In modern figure drawing the basic unit of measurement is the head which is the distance from the top of the head to the chin. The measurement ideal male height eight heads was set down during the renaissance as an idealization of the human form.

Human Figure Drawing Proportions
Human body measurement for drawing. You cant escape learning the principles of figure drawing unless youre making a comic about an inanimate object so in the end difficulty is somewhat of a moot point. Draw your own chart with me as we go it really helps learning the material. Standard visual human body proportions. Drawing the proportions of the human body. Standard proportionshere are a list of standard bodily proportions that can give you a good idea of ideal proportions. Some standards for measurement of the human body have been established by artists working with the figure.
A 7½ head figure in which the length of the head serves as a basic unit of measurement is the standard of proportions used in most realist schools and the one i taught my students in florence. Artists are avid users of human body ratios because it helps them draw realistic looking figures. Drawing the human figure in correct proportions. Here you will find an article detailing the correct proportions and measurements of an average human body and form. This is a great article to keep a link to to come back and reference later. This unit of measurement is reasonably standard and has long been used by artists to establish the proportions of the human figure.
Its challenging but its also rewarding. Posted on november 5 2010 by artists network staff. To be competent at drawing the body you have to seamlessly integrate knowledge of gesture weight anatomy and perspective. Heads are used instead of inches. The human figure is an average of 7 heads high. Start by drawing an oval or egg shape pointy end down for a head and mark down eight measurements the last one being the ground.
Drawing the human head face and body in the correct proportions.