Proportions

Proportions are the foundation of harmony and expressiveness in the visual arts. Since ancient times, artists have sought ideal relationships between individual parts of a form and the whole. For example, the famous "golden ratio" is found in ancient statues, in the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, and even in buildings. In the Renaissance, masters developed canons of the human body and calculated the "ideal face."

However, avant-garde artists of the 20th century often broke established proportions to emphasize emotionality or innovation. Proportions are not just calculations, but also the artist's intuition, helping to create expressive, memorable images. Sometimes an artist violates the usual proportion for emphasis, such as the enormous hands in Modigliani's portraits. Paying attention to proportions is important both in classical schools and in modern graphics.