Carrie Stewart Parks recommends using them to draw accurate portraits. It is a tool used for drafting and measuring on maps and such. She also says that they are very pricey, which brand new, they are and go from 100 to up to 300 plus dollars. On ebay I got a set for much less. They are a nice addition to measuring accurately when drawing. I usually use a grid to draw precisely and help me get the right layout (no debate or proclamations about these tools please). I was just wondering if anyone else used them with any regularity and/or success. I like using them, but they are kind of time consuming if you use them to measure every feature. I find they work well if I am having a problem getting a feature right on, like eyes or nose detail.

Kim

I use one also when I draw from real life. A grid when I draw from a picture. I have been trying to draw without the aide of any tools. I love my dividers.

you use them when you draw from life... I hadn't thought to use them that way. Actually I have only had them for a few weeks and am figuring out how to use them in general. Mine are pretty old like maybe from WW2. German made and seem to be made to last forever.
Kim

What do they look like ? Pictures?

Yeah what are they ? never heard of it..

Very useful for doing drawings with enlargements or reductions. You "dial up" the different ratios by changing the position of the pivot.

Oh okay .. I have one but it's plastic and it came in a drawing kit I bought .. not as nice as this.. Never really thought about using it.. Hmmm

i've never seen a thing like that before.

I have been looking for this item...where did you get it and how much is it????

I would have called them callipers.....but what do I know. I just use my pencil or a stump and measaure from the end to where my finger is and I use one part of the subject as my reference and compare the measurements to that (like a person being 7 1/2 heads high ).

I figure I'll keep my equipment simple - but its interesting to see what everyone uses. I love hearing how other people manage to get the results that they do, so I would love to hear how you are managing and how other people use them.

Thanks for showing a piece of equipment I didn't know was out there.

No, callipers are different. Callipers allow you to take an exact measurement off something and directly transfer it same-size.

Proportional dividers allow you to take measurements using one end and then automatically re-scale it to a different size using the other end.



They are available at various online art-stores, but they typically are US$100 or more (gulp!) for a pair like the ones in the photo.


Dave

They are on ebay, although there are not a ton of them. They sell for much less than brand new. I watched and bid for awhile vowing not to spend too much on something I wasn't sure I would use a lot. In the end I got them for $22.50 plus like 5 for shipping. Much less than brand new, but like I said they are quite old, but very well built.

Lately I have become a bit of an ebay addict. You can find all kinds of cool stuff on there!
Kim

I got mine at http://www.thecardermethod.com/ it is made of wood. The metal ones are nice but were too expensive. I never thought about looking on eBay.