How do you get from photo to canvas?

[Sharon Knettell]

Originally Posted by Joan Breckwoldt

"I use the grid method for photos as I like to elongate my figures, especially the standing ones."


Sharon, what do you mean by elongating the figure? Do you mean the height proportion is exaggerated? Hmm, this is an interesting if I understand your meaning correctly. Thank you for that bit of information.

Joan

Joan,

I have actually addressed these proportions on another thread and being computer illiterate, it would be hard for me to find them.

If you measure the Sargent standing figures you will find that these proportons apply in most of them. They give a figure a more "elance" and elegant look. Great for slimming down subtly those of us who are a bit zaftig.

These are proportions used frequently in classic painting and sculpture. Sometimes regular proportions can make even a slim figure look squat in a painting or a picture, that is why they hire all those really skinny tall models!

The proportions are as follows:

Head one: the head, the neck is 1/3 the head length
Head two: to the armpits
Head three: to the waist
Head four: to the crotch
Head five: to the mid-thigh
Head six: to the bottom of the kneecap
Head seven: to mid-calf
Head eight: to the bottom of the weight bearing leg

Try it!

[Jean Kelly]

Sharon,

When I was 13 years old, I was planning on becoming a fashion designer and illustrator. I found a book on fashion illustrating that suggested what you talk about here. So I drew and drew, all my figures and designs were eight heads tall. When I got to college, my life drawing professor said, "Draw what you see, Jean! Is that model really that long???" Go figure.

Jean

[Sharon Knettell]

Originally Posted by Jean Kelly

Sharon,

When I was 13 years old, I was planning on becoming a fashion designer and illustrator. I found a book on fashion illustrating that suggested what you talk about here. So I drew and drew, all my figures and designs were eight heads tall. When I got to college, my life drawing professor said, "Draw what you see, Jean! Is that model really that long???" Go figure.

Jean

Unfortunately as so many figurative artists have found, the instruction and knowledge of classic technique, in most art schools in the last two-thirds of the century was woefully inadequate. Most contemporary insructors are and were totally ignorant of them.

[Jean Kelly]

Yes Sharon, painting in particular. I learned the tecniques of building, stretching and sizing a canvas, then bought the required list of pigments and linseed oil, and just started painting. Nothing beyond that. Everything I've learned about paint has been here. I did learn how to draw what I saw though.

Jean

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Sharon,

Thank you for answering my question. I will try that. What an interesting concept, I'm glad to have that information, I don't know how I ever would have come across that without this forum.

Joan