Sizing it Up
@LilyoftheThorns (12918)
United States
June 17, 2007 12:47am CST
My biggest problem with drawing is the sizes. I like to draw by looking at pictures. So I always have trouble drawing it the right size, since the picture I'm looking at is usually smaller than the paper I am drawing on. Does anyone have any tips on getting better changing the sizing to make everything fit? OTHER than the grid thing, I learned that and I don't like it so much hehe. *Is it even clear, what I am asking about?*
1 person likes this
5 responses
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
17 Jun 07
practice. The grid thing can help you learn the "exercise" of getting the sizes right, but after that, practice, practice practice. I have an artist friend who drew & drew until she got it.
But remember, art isn't always the perfect reproduction, its the interpetation of the subject.
2 people like this
@windhair (498)
• Germany
23 Jul 07
this concerning a very important ability of artist, that is the proportion. I would see, the best way to scale is never draw a work from the detail part, do a simple sketch using 2H pencil, mark the key points and bone lines of the objects, after this preparation, you will have a good feeling about what you are drawing, the rest will not be that hard. That is what I always do when I draw from a picture. Hope it is helpful.
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@egfitz62150 (645)
• United States
17 Jun 07
Yes, your question is clear. I would suggest choosing one item or object, or part of an object. Put that item on your paper. Then use that item to measure everything else in the picture. If you're drawing a sunflower, for example, draw one petal. Then use that petal in the photo to see how many "times" it fits into the center of the flower. Then you can use the petal on your paper to mark the number of "times" the flower's center will be on your paper. Does that make sense?? I use the grid if I'm going to do a painting, though -- the better your under-drawing, the better the painting.
@LilyoftheThorns (12918)
• United States
17 Jun 07
Def. good advice. But I draw people a lot. And I have troule making all the features fit with the size of the head or body. They are pains and it always stresses me out because I end up having a lot of erase marks on my paper!
:(
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@egfitz62150 (645)
• United States
18 Jun 07
There is so much in art that is mathematical -- even if the math is a little on the loose side! LOL! Luckily, others have done a lot of the basic work for us. Check out http://drawinglab.evansville.edu/proportion.html
They have all the proportions for the human body there. Once you have the basic proportions, you can make the changes in them that give your subject/model their personal appearance. Good luck, and HAVE FUN!!!
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@LilyoftheThorns (12918)
• United States
18 Jun 07
Thank you very much for that link! It'll help me a lot getting used to measurements! :)
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@drannhh (15219)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Maybe you would like to try my favorite drawing tool. It is called a divider and looks like a compass, only without the scale and pencil holder. I hold it in one hand and my pencil in the other, and use it to measure and compare sizes.
It looks like this:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/55-501/image1515.gif
@kabukii (88)
• Brazil
11 Jul 07
Hi LilyoftheThorns!
It's really a bit harder to draw things in different sizes, but all you must take care to make it look like fine is proportion. Choose in the picture a unit that can lead you to all proportions, don't choose a big one or a small one, be in the middle. Then try to understand how it match in the picture and how bigger or smaller it have to be in the paper. Keep practicing and in the future this choice will be automatic and the proportions will make everything fit!
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