Proportional Dividers

[jfrancis]

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/images/proportionalDividers.jpg

You can measure life models more accurately with a pair of proportional dividers (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22proportional+dividers%22&btnG=Google+Search).

Hold the tool at arm's length and use the large arms to take an optical measurement.

The small arms will produce short measurements in direct proportion to the large measurements. You can transfer those small measurements to your paper.

By sliding the fulcrum, you can adjust the reduction ratio to better suit the scale of your drawing.

[Jedmo]

I guess I can see the usefulness of such a tool but this seems to essentially be what you do when you sight and measure with your pencil and thumb. Plus I dont see how you could control the size of the thing in your drawing. What if you want your drawing to be larger than the smaller measurement? Does that make sense? It could help I guess but I think it might be better for you as an artist, in the long run, to use a different method of measurement. If for no other reason than to train your eye a little better.

[flatliner]

What if you want your drawing to be larger than the smaller measurement?

could'nt you just hold the tool in reverse? user the smaller end to measure, etc.

does using one of these tools have a large advatage using a thumb and pencil ? it seems like something you would want to use every now and then just to make sure things are perfect, not something you would want to use all the time, because using your thumb and pencil would be simpler and quicker. Just curious :blahblah: .

thanks for the tutorial tho :)

[Dizon]

haha I must admit, thats a pretty nifty device! but, it wont really help in the development of the artist's eye.

[big keith]

Where can I find this?