While using this method, the artist can judge the space and shapes next to, on top of, and beneath the section of the image or object. Position your pencil or paintbrush with your thumb, keep your master eye open and close the other eye. They never stand too close to the model, always keeping a distance of no less than +/-2 meters (79 inches).Īlways start with the model’s head and measure down, for instance, going from the top of the head to the chin. The artist must stand or sit on the same spot and hold their head very still while they are measuring. To measure a model or an object, they use a pencil or paintbrush, with their arm fully extended in front of them and their elbow straight. Figure proportions are complicated to draw. Let’s look at how artists apply this measuring technique by examining how they would draw a model. This also comes in handy for getting the scale right when you want to convert a 3D scene into a 2D image. Closing one eye at a time prevents you from having stereo vision. That way, they can be sure that they are getting the proportions correct. (This article may contain affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you make a purchase) How an Artist Uses The Thumb MethodĪrtists hold their thumb or pencil up to the thing they are drawing, measures from the top of their thumbs down, and then transfers that dimension to their paper or canvas. This is why artists have been using this method for centuries. When it comes to drawing a live object or person, you can’t draw grid lines on them to guide you. A thumb, paintbrush or pencil is used because these items are always easily available. Some artists have mastered this technique through years of practice, and use only this method when creating their art. This is usually done when the artist is doing a live sketch, and doesn’t have a ruler or ability to draw a grid. This measurement technique is used by artists to sketch or paint the perspectives, proportions, and angles of objects as close to accurately as possible. Have you ever noticed an artist holding a paintbrush, or a pencil or their thumb in front of them, with one eye closed and the other squinting? Almost as if they are giving a thumbs up and a wink at the same time? Their body tenses up, and they go into a stance that is almost like a sniper holding a riffle? What on earth are they doing? Are they trying to confuse us? Why do artists hold up their thumbs like that?Īrtists hold up their thumbs, a pencil, or a paintbrush as a sighting tool in order to measure the distances between objects.

Drawings of thumbs up