New
New
Year 9

Principles of art: proportion

I can create a drawing using proportions and distort them for effect.

New
New
Year 9

Principles of art: proportion

I can create a drawing using proportions and distort them for effect.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Proportion in Western art is the size and relation of different parts in a piece of art to each other
  2. Western ideas of proportion can aid in drawing mathematically and accurately, but they can embed ideas of the 'norm'
  3. Rules of proportion change depending on the culture
  4. We can play with proportion to create new ways of looking at a subject

Keywords

  • Proportion - the way different sized elements relate to each other

  • Stylised - drawn or made in a special way that changes how it usually looks, to fit a certain style.

  • Stereotype - a simple (and often incorrect) idea or image of what all people from a particular group are like.

Common misconception

Proportions are set rules and always apply

Proportions are relative to the unique form you are observing. They relate to the different sizes of the different parts but may be different for each person, place or object


To help you plan your year 9 art and design lesson on: Principles of art: proportion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It is important to draw out the differences between Western and non-Western methods of proportion. Avoid descriptions of 'ideal' proportions and reference differences when discussing Western approaches to proportion.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Pencil, paper, glue, scissors, magazines, ruler, rubber

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does a portrait usually show?
A view of the land
Correct answer: A person
An abstract idea
Q2.
Scale in art means ...
Correct answer: the size of something compared to itself and its surroundings.
only how big something is.
the type of texture you create on an image.
Q3.
How do you compose an image?
Correct answer: You take the relevant parts and put them together creatively
You arrange the music
You create a sculpture using small components
Q4.
Adjusting the scale of an artwork can ...
select a viewpoint
Correct answer: affect how the audience experiences the work
Correct answer: change the way it is understood
affect the quality of the tone or shading
Q5.
Who is the audience for art?
Only the artist
Only the art critics
Correct answer: Anyone who views and interprets art
The people who like to buy artwork
Q6.
What do we call a collage assembled out of photographs?
Diorama
Assemblage
Collage
Correct answer: Photomontage
Composition

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does proportion refer to in art?
Correct answer: Size relationships between parts of a whole
The use of colour in a composition
Only the brushes used
Q2.
What is a distorted portrait?
An accurate life drawing
Correct answer: A piece with exaggerated features
A landscape painting
Q3.
Match the term to its definition.
Correct Answer:Stylised,Made in a way that changes how it looks, usually for effect

Made in a way that changes how it looks, usually for effect

Correct Answer:Stereotype,Oversimplified idea about groups, often incorrect

Oversimplified idea about groups, often incorrect

Correct Answer:Identity,Individual characteristics

Individual characteristics

Correct Answer:Portrait,Artwork that depicts a person

Artwork that depicts a person

Correct Answer:Proportion,Size relationships between parts

Size relationships between parts

Q4.
How might an artist alter an image to create a stylised effect?
Change the proportions
Use exaggerated colour
Focus on one element of art such as line, or tone
Apply pattern
Correct answer: All of the above
Q5.
Which definition describes proportion?
The relative size of the object itself and its colour
Correct answer: The way different sized elements relate to each other
The relationship between composition and colour
Q6.
How can distorted features change perceptions of beauty?
By reinforcing traditional standards
By making beauty more exclusive
Correct answer: By challenging what is considered beautiful
By limiting artistic expression

Additional material

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