Page:Drawing for Beginners.djvu/108

 bench watching a football-match, in all probability we should draw a big man, and at his side a little man less than half his size. Martin may inherit the square shape of his father's shoulders, but they will be less than half in bulk. The thick, strong, muscular neck of Martin's father is very different from Martin's thin weedy little one. The head of the man is well shaped and firmly balanced, but the boy's will probably look very large, a trifle bumpy and big behind the ears. The ears of Martin's father lie flat against his close-cropped hair, whereas Martin's stick out from his thin jaws and neck like little handles on a big vase. Martin's legs are thin and lacking in calf, his feet consequently appear rather too large for his height; but his father's legs are finely shaped, muscular, and well proportioned.

Now having considered these few points, would you still feel inclined to draw Martin and his father with the same proportions?

There are a few accepted rules that are useful to remember, though we must never blindly follow any rules, for we know the human figure is capable of every variety of form. Still, as a check to an observation that cannot always be correct, as a trifling guide when perplexing moments beset us, these facts are worth noting.

A grown man of good proportion, when standing erect, usually measures seven and a half heads high. Remember, however, that this is the proportion of a perfectly formed man. A very, very tall man would not have an elongated body, but longer legs. The bodies of most men are the same length. A man when standing with his arms to his sides will rest the tips of his fingers a little more than half-way between his hips and knees.

A figure when sitting roughly represents three lines of a fairly equal length, measuring from the nape of the neck to the seat, form the seat to the knee, from the knee to the foot.

An elbow usually rests in the hollow below the waist, as you can prove for yourself by clapping your arms to your side.

A hand measures the same length as the face. Put the