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Artists get the wrong proportions because they're relying on their judgment or memory to draw or paint. As a result, the measurements are often inaccurate. This is very obvious if the artist is drawing a portrait. In other types of drawings, like landscape drawings or still life, sometimes the artist may get away with it. For those drawings, as long as the drawing doesn't look too wierd, it's still passable. However, you can't cheat anyone when drawing a portrait. A portrait requires pretty accurate visual representation of all the different features. Otherwise, the visual resemblance will be lost. So how can we ensure that we get the proportions right every time? The answer lies in having a fixed process or system that's accurate enough, and also convenient enough for the artist to use again and again. This can be any system as long as it's able to produce satisfactory results. Sometimes, we see on television that portraitists like to use the hand and thumb as a measuring tool when drawing portrait. This is fine as long as the artist is comfortable with it. There are also artists who like to use measurement tools such as protractors, rulers, etc. to help them in their drawing. Simple tools can be very effective, and can help you improve your drawing dramatically. As artists, we're not trying to photograph the whole image. It's good to have the technical skills to do that, but it's even more important to know how to make the right decisions and choose what to include or what to exclude. That means having the ability to recognize the key features and be able to express them accurately. For instance, if the eyes and the lips of a model is very prominent, then an artist may want to explore the option of making these features stand out. That's something that a camera cannot accomplish. Finally, remember that it's discipline we're talking about here. If you're comfortable just using your hand and thumb as the measuring tool, by all means stick with it if it works for you. But if simple tools are needed, don't be afraid to use them. After all, it's the final output that counts.
Darren Chow is the founder and developer of MyArtPassion.com, an online website that offers free drawing lessons, home study courses, and other drawing related resources.
For more free resources like the one you've just read, please visit MyArtPassion.com for free online drawing lessons.
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