How do I make my drawings look more proportional?

Question

I notice that my people or face drawings tend to have a long or stretched look and I don't seem to be getting better.

Answer 1

This is one of the most common problems my students face when drawing from life. I believe the main thing that throws off proportions is priority, or not knowing what to draw first.

Most beginners get lost in the drawing too early. They find one small element they like, bury their head in the paper, and forget about the rest of the subject. They can spend hours drawing, erasing, and trying again without understanding why everything still looks wrong.

The solution is to work from the general to the specific.

Start by creating a simple frame—four light lines that establish the space your subject will occupy. Before drawing any details, find the subject’s center line and overall symmetry. Then establish the major divisions where the form changes direction or “turns.” In the human body, for example, these might be the neck, shoulder line, waist, and hips.

From there, build the subject using large, abstract shapes rather than individual features. Think about the whole before you think about the parts. Take as much time as you need at this stage. If the general structure doesn’t look right, adding more detail will only make the mistakes harder to fix.

You can also use your pencil as a measuring tool: close one eye, hold the pencil at arm’s length, and compare widths, heights, angles, and distances before committing them to the page.

The important thing is not to rush toward the recognizable parts. An eye, a nose, or a hand can be beautifully drawn and still be completely wrong if the larger structure underneath it is incorrect.

Get the big relationships right first. Then slowly work your way toward the small ones.

This is, of course, much easier to demonstrate in person than to explain in writing.

Answer 2

Proportions are about the relationship between height and width - when drawings look stretched, one of these is off balance.

First, check your workspace. If your drawing surface is tilted too much, it creates distortion that makes you unconsciously stretch your drawings.

For measuring, use a pencil or skewer at arm's length to compare proportions on your subject. For faces, measure how many eye-widths fit across (usually 5), or compare hairline-to-eyebrows against eyebrows-to-nose - they should be equal.

Here's what's likely happening: when we focus intensely, we scan top to bottom repeatedly, which makes us elongate drawings. Step back frequently to see with fresh eyes.

Start with basic shapes and guidelines before details. The key is practicing with measuring tools until you can judge proportions intuitively. You're already aware of the issue, which means you're halfway there!"

Answer 3

1) First off, look at the angle of your reference, then the angle of your paper. Are they the same? Are you looking at your paper the same way a viewer would see it? (I speak from experience, here. I once roughed out a character in one of my novels-in-progress that looked fine while it was laying on the table, but when I lifted it to a normal viewing angle, I realized I'd skewed it.)

2) Do you have a "default" way of drawing some part? For example, many students are taught to draw a face that's looking directly at the viewer, but then continue to draw a face with eyes level when the head's tipped to one side, or eyes halfway down the head when the subject's looking up, and then wonder why things don't look "right."

3) Use a grid. Put a grid over your subject image, put a grid over your drawing. Where are they different? Draw with a grid when you can. Work from a grid often enough that when you're working from life or otherwise can't grid, you'll remember where your "problem areas" are so you can guard against them.

Answer 4

The rule of thirds should be a tool in every artist's arsenal. It's a great way to stablish proportions in the very beginning of your drawing. Using this along with careful observation and comparative measurement will help you break down even the hardest poses.

I use this every time I start a portrait, whether it's a commission or just a study from the live model.

If you're drawing someone in front of you, keep in mind that they may shift a little, and if you make corrections based on that shift, you will most likely have to correct somewhere else, if you don't you may end up with a slightly distorted face. Hope that helps.

Answer 5

I recommend that you take a look at

1. the table where you are drawing,
2. the chair where you sit to draw
3. the reference material that you choose to draw.

Frame of reference

Taking a look at where your eye sight is and looking to see if you can view your paper properly. If you like to sit and draw, you may need to raise your chair up higher, you may be able to adjust your chair or sit on a few pillows, but it is important to also have your feet on the ground.

Reference Material

People that viewing their reference image on a small digital device draw often find that their final digital images turn out to appear distorted or less proportional. The best way to remedy this is to print out the reference image and place it besides their paper. Standing up from time to time can give you a different frame of reference.

Surface of Drawing Area

I know many artists need to draw on a drawing board that is slanted to properly see their drawing. Make sure your arms have plenty of room to move and area to turn your paper in different directions to view your work.

There are many more tricks, but I would start with these three first.