Human proportions

Support Modeling
#1

Hello there,

I’m actually modeling a female body, which height is 2 meters and 10 centimeters (6,88 feets) (yes it’s tall).

My scaling is the following : 1 cube of radius 1 = 10 cm3. So the model is x4 big squares + x2 smaller squares high if you take the initial Blender’s grid size.
So each blue step of the ruler on the left on the picture is 10 cm each step.

The proportions seemed very right to me until I create a basketball to compare and be sure the scaling is coherent. A basketball is 23,8 to 24,8 cm in diameter. So I created one sphere of 2.48 radius. Yet, I found it way too big compared to my model, and I had to scale it down to 1.8 radius, or 18 cm to make it look like an actual basketball compared to my human model ; which face’s height is 17 cm if I take my initial scaling values, and is apparently too small anyway as the average scale’s height for a woman’s face is… 20 to 24cm…
I also added a bottle of water of ~30 cm of height and 9 cm of diameter. It looks 2 to 3 times the diameter of the arm, which is also proportionnaly wrong.

So, I just wonder how to correct proportion issues when it comes to human figures, especially unique or complex ones. I really need help from the pros out there, for whom the human body has not much secrets left in terms of proportions. I’d say I’m really satisfied with the athletic aspect of the body, despite some parts I still have to work on (those plasticine feets for example), but I might be stuck on the proportions if I’m not helped with that…

Here’s a hint of my model (I hope it’s not too graphic, lol).

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#2

Yes… proportions are off… a lot.
http://fredericlierman.com/blog/2015/1/15/female-body-proportions-75

Do not compare she to anything external, compare she with her head.
You can go if she is too tall, with 8 heads, or even 8 and 1/2, and then you can scale her.

wrong_proportions3.png700×700 185 KB

#3

I’m quite sorry, but there’s something I don’t relly like about “average” proportioning, like in the link you shared here. I think the proportions are right, but my aim is quite different and not that easy.

I think the retouching of my model you’ve done is quite wrong because a tall and athletic body doesn’t look that replete. It’s not that easy to calculate. But I think you’re right when it comes to take the head as a reference. So obviously I will have to make it bigger, but I’m affraid to lose the whole silhouette as I do so. And as it is a nearly 3 million faces model, it wont be easy to rescale. I guess I will have to break the triangles through Dyntopo.

#4

You need to figure out her overall height first. Then simply split that in the middle as Tonatiuh has done. Then divide the upper half into four equal sections and the same for the bottom. The uppermost section will of course be the head then. Then Google human proportions for the rest.

#5

so… you’re unable to find a human model on the internet and to set it as backdrop ?.
that kinda amazes me, these days the internet is filled with lots of it.

perhaps you dont know how to set a backdrop image : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Ocr4ubosY

#6

Some times you want to know the proportions, not just copy from somewhere, imagine if you are drawing, yo cant put a backdrop image. I think it is important to memorize some proportions. I’m not saying that backdrop image is not a good method, it just limit your knowledge for the log run. If you know proportion you can figure out what is wrong because you look for points to compare, like the face, you know that the width of the nose is the same distant that the distant between the eyes and so on… just a thought

#7

Hey, I’m sorry, but I guess people who do clay sculpting doesn’t use some piece of cardboard in the background as a reference.

I know how to set pictures and split windows of course ; I have my references. My concern is about overall proportioning because I’m someone quite clumsy most of the time and I’m scared to lose the work now and give it up. I’ve tried to rescale the head at 24 cm height, but the body looked as a miniature. So I’m quite disconcerted and I need some bearings.

EDIT : I’m correcting it. I just rescaled the upper part of the body at 1.3, moved this part up so it didn’t merged with the legs, reclaed the legs at 0.7, smoothed the part between the torso and the legs and made these last bigger with sculpting.

My true concern was about the techniques to adopt when the proportions happens to be off, knowing it’s the first human model I work on seriously and that it’s quite a mess to manage a 3 million tris model, especially when you have to pass by Edit Mode.

I guess it’s better now, unfinished yet.

Attachments

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#8

Things that in my opinion can help you are:
Orthogonal view, press in the numpad 5, that way you don’t get confuse with the perspective. (or set the camera to 90 or 100 in the lens options of the view port)
Do not re-scale in edit mode, but in sculpt mode with the F Grab tool. (it does not change the mesh, just scale and move) Make the brush bigger or smaller to move bigger or smaller parts. (F key)
Well at least that is the way I do it.
You can always do the proportions on pencil, and put them in a backdrop.

On the model itself:
The neck is to long, it should be half of a head. (and she needs some trapeziums)
She is never never going to be mother… to small pelvis, it has to be at leas like the shoulders.
No women with that kind of mass index can have such big breast, an less they are operated. (she needs more fat in her body!!! or less breast)
But hey, that is my opinion, I can be just to realistic in regards of anatomy…

#9

I think a lot of the problems you’re having stem from getting into the fine detail sculpting before you had the proportions nailed down. As you’re noticing, it’s a lot more work to rescale something once it’s been worked up to super high poly levels.

You also need to set firm goals for your proportions before you start. Ideally make a drawing of what you want. And yes, sculptors absolutely work from drawings, or in some cases even use calipers to get the proportions from a model.

You mentioned a few times that you don’t want “average” proportions. This is fine, but just know that if you make your proportions drastically different than average then real-world objects are going to look weird in comparison since they’re made to be used by average-proportioned people.

#10

I need to try it out, so here is my quick sculpt:

Blender_008.jpg832×890 47.8 KB

I think it can be done with out references if you know the basic proportions, but you should use referents a lot once you have the basic proportions set up. And of course, first set up the proportions (what I did) and then put the rest rest in, that way you can rescale with out any problem.

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I hope this helps you (it help me!!)

#11

Sorry I did’nt see this comment early,
I did just a easy fix, of course it is not that easy, but human proportions are more or less equal to every one, the proportions of a fat woman are the same of an athletic one, you simply can’t have the neck so long, it has only 7 vertebrae, not 11 or 12. the pelvis can’t be so thin, or it wont work properly, you need to accommodate the sacrum, the two coxals, and the glenocoxal articulation, and that is just impossible to fit in lees that the width of the shoulders.
You can use the average proportions, and then exaggerate from that, but not to much! just find the muscles.
You punt in the name of the post “human proportions” that is why I am insisting.
But it may not be your vision.
Any way, I’ll try to make my sculpt, athletic, so maybe you see what I’m saying.
This is a 15 min fix, you can go in more detail, but if you have a good foundation you can do whatever you want.

Blender- [-home-tonatiuh-Blender-Aprendiendo Blender-Esculturas-7ªEscultura-Proporciones.blend]_.jpg1867×1056 108 KB


Blender- [-home-tonatiuh-Blender-Aprendiendo Blender-Esculturas-7ªEscultura-Proporciones.blend]_.jpg1867×1056 107 KB

#12

Thanks for your replies, Tonatiuh.

Well, about the neck, I know it has 7 vertebrae, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be long. I just want it to be “very” visible from the front at least. Maybe I made it too thin.

I like this reference : https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/58/27/1f/58271f0316eeebdfb73190a2691d4cea.jpg
And this one : http://0.s3.envato.com/files/35604088/IMG_0168.jpg

About the body proportions, well, my eye get used to it and I must say the model I’ve posted initially is very off, yet I didn’t really got it until now, lol. I guess feeling comes naturally. I’m just too rigid now, and fexibility is the flow of good art, so I must continue to model.

The last picture of my model I posted looks like a caricature. I just want the legs to look long, yet they are already 1m30 (the woman who has the longest legs in the world are 1m32 and she’s 2 meters).

I’m just searching my style for now. My goal isn’t “average” models. I really want to put a soul into them. Hopefully I will get it soon.

I guess the most important is to “find the person” you have to model.

Oh, about the breasts size, well… it’s certainly not average, lol (but I missed them too).

#13

You just kep going! You will get what you want eventually.
I thought about and probably the most important thing to firstly get the proportions is work in orthonormal view, I really insist that you try. Just press 5 y the numpad.
And happy sculpting!

#14

I find this:


It is just… what all sculptors need jaja I’ll be the next days going thru all the videos.

#15

Stupid question : My model’s height is almost 9 heads actually. Is it coherent for a + 2 meters tall person ?

#16

It seems that 9 heads are use in the fashion industry, but I don’t know if it has something to do with how tall the person is, I’m 1,86 and I don’t think I am even 8 heads.
Small people has small heads tall people has bigger heads, but the sice is not so different. I think then that taller people has smaller head in comparison with their bodies, but I don’t know how much…

#17

I guess so that tall people may have “small” heads compared to their bodies. I think my model’s one is a little too big. Or maybe I made the body too thin for now. Maybe the neck gives this effect, lol. But I want to keep it long somehow.

EDIT : I’ve added a second ruler with heads as mesure (1 head = 23 cm). So the body is 9 and 1/4 heads. Is it right somehow ?..

new_prop_1.jpg962×962 151 KB

#18

Please Please can you post an orthographic view? so that I can see better?