Hi!
It's the first time that i write here, and hope to find out interesting posts about my question
I'm studing anatomy on Burne Hogarth's books but i have got some problems about heads: Hogarth says that the eyebrow is on the half of the head and the nose finishes on the half from the eyebrow to the chin, but in other books, it is said that the eyebrow is on the first third of the head and the nose on the second third.
What's the correct way?
What can i do?

Thanks!!!

Hi LupOz... it is probably best to so some sighting and measuring to get the correct proportions of the head that you are drawing, but generally the normal adult head is 6 to 7 eyes tall and 5 eyes wide. The eyeline is usually in the middle and the eyes are drawn along the eyeline. The nose is usually between 1/3 to half way between the eyeline and the bottom of the chin. and the bottom of the top lip about a third between the bottom of the nose and the chin... when you ask about the eyebrow... i think you would need to measure your subject for that as I'm not aware that there is a "normal" measurement for that. Perhaps instead of eyebrow, he means eyeline... You can also check out the tutorials on drawspace, they are pretty easy to understand

lup0z,

Read Brenda's lesson H01 - Horizontal Facial Proportions of Adults This should help.

Laura

Thanks a lot!
Now seems all ok!
But...i've got another question about the neck :/
As Hogarth says, it's one head and a half from the back bottom of the head (in line with the nose), till where the clavicles meets, but....it's seems a giraffe, not human!!!
What's the right measure?!?!?
Thanks!

T_T!!!

Are you working from a reference? If you are try measuring the neck with the common measurement of an eye length. Remeber each person is different so the measurements you are reading are only a basic starting point. If you are not working from a reference, but drawing from your imagination use yourself as the reference...measure your own eye width and then see how many will fit into the length of your own neck.

Good luck!
Laura

I just want to understand what Burne Hogarth says in his book "Dynamic anatomy" or better, what are the standard for the neck (as a head is large five eyes, there's a measure for the neck (till clavicles, not only eyes, obiuvsly )

lup0z,

If there is one and I'm sure someone has probably figured it out somewhere...I don't know what it is...and it really isn't pertinent to me because I sight measure and compare while drawing my subject. Sorry, I can't give you the guideline or general rule you are looking for. I just don't work that way. I mean I do use a general rule of thumb for drawing the head but I always double check the measurements of my subject, because each person is different and unique.

Laura

lup0z,

I`m fully agree with Laura, each head, each face is different, so I use those formulas only as a small assistance

Hi, Hogarth's books are more for drawing superhero, Dynamic, type atnamoy form memory than dealing with real world porportions. There good to read so you'll know something is there that needs to be drawn, and has some really good advice on alot of things. I mean there is is some great advice in them. But when compared to real human beings the proprotions can differ greatly.
Adrew Loomis books are way better for learning how to draw realistic people, and they are are alot more easy to read. You can find them for free online.

Glenn Vilppu states that if you take the width of the head and measure down from from the top of the mouth you will have the base of the neck.

Thank you for all this advices
I'm searching for these proportions because i'm studing comics, so i need them instead drawing real people.
However all your adivices are good and useful!
Thanks!

If comics are what your interested in take a look at this link. http://www.kubertsworld.com/correspondence.html I really don't know much about the correspondense program they have, but the school itself is very respected in the comic artist world.

I agree that Loomis is a much more accurate source and much easier to understand. That being said, there is no replacing drawing the figure from life. Gotta be done if you want to do great drawings out of your head. Also, ideal proportions are good to know, but seldom truly useful. In fact, I think that they can be more of a detriment than a benefit in many cases, because we try to apply these rules to figures and heads that are foreshortened or in awkward positions, which is usually the case. Very seldom do the figures cooperate so that we can correctly implement ideal proportions.

Measuring, alignments and experience are the keys, IMO.

I didn't read the whole thread but I can tell you that it's not always what you read in some book or who says what - sometimes you go with what feels right.

There's a lot of drawing situations that arise and which answers won't come from books - but from your own experience of doing - after learning from "those" books.

Regards.