Datasheet

8 chapter 1 ■ Blocking In the Mesh
In this book we use the eight-head canon. This means we will create a figure that can
be evenly divided into eight head measures in height; that is, the head is 1/8 of the total. I
chose this canon for several reasons. First, it is one of the easier to remember because the
head measures fall on specific bony landmarks. Figure 1.12 illustrates another reason I chose
this canon—the grace of the figure it produces. Compared to a 7 ½-head figure, the eight-
head model is longer and more graceful. The 7 ½-head figure, although it’s more accurate,
can have the appearance of being somewhat “dumpy.” An eight-head figure gains length in
the legs and arms and can lead to a more graceful and heroic-looking figure.
Remember that canons are sets of rules to help you create a figure that looks right;
once you understand these rules you can break them. But at the outset it is important to
have a set of guidelines like this to help keep the figure within acceptable ranges of propor-
tion. This assists you in trying to find areas that may not be working and determine why
not. Being able to refer to your canon of proportion and correct the figure based on that is a
better approach than simply tugging at the overall proportion until it “looks right.”
In the eight-head canon, measures fall on the following points:
Landmark Head Measure
Chin Head 1
Nipples Head 2
Navel Head 3
Pubic bone Head 4
Lower thigh Head 5
Bony protrusion of the knee (Tibial tuberosity) Head 6
Lower shin Head 7
Bottom of feet Head 8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Figure 1.12 The eight-
head canon
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