Human Figure and Anatomy Basics: Proportion, Gesture, Poses
The paper tests the standard canons of proportion, gesture reading, and whether you can place anatomical landmarks accurately under clothing.
Proportion canon
The adult figure is about 7.5 heads tall (8 in the heroic canon), roughly 7.5–8 for women, about 6 for a ten-year-old and 4 for an infant. The pubic symphysis is the midpoint of total height. Shoulders span about two head-widths; the elbow falls at the waist when the arm hangs; the wrist at the crotch; fingertips at mid-thigh. Within the head, the eyes sit at the vertical midpoint, and the brow, nose base and chin divide the lower half into thirds; the space between the eyes equals one eye width. The hand is about as long as the face.
Gesture and weight
Begin with a line of action - one sweeping curve through the body to the supporting foot. In a weight-bearing pose the hip on the standing leg rises and the shoulders counter-tilt (contrapposto), producing an S-curve. Draw silhouette, not interior detail, in a 30–60 second pose.
Landmarks
Pit of the neck, acromion, sternum, iliac crest, greater trochanter, patella, medial malleolus. Legs swing from the trochanter, not from the hip crease.
Foreshortening
Overlap, diminishing scale and cross-contours around the limb's cylinder convey depth; keep the near form larger and sharper.
Worked example
A standing figure 7.5 heads tall in a 20 cm drawing: head = 2.7 cm. Halve the total height for the pubic point, take a third for the nipple line, and place the knee midway between pubic point and ground. Confirm the elbow sits level with the navel before drawing the arms.
Traps
Oversized heads; narrow shoulders; arms ending at the hip instead of mid-thigh; feet too small; both legs drawn straight in a relaxed pose; ignoring which side bears the weight.