Portrait Drawing Tip 57
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How to develop a canon of proportions
A canon of proportions is a set of rules about body, head and face proportions. Ancient Greek and Roman artists created classical canons that look beautiful. These canons stood the test of time and fine artists continue using them to this day. If you want to improve your portrait drawing skills, you need to learn what those canons are and how to use them. In turn, you may also add some new proportions or even create your own canon. In any case, whether you use a classical canon or your own set of rules, it will greatly help in portrait drawing because using proportions, you will draw not what you think you see, but the proportions you understand and can check in life and in drawing. The reason why canons are important is because they enable an artist to draw what one knows, which eliminates mistakes and distortions. The way to develop a canon is to learn classical rules and then measure various proportions and alignments from life. This is not a project, but a never ending process. With time and practice, you may find new proportions to be used in portraiture.
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