Proportions are one of those things that “we know that we know”, but we can’t easily explain what it means to someone who doesn’t.
Here is a great way to explain it to young students, along with some visuals you can show to help them understand. Older students also benefit from seeing proportions and understanding that their thumbnails and other sketches need to be the same proportions as their canvas or frame.
Aproach
Students have an especially difficult time understanding how proportions relate to their work and to accuracy. Any time you see inaccurate proportions in the ‘frame’, or rectangle that contains a work, or in the elements within the work, use this slideshow to help students realize why they are struggling.
Demo
For individuals and small groups you can show the slides from your handheld device. Connect to a larger display if needed. The teaching section below is similar to the captions for the slides so you can read as you show them.
How Proportions Work (tap any image to open viewer)
You can use a ruler to measure something. A measurement is for only one thing, but a proportion is about two measurements and how they work together.
Equal proportions are called 1 to 1
This isn’t equal, it has 2 measures across & one measure down. It has a 2 to 1 proportion.
This hand also has a 2 to 1 proportion
If fits into the same rectangle
2 measures across & 1 down
But this hand doesn’t look accurate because of the wrong proportions
This rectangle is 3 measures across & 2 down
Here is a 3 to 4 proportion, which is common for artwork.
Teach
“You can use a ruler to measure something. A measurement is for only one thing, but a proportion is about two measurements and how they work together. If the two measurements are the same, we call that equal proportions. A square has equal proportions because both the height and the width are the same. If we have a rectangle that is two squares wide, then we have a proportion of 2 to 1. It’s 2 measurements wide, by 1 measurement high.
“You have to use both measurements to talk about proportion.
“If you don’t look at the thumb, this hand also has a proportion of 2 to 1. If you didn’t have the accurate proportions, a hand would look weird like this hand that is not long enough to look like a real hand.
Sometimes cartoons use the wrong proportions on purpose, to look silly.
“The word ‘accurate’ means a drawing that looks like real life.”
Pocket Pointers
Learn these short mini-lessons that are needed "on the fly", whenever you have a student who needs some specific help.
