Q&A for How to Draw Accurate Human Body Proportions

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  • Question
    I need help drawing the hands, any advice?
    Community Answer
    Hands are very difficult to draw, even for an artist! They take much practice to draw. Check how-to-draw books, find tutorials online, or use a reference picture of the position you'd like. For proportions, if your character's arm is at the side of the body, the wrist starts at the crotch and the hand goes to around the middle of the thigh.
  • Question
    I need to draw people shorter than the idealized proportions. Any tips for scaling them down?
    Community Answer
    Keep the head the same size, and simply make them 5 or 6 heads tall instead of 7. You can do this by shortening the torso or the legs.
  • Question
    How did people figure out that its 7 heads long and how each proportion is?
    Belle K.
    Top Answerer
    They measured how long an average head is and how tall an average person is. Then divided the height by the length of the head. They did this with many different people's heights and head lengths and found it was 7.
  • Question
    What is "realistic proportion"?
    Community Answer
    It's when each part is the appropriate size relative to the other parts.
  • Question
    Are the proportions different for the age? How many heads tall is a kid, and is it the same as an adult?
    Elena Himmerich
    Community Answer
    Yes, proportions are different for different ages. A baby starts out with a very big head compared to their body, and as they grow up, proportions slowly even out. As a general rule, a baby is around four heads long and a child is around five heads long.
  • Question
    How wide should the shoulder be?
    Community Answer
    Double the width of the head. Longer than the waist in males and shorter than the waist in females.
  • Question
    How do I translate these proportions to poses?
    Ellie Mossa
    Community Answer
    In this case, you might want to use a ruler or something with actual numbers on it so you can do the math yourself. Don't forget about foreshortening, a technique that alters proportions depending on how something is angled at the viewer.
  • Question
    Can a person be 6 circles long (tall)?
    Iris8989
    Community Answer
    Yes that's fine, if they are naturally short or just a kid. Children's heads are proportionally larger than their bodies. Babies' bodies are usually 4 heads long, and kids' bodies are 5-6 heads long (6 if they are tall)
  • Question
    You did not add the face. Why?
    Kayley
    Community Answer
    This is just to show how to draw proportions on the overall body. The face is not important here.
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