Fashion Design Drawing

THE FIGURE IN SITTING POSITION

Sitting figures are sometimes considered difficult because of the short lengths the long lines are broken into. There are only a very few rules that will hold true in all sitting poses. The never-failing rule is that the body bends at the pelvis, around the fourth head. The thighs then are on a convex line. The length of the thighs, that is from the hips to the knee, is equivalent to the trunk. The legs are also the same length.

When the figure is seen in a foreshortened view there is great variation in the length of the thigh and legs. Here again the use of stick figures is helpful. Photographs, too, will aid the inexperienced to good advantage. In sketching from photographs be sure to change the proportions of the figure to those of a fashion figure.

HEIGHT OF FIGURES AT VARYING AGES

The height of the adult fashion figure - from age twenty on - is from eight to ten heads tall, the exact height depending on the individual style of the artist. Some prefer an extremely tall figure, while others create figures only a little taller than the human body. As stated before, height should- be governed by the length of the face and the width of the shoulders.

In sketching children the scale varies according to the age of the child. A new born baby is about four heads long and remains in this proportion until he is about two years old. From then on the head grows very, very little, but the body quite rapidly. The following scale will be of benefit when working out the correct proportions for children:

Infants to 2 years..................4 heads tall

Child of 3 years....................4 1/2 heads tall

Child of 4 years....................5 heads tall

Child of 5 or 6.....................5 1/2 heads tall

Child about 7.......................6 heads tall

Adolescent child from 10 to 14......6 1/2 heads tall