Figure size?

[Michael Fournier]

Wow, where to start on this one? I am not sure if I should jump in the middle here or not, but what the Hay.

First off, comparing heads, you are using the person's head you are painting and then comparing it by sight to other objects.

Distance from point a to point b is two heads. Hold up your brush at arm's length to the head then compare it to other points of reference.

Why the head? Well, for one, in a portrait it is the dominate focal point and if it is not in correct proportion to the figure as a whole, as well as everything else, then it would look very odd.

Also the head itself is broken down to its parts for comparison.

No one said that every figure is always the same size and every head is the same size. But as long as you get the relationships correct then things look correct. If you do not, then things look odd.

Also: there are people who look more attractive if you forego their actual proportions for more idealistic proportions. Now this part is personal preference. I, for one, am used to idealizing figures for advertising and illustration work, but it does not hurt to idealize your subject a bit for a portrait. It is one of the benefits of a painting over a photo. This can be done with out affecting the likeness.

So, the guides of how many heads there are in a figure are helpful, if your goal is one to be able to draw figures from your imagination, completely without reference, or to combine different reference shots.

Also, it is a very useful guide when drawing idealized characters in illustration work. Now in portraiture, it is not always the desire to idealize and yes, these guides are no substitute for good visualization and sight sizing. But don't be so hasty to dismiss this as useless just because you personally have no use for it. It is not just a art school trick - it is a very useful tool, and when used in conjunction with good observation is a very powerful tool.

Now this is not the only way, nor do I suggest everyone start drawing only Greek-god idealized figures. But although these proportions vary from person to person they are still a good guide and most people fall close enough within the proportion range that you will not be too far off. You need some kind of guide to start out with when you are doing initial layout to position heads and to size multi-figure paintings then through observation and comparison fine tune the relationships. Otherwise I have seen many artists start laying out a head too large and not have enough room in the end for the rest of the figure or end up with a pumpkin head or a pin head.