Proportions of the Head

 I know last week I said I was going to post about relative proportions, but the more I was thinking about it, the more it makes sense to go over the proportions of the head first and then get into relative things after the fact. (Mostly because a lot of anatomy is compared to certain proportions of the head.)
I'm sure a lot of readers are confused as to where the muscle and bone drawings are. I know it's an anatomy blog and yes, we will be getting to these things very shortly. However, it is essential that you understand the human figure at a glance prior to diving in and drawing models. Drawing the figure is a very laborious undertaking and, to do it correctly, it needs to be done with a wealth of knowledge.  The more you practice and study, the better you are going to get.
So, today we're going to go over the proportions of the head and face. I did my best to make my examples easy to read and understand, but there's only so much simplifying one can do while also keeping all information up front.  I'll do my best to explain everything.
Keep in mind that there is a lot of technical information here and that it can get quite overbearing. I urge you to take your time with this information. If it's getting confusing, stop after one section, mull it over, then come back to it later. I broke it up into the measurements of the head, then the measurements of the face, followed by a couple of good to know points. Get all you can out of what's written by taking your time and fully understanding it before moving on.
First, what you need to know (and keep saying as you draw the head) is that the head is less wide than it is deep and less deep than it is tall. Confusing? It's a little tough to grasp when you don't have someone physically showing you on a skull. Again, less wide than deep, less deep than tall. Say it out loud. In case that mantra is still a little confusing, wide = right side to left side of the head (looking straight at you), deep = forehead to back of the head (profile), tall = chin to top of the head. Less wide than deep, less deep than tall. Hopefully that makes the illustration easier to decipher :

To explain exactly what's going on : The blue 1 on the left means from the chin to the top of the head is the measurement of 1 head. That is then split into two halves. The halfway point on the head is *incredibly* important as this is your eye line. Most people want to draw the eyes way up high on the head, which will throw everything off (and quite frankly, look terrible). Always remember, eyes are halfway up the head. Also keep in mind, this is from the chin to the top of the head - NOT the top of the hairstyle.
The green measurements are the depth and width of the head. Hopefully this makes "less wide than deep, less deep than tall" easier to understand - especially if you're a visual learner. In case it's not clear, the fractions are all in relation to the tall head measurement. So the depth of a head is 7/8 of a head. The width is 3/4 of a head.
The red measurements are just a couple helpful things. The cranium is 2/3 of a head and this is where the sternocleidomastoid attaches to the skull at the mastoid process. This is important for a couple of reasons; 1. It will help to locate the hole for the ear (as will another measurement in the following illustration), 2. It will help you locate the high point of the skull (almost directly above the hole for the ear (again, shown in the following couple of illustrations), 3. It helps to anchor the head on the shoulders with the assistance of the pit of the neck. Which brings me to the lower measurement of 1/3 of a head. This is from the chin to the pit of the neck. The pit of the neck is made up of three components: The sternocleidomastoid, the clavicles and the top of the sternum. If you look in the mirror, you'll be able to see this landmark very clearly and, if you put your finger there, you'll feel the little horseshoe shape. Also, if you keep your finger there and turn your head to one side, you'll feel the sternocleidomastoid. We'll get into this much more in later posts. It's also important to include the pit of the neck on your drawing (even if you're only drawing a portrait) because, like I said earlier, it helps to anchor the head. Having the head just floating on the page is awkward and normally not too aesthetically pleasing (unless you have a very specific style, but I'm mostly concerned with academic figure drawings here).
Now that you understand how the head is broken out proportionally, let's get into the facial features :

Don't get too intimidated - I tried to simplify without losing all the information you need. Here's how this one breaks down:

We'll start with the most important measurement, of course. 1/2 of a head up to the eyes from the chin. On the profile view, I made what looks like a little tick mark on the halfway line. This is where the tear duct is. There's no real good way to measure this, so you'll want to eyeball it and then utilize your other measurements later on to make sure you have it right. On the front view, there are four tick marks. This is how you find the width of the eyes. You may have heard the rule "the measurement between the eyes is exactly the width of an eye" which is correct, but the outer corner of the eye to the side of the head is also the width of an eye. So this illustration breaks down as : side of the head to corner of the eye, corner of the eye to tear duct, tear duct to tear duct, tear duct to corner of the eye, corner of the eye to side of the head.
The ear hole is found by measuring 1/2 of a head back from the tear duct (not the front of the head) and down to the base of the cranium (remember, that's 2/3 of a head down from the top of the head!) The hole to the ear is just a tiny bit further towards the back of the head. I put a big blue circle on the drawing to show this.
The blue lines you see behind that are how you find the high point and the wide point of the head; The high point is very slightly behind the hole for the ear and straight up to the top of the head. I'm not entirely sure of the measurement down from that for the wide point, but as you can see, it's higher than the mid-point (or eye-line) and lower than the hairline.
Which brings me to the red cluster of measurements which falls under the "rule of thirds." This is another thing that I'll probably write over and over again because it's so important to remember. The face from here is broken up into - you guessed it - thirds. From the chin to the bottom of the nose = 1/3. From the bottom of the nose to the brow = 1/3. From the brow to the hairline = 1/3. (note: this is NOT 1/3 of a head - this is breaking the chin to hairline into thirds.) The "hairline" measurement may be confusing because it ranges so much from model to model. If you get a balding man, clearly, his hairline is not going to be 1/3 above his brow. This is still a measurement you want to have on your page because it will still aid in the proportional correctness of your drawing. I always lay this line on my page regardless of actual hairline, then measure to the model's physical hairline (if there is one). Something to keep in mind is that these are general guidelines and they can (and should) be altered to match your model.
The green measurements also fall into the rule of thirds. This is another incredibly important set of measurements because this is how you'll find the opening to the mouth. Most people will plop the mouth halfway between the chin and the bottom of the nose. This is absolutely 100% wrong and will look ridiculous (that's not an opinion!). Again, this is NOT measured as thirds of a head. This is the breaking down of chin to the bottom of the nose into thirds. Your thirds here will be bottom of the chin to the top of the chin (you normally see this plane as an upside down crescent shape), then the top of the chin to the opening of the mouth, then the opening of the mouth to the bottom of the nose. Even if the lighting you use drowns out the "top of the chin," the measurement is incredibly important in finding the opening to the mouth, so don't throw it away!
And of course, I included the 1/3 (of a head) measurement from the chin to the pit of the neck to reiterate that you need to include more than just the head in your drawings.
Finally, I made another quick diagram noting the landmark points that I've mentioned so it's easier to see :

Remember, these are the measurements you're going to use the most for all of your comparative anatomy. It's very important to commit all of these measurements to memory so when you start working with a model, you don't need to keep referencing something. When it's second nature, the drawing will go faster and be more accurate. When you work with the full figure, rather than just the portrait, you'll have a solid foundation to start from and there will be little to no guesswork in drawing an academic figure.
Work on committing these measurements to memory - repeat the mantras as often as you can so they get imbedded in your thinking. And one last piece of advice : when you're working with a model, get the facial measurements all in on one sitting (these are normally about 20 minutes long). This will help you get the model back in place after their break and will keep you from needing to make unnecessary and time consuming changes.
Study, memorize and draw!!

Next week's lesson : Relative Proportions

Overall Body Proportions

The most accurate unit of measurement you can use is that of the head.  If you haven't taken a figure drawing class, this may sound odd.  I don't refer to the actual measurement of the head in inches, but the sight measurement.  In order to obtain this measurement, you hold your drawing utensil at arm's length in front of you (Make sure to lock your elbow! If you don't, you'll never get an accurate measurement and each time you check your figure, the head size will be different.) Once the utensil is in front of you, close one eye, align the tip or end of whatever you are using with the top of the head.  Now place the flat part of the side of your finger on your drawing instrument and align it with the chin of the figure.  This is the head size you'll be working with for the duration of the drawing (or other art form).
The average human is 7 1/2 heads tall when standing, from the bottom of the foot to the top of the head. (Not the top of the hairstyle!)  What you want to do when measuring, is always re-measure the head first to be sure you have the correct height, then move your pencil (or other implement) down to the next area, then make the appropriate mark on your paper.  It's a very tedious and meticulous task, but the more you do it, the better your eye will get and the more you can trust it.
Of course, every person is different, however, the head measurement system seems to be the most accurate for almost any body type (at least those that I've come across so far in my career).  There are particular anchor points, or landmarks, that you want to make sure you get pinned down every time to ensure an accurate drawing.  At each head length, you'll look for a particular piece of anatomy.  Before I get too wordy and confusing, take a look at this visual (explanation follows) :

As you can see, I marked off each head height in red (Remember that half-head at the bottom. Not a full one!)  The anatomical parts you need to look for when measuring is as follows : Top of the head to chin - Chin to nipples - Nipples to naval - Naval to crotch - Crotch to lower thigh (no noticeable landmark - this one is a little tough) - Lower thigh to bottom of patella - Bottom of patella to upper ankle - Upper ankle to bottom of foot.

The legs are particularly difficult at first because there are very few solid landmarks to work with - you'll have to do your best and try to find a good landmark to associate with the measurement on the model you're working from.  When in doubt, keep in mind that the figure is 3 1/2 heads from the crotch to the bottom of the foot.  

When you get your tick marks on your page letting you know where your correct measurements are, double check your work by using the great trochanter - this is the exact center of the height of the body.  Image follows :

The great trochanter is a fantastic landmark because you'll always be able to see it, no matter what the shape of your model.  With this landmark, you will measure Top of the head to great trochanter - Great trochanter to the base of the foot.  If all lines up, great!  If not, go back to comparing the head height to your landmarks until you have it right.  

I definitely understand that this process can be frustrating, but it is absolutely essential for accurate figures!! Practice, practice, practice and get to know what landmarks you're looking for.  The purpose here is precision.  An architect wouldn't propose to build on anything but a solid foundation, nor should the fine artist! 

Now go practice and make some fantastic (and accurate) drawings!

Next week's lesson : Relative proportions

Introduction

One of the most important parts of drawing and painting is the use of correct anatomy.  If the landmarks of the body are off, even slightly, the entire picture can be ruined.  The point of this blog is to help you understand how the skeleton and muscles of the human body attach, layer and angle so you can use it to improve your own work (or at least to give you bragging rights on knowing what and where the anterior superior iliac spine is).
On Saturday of each week, I'll post a new lesson - most weeks will be a diagram with text explanations.  Some weeks will feature a drawing with an overlay or some other type of example of the uses of previous lessons.  I'll be starting out with basic proportions, then moving on into the skeleton and then the muscles.  Important landmarks to look for while drawing from a model will be noted;  this will help you keep your proportions in check.  I will also mention any interesting articles, exhibits or other materials I come across that will help you further understand human anatomy.

In case you're wondering about me and my background with anatomy, I earned my MFA in Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.  My focus was figure drawing and painting with a closer look at human anatomy.  In order to further understand the way muscles and bones attach, my thesis was a series of paintings featuring zombies called 'Post Apocalyptic Portraits'.  This subject matter allowed me to note the intricacies of anatomy so I could pull it apart convincingly while keeping the realism that I'd learned from studying the Old Masters.
One of the best classes I've taken in regards to understanding anatomy at a very deep and intricate level was écorché.  If you have a school or studio nearby that offers this type of course, take it!  You will learn to sculpt the human body from bones to superficial muscles, including all deep muscles and tendons in between.  Here are a few photos of my écorché sculpture :

I apologize for the gross wall behind him.  These photos were taken in my studio at school and I never repainted to make the walls presentable.  Anyway, as you can see, you learn bone and muscle thickness as well as insertion points very well while working on these sculptures.
Another big help is going to cadaver labs (usually you need to be enrolled in a college course to attend one of these) or to visit the Body Worlds exhibition that occasionally will tour around the world.  I urge you to pay close attention to the name of the exhibit you go to - Body Worlds is the original and only uses bodies that have been donated to the cause rather than taking those of prisoners or other unknown locations.  It's a little more romantic when you know the folks wanted their bodies to be looked at, in my opinion.

Anyway, I hope you get a lot of great information from this blog and learn what you need in order to produce great works of art!

Happy drawing!

Next week's lesson : Overall proportions of the body