Proportion

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"The Fisherman" by Saul Steinberg

     In looking at the various principles of design, I think that proportion makes the greatest impact on the viewer. The proportion can be exact, such as in figurative sculptures or paintings and it makes the piece beautiful, or the proportion can be skewed and be just as stunning. For example, in this hand drawing by Saul Steinberg, the proportion of the fish is exaggerated greatly to create suspense, as the fisherman has no idea what he has on the end of his line. The over-sized 

 fish  is what makes this piece unique and interesting, though

unrealistic. 

"Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini" 

            Proportion is so important for an artist to consider. When working on a realistic piece, the subject size and scale must be exact and the other elements in the piece must be scaled to work with the scale of these subject(s). When proportion is accurate and scale is exact, the realism of the piece is stunning.

      Proportion is something one would think would be easy to portray, but even by the way the artist places certain elements can change the style and perception of the piece dramatically. There are so many ways to approach proportion and there is ultimately no wrong way of doing it. It is completely left up to the artist and how they would like the viewer to see the image, painting photograph, etc.

     Proportion is a principle of design that is included in every piece of artwork and changes the overall feel of the piece depending on how the artist portrays proportion.

Works Cited:

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http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/principl/fish.gif

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/principl/marria.gif