Proportion is the preferred, appropriate, accurate, or ideal relationship of the parts making up a work of art to one another and to the whole. Often, this relationship is a harmonious one in that variations in one element or component are reflected in another to essentially the same quantity or degree; their relationship is interdependent.
Proportion in art is often an artistic judgment based on intuition rather than formulaic solutions because the artist seeks visual relationships that 'feel right', satisfying the need for variety and logical relationships among various elements without monotonous or imbalanced effects.
When working in three dimensions the artist must pay particular attention to proportion. He or she must compose a work that is well proportioned and successful from several points of view. This complex design problem is exacerbated by the directness of the viewer's one-on-one experience when looking at a three dimensional work of art, making the proportional relationship between the viewer and the work as significant as that within the image itself.
Proportion is an encompassing principle that must be considered when working with any combination of shapes, scale, surface qualities, value, degree of dominance, etc.
Last modified May 17, 2001