Defining Scale In Art

In the most simplistic terms, scale in art is the comparison by size of objects within the art to other objects. Scale is naturally recognized by the human eye in building associations.

If Scale in art is intended to appear natural, we gain depth, a sense of distance, and maintain natural realism within the art. This is achieved due to the relative positioning and size between objects.

Note that scale and proportion are not the same. Proportion speaks to the symmetry of an individual object, such as a person body being drawn proportionally.

Scale on the other hand would relate to how individual objects relate to each other by juxtaposition within the art.

Natural Scale In Art

Artists who work within Naturalism, or some degree of Realism, will seek to achieve a natural scale in art. The landscape within the piece will fit the scene and appear relative to surroundings.

Scale will always work in conjunction with convergence in art. These two come together in order to build perspective in art and depth.

A natural scale is easier to build harmony in art and convey the artistic expression through its subject matter. The eyes are not drawn away from things which appear to be out of scale and can focus on artists intent.

In this instance an individual drawn by a door to a building would appear scaled to proper size. Other principles of art would apply to aid in transitions such as color and contrast to create unity.

Nevertheless there are times when the artist may wish to play with this scale while still appearing to hold to a natural and aesthetic appearance. This can be achieved through altering the point of view.

How Point Of View Impacts Scale In Art

This principle can be easily seen today in photography. Studying images is one of the best ways to learn how to play with scale in art that we have.

Natural scale in art can be preserved while still giving greater focus within the art to one object. Achieving this preserves the realism of the art while highlighting subjects for artistic expression.

A point of view from above would offer a very different perspective than from the ground looking up at the subjects. As the point of view shifts from one to the other, the perception of scale in art shifts as well.

How close the perceived eye is to the subjects as opposed to how far away the eye is will do the same. Up close the point of view can allow for great detail for the key subject.

Here maintaining scale can be challenging but rewarding to the works depth and scope.

Surrounding objects from this perspective can seem more distant and distorted. The art if not organized well can begin to have a fish eye feel to its scale in art.

Allowing a proper point of view for the intended subject matter will grant greater focus upon the artists intent. While playing with point of view is great, juxtaposition should still allow for proper scale between the parts.

Intentional Distortion Of Scale In Art

There are times when the scale in art is intentionally distorted. In fact there have been periods of history where the art which was created was of this nature.

Hieratic Scale is a prime example to this. Within this scale the size of an object would be related to its importance. Realism of scale between objects was of less importance.

An example of this could be a king being painted surrounded by his subjects. The king would often appear larger than life. His advisors perhaps would be the next largest by scale.

The court attendants would in turn appear to be as children. This scale is not to display size by realism but rather social status.

Historically it has been a common practice to distort the scale in art for purposes of this nature. Many artists today still use this same principle albeit with other intentions.

Placing greater focus on a subject in this way is quite common within marketing. Highlighting key features to grab the eye in a split second is often the goal.

Distorting the scale within the art is often done when the artist is seeking to achieve a specific focus. Alternatively it is used to deliver a specific meaning to its intent.

Tips To Conveying Scale In Art

There are key aspects the artist can use in order to properly convey scale in art. What I will give you here is by no means all that the artist can do. This is to get the mind moving in the right direction for your application.

1. Use known objects to convey scale. The human figure for example is something the eye understands and knows the scale of. When a human figure is standing beside an object relative scale is easy to gain.

Other objects can achieve this same effect. Vehicles, common daily items such as computers, shoes, and even things like animals. Recognizable objects when scaled give the eye a way to identify proper ratios.

2. Use the line to create definition. When drawing distance greater definition will always be found in the foreground. Objects in the distance will have less definition.

This allows for scaled objects to be placed in relationship to distance and definition to gain greater realism. This also gives an easy way to establish depth to the image.

3. Use contrast to relate scale. This achieves not only an object to object relationship, but also a three dimensional depth to the artwork.

Contrast will often work with definition. Contrast allows for the scale in art to be progressive creating an immersive experience.

4. In building proper scale in art, when working with definition and contrast know that these impact color. Color will lose intensity at distance. Up close color will be brighter, or deeper, and have sharper contrast.

These four points show how scale in art is directly impacted and related to the elements of art. Each will play a role in how the eye perceives the image.

This perception goes beyond point of view alone. How objects relate to each other from positive space to the negative space by juxtaposition and intensity will determine how the art is conveyed.

As you can see, scale in art holds far more power than merely relating objects by size. It is a fundamental building block for realism, depth, and artistic expression.

How To Practice Scale In Art

Practicing how to create a proper scale in art can at first seem challenging. Earlier I mentioned how the artist should study photography. It is a great place to start.

Monochrome photography will give an edge to understanding concepts such as contrast and definition. Light and shade also become easier to see in this format.

After this, recreating objects of choice based upon these formats will build familiarity to what the eye sees. The point is to study and learn how elements build these relationships rather than merely recreating a visual scene.

You can begin with simple objects such as an apple and an orange. Draw one closer as a focal point while the second is in the distance more out of focus with less definition.

Simple exercises such as this can help build understanding to scale and all that relates to it. More complex images can come in time when the artist is ready.