Proportion and Scale
Introduced| English |
|---|
| proportion/prəˈpɔːʃn/ |
| scale/skeɪl/ |
| hierarchical scale/haɪəˈrɑːkɪkl skeɪl/ |
| golden ratio/ˈɡəʊldn ˈreɪʃɪəʊ/ |
Size relationships
- Proportion 比例 is the size relationship between the parts of a work.
- Scale 尺度 is the size of an element relative to something else.
- Both control how big things feel.
Proportion is the size relationship between the parts of a work.
Proportion compares the sizes of parts within a work.
Hierarchical scale
- Hierarchical scale 等级比例 makes the most important element the largest.
- Ancient art often drew rulers larger than servants.
- Size can show importance, not just real-world measurement.
Proportion or scale?
Sort each example as about proportion (parts within) or scale (relative to outside).
Making the most important figure the largest, ignoring real size, is called ____ scale.
Hierarchical scale uses size to show importance.
Select all true statements.
The first three are correct; scale strongly affects how a work feels.
Match each term to its meaning.
Proportion = within; scale = relative; hierarchical = importance.
Distortion and the golden ratio
- Exaggerated or distorted proportion can express emotion or draw attention.
- The golden ratio 黄金比例 is a historic guide to pleasing proportions.
- Changing scale can make a work feel monumental or intimate.
A historic guide to pleasing proportions is the ____ ratio.
The golden ratio guides pleasing proportions.
Proportion (parts within a work) and scale (relative to something outside) are related but distinct. A figure can have realistic proportion yet be shown at a huge scale on a giant canvas. Changing either dramatically alters how the work feels.
In an ancient wall painting, the king is drawn far larger than his servants. Their real sizes are ignored — the hierarchical scale uses size to show importance, telling the viewer instantly who matters most.
Proportion is the size relationship among parts; scale is size relative to something else. Hierarchical scale uses size to show importance. Distorted proportion expresses emotion, and the golden ratio is a historic guide to pleasing proportions.