life drawing: using triangle's to keep proportions right

[JellevdVegt]

well, i mentioned this method one time in a constructive reply in someone's sketchbook. people asked me how it exactly works. i dunno if its a well known trick/method, but i use it all the time and it works very good for me. i learned this thing of my art teacher. hope anyone learned from this.

[Weenie]

Neat - I did not know there was a method like this. It certainly takes me back to those geometry classes, though!

[FunkdaFide]

What exactly is the focus of the triangles? I don't understand what you are basing the points of each triangle on. Are you trying to envision the negative space between landmarks as triangles?

[JellevdVegt]

no, the red points are the joints. all joints are landmarks imo. this is just a little thing i use to locate limbs (arms and legs). i like to use it only for that

[Dizon]

I use something similar when I draw except that I don't just depend on joints. I guess it would be safe to say to call this as "triangulation"?

[FunkdaFide]

Okay, I think I understand the theory. So, are all the sides of the triangles measured just by sight? I suppose it would be redundant to compare the joint to more than two other points on the figure?

[JellevdVegt]

yeah its just measured by sight. this theory is not a big thing, just a little help tool, not to measure every thing this way, i just use it for locating certain joints.

but for instance, in certain poses this way of thinking is useless, like when someone's lying on the ground. then there arent any big traingles.

so somtimes this is helpfull, sometimes not

[Cory Hinman]

Well, if they're lying unnaturally with arms cleaving to their sides and legs together so they look stiff as a board, otherwise because of how our limbs are attached and our range of movement, any other pose, reclining or otherwise, can be reduced to a series of triangles. It's necessary to also consider the triangles the figure craves out of the negative space.

[Dizon]

yeah its just measured by sight. this theory is not a big thing, just a little help tool, not to measure every thing this way, i just use it for locating certain joints.

but for instance, in certain poses this way of thinking is useless, like when someone's lying on the ground. then there arent any big traingles.

so somtimes this is helpfull, sometimes not

Not really because any point on the figure can be used as reference points to locate other points. Any part of the contour of the figure can be used as a reference point. A point/s on a shadow shape can be used to locate another one and so on.

[dbclemons]

One thing to keep in mind is that measurements of this sort can often force you to focus too heavily on coordinates, and loose the sense of how the forms overlap in space, which tends to flatten out the drawing. Not exactly a bad thing, but it's something to be aware of, especially when using photos.

[JellevdVegt]

i agree on you guys.. you can use any point, and edge or something, doesnt have to be a joint. why i mention the joint, is because i only use it to locate a joint (not some sort of lump of a muscle).

i dont like working from photo either

dont take this approach to seriously. and dont use it too much.. sometimes, (for example, when she is lying with one leg very extanded) this way of thinking really helps me getting proportions right. but its ok to be crittical about it, if it doesnt work for you, then dont do it.

[SugaCrcl]

This will help me when I go out gesture drawing, thanks!

[TheComicFilmBoy]

Thanks for sharing! I'll have to try this alot

[Judy Warner]

I've been using this idea for checking proportion and slant, and it's helpful. Thanks. Judy

[Eux]

A very neat idea actually. Instead of just looking with a single line for reference like I normally do. I have to try this out tonight seems like it can help alot.