, its
width is approximately two thirds of
its height.
If you view a head from the side, its
width is approximately seven
eighths of its height.
T he proportions of the head can be
divided horizontally into four equal
quarters.
1. The first quarter measures from the
top of the head down to the hairline.
2. The second quarter measures from
the hairline down to the eyes in the
Proportions of the Head - Illus. 2
middle of the head.
3. The third quarter contains most of
the features. At the top of this
section the eyes are usually level
with the ears, and at the bottom the
nose is roughly level with the ear
lobes.
4. The final quarter stretches from the
base of the nose to the chin with
the mouth positioned just above the
halfway mark.
These proportions will only work if we
share the same eye level as the subject.
They will become distorted if we view
the head from above or below.
M any artists start a portrait with the
eyes as they are the focal point of any
face. The following proportions should
help you with their scale and position in
relation to the other features.
The eyes are situated
approximately half way down the
Proportions of the Head - Illus. 3
head.
If you view a head from the front,
the distance across the eye is
similar to the distance between the
eyes.
The distance between the eyes is
similar to the breadth of the nose.
As you can see in the illustration, these
distances work out at approximately one
fifth of the width of the face.
Note the position of the ear in the profile
view. It sits to the left hand side of the
vertical line which bisects the head.
I f you view a head from the front, a
triangle drawn from the centre of the
head through either side of the nose will
establish a good proportion for the
breadth of the mouth.
If you view it from the side, note
how the eyes, nose and mouth fit
Proportions of the Head - Illus. 4
into a rectangle whose diagonal
creates a good line to position the
corners of the nose and mouth.
Pencil Portrait Lessons Menu
Pencil Portraits Pencil Portraits
How to Draw a Portrait How to Draw an Eye
Pencil Portraits Pencil Portraits
How to Draw a Nose How to Draw a Mouth
Pencil Portraits Pencil Shading Techniques
How to Draw an Ear
The Proportions of a Head
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