How to Determine Head Size to Create a Character Drawing
- 1). Determine the size of the paper you want to use. For a basic character sketch, you can use copy paper, which measures 8.5 x 11 inches.
- 2). Sketch a 3:4 oval shape near the top of the page. This is the basic guide for a character's head. The shape doesn't have to be perfect.
- 3). Measure it with the ruler.
- 4). Draw more oval shapes lengthwise stacked beneath the original until you have seven or eight. Add a fourth of a head length beneath the top head to account for the neck. The average adult human is around seven-and-a-half heads tall; you can adjust for stylistic purposes, but you should master the basic proportions first.
- 5). Align the bottoms of the head guidelines to the following locations from the top down: nipples, navel, groin, midpoint of thighs, knees, midpoint of calves, and feet.
- 6). Make the torso one head-length wide at the navel and two head-lengths wide at the shoulders for males, two head-widths for females.
- 7). Align the elbows with the nipples and the wrists with the groin. The hands should be approximately three-fourths of a head length from the base of the palm to the outstretched middle fingertip.