How to use a Proportional Divider to help Freehand Drawing (+ compare Accurasee vs Alvin)

[@terryf8755]

Thank you for NOT having annoying, distracting background music. Thank you for talking quickly, not wasting my time with non-relevant chatter. Thank you for packing in useful information. It is so rare to find a good video like yours on KZbin that lets us find out what we want to know and get back to life! I have been using KZbin since it's beginning, yours is the first video that has motivated me to figure out how to subscribe!

[@HajraMeeks]

XD XDHow sweet of you! I feel the same way as you--in fact, I find myself skipping through or speeding up overly long and plodding videos. ALL my videos are like this one, and I'm glad you like them and want to subscribe. Sadly, this type of video is not in style so my channel remains a medium smallish channel despite all the teaching and work I put into my vids, but as Sinatra said, I'm glad "I did it my way!"

[@empress_craft]

I love the proportional divider as a tool to train your eye to more accurately see the size and angle of things. When I get my reference points, I measure 3-5 times and double check, for the best possible botanical accuracy :) Also, to take the pressure off, I usually do this step on layout or tracing paper and get the general line drawing down. That way if I mess up, I don't feel like I'm destroying paper I'm going to do the full render or painting on. I also found when I first began that if I created an envelope (a line based shape that "surrounds" the subject) helped me to measure more accurately.

[@HajraMeeks]

yes, totally agree. I've also mentioned that creating a box around the image for more stable measuring points is a good idea, and that the proportional divider is the closest to freehand, since it's just a measuring aid and you can use it as much or as little as you like. You sound like you're doing all right things to develop your drafting and painting skills! :D

[@KatieReadsKoziesAndMore]

This is brand new information for me. THANK YOU! I have a compass and will employ that for a one on one drawing tonight!

[@HajraMeeks]

Katie S awesome! So glad you were inspired by finding the info in my video. Wishing you epic drawing adventures!

[@kimleon-guerrero9980]

Thanks for the great tips on using these tools Hajra. 💞✨💫

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, Kim, I so appreciate you watching and commenting, and I'm glad to try and provide some useful art info.

[@kevinsytc]

Very educational video. Informative. By adding 2 minutes to your video you could slow your rate of speech delivery down and put put pauses in between sentences to sound more conversational and more personable, rather than sounding robotic. Your method of teaching is graphic and easy to follow.😊

[@cmumford1477]

Thanks Hajra! I have one of these tools. I would be interested on seeing how to use this device to increase the proportions.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed this video.

[@crystalcoby]

I love your explanation about the pencil grip

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Crystal--assume you're referring to my patreon post on custom pencil grips. :D

[@TerrieJohnson731]

YAY! Great video Hajra! Impressive art,always ;-)

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Terrie, what a lovely comment to read, much appreciated!

[@ahreftasha]

thank you so much for this video!!! I honestly wish I have spent more time drawing in my life. I'm so impatient though and have always been drawn to lose flowing color backgrounds, but I didn't even know that tool exists.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome! It's an old tool, been around for centuries, just like drawing grids and transparent paper layers, but a good amount of people don't use these tools or know about them. And I totally get wanting to skip past the drafting--colors are most fun part! I guess I had the good luck (and boredom!) to hone my drawing skills a lot growing up and through high school because my parents didn't want to buy their kids paint that could ruin the carpet, so me and my brother were stuck just drawing with pencils for lots of years, but it made us good at it in the end. And when I was older and on my own, I bought all the paint I had been yearning for!

[@crystalcoby]

Thanks for the idea of using the compass. I can use that for now. I have the proportional divider on my shopping list since I saw it on one of your earlier vids but can't afford it atm.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, Crystal, glad you can use a compass for now--it really is a good stand in. Just FYI, heard from another viewer that the plastic one can have a poor locking screw, so it'll probably not be a tool that lasts forever. It's really too bad the nice metal one costs so much, maybe someone will make a mid price range one in the metal at some point. I got mine 7 years back, don't even know if I'd spring for one now if I didn't already have one.

[@SharonNolfi]

Very useful comparison video. I use a compass fro measurements because I've never been able to decide between the plastic and metal proportional dividers. I'm curious about the other uses you mentioned for the metal divider - mostly math applications, I think.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Sharon, always lovely to hear from you! Yes, the circle compass is a good 1:1 ratio stand in for a far more expensive metal divider or the cheaper but clunkier, plastic one with broader points (and that isn't built to last). I will show the golden mean ratio application via proportional dividers in a separate video as that's definitely relevant to artists for harmonious compositions. I think measuring angles, dividing lines or circles into segments is not so useful to most watercolor artists and can be done easily with a ruler as well if one wants, so I won't be showing those unless loads of people watching turn out be doing geometry problems or architectural drawings. XD

[@patachon4882]

Thank you for your prompt response. Much appreciated. Great ideas.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, happy to help another artist anytime. :D

[@davidbriggs5778]

Thank you for your insights. How do you lay out a drawing without a proportional divider? I am familiar with the Sight Size Method which takes some getting used to but is very useful. Also, having seen some of Leonardo’s sketches it appears to me that he measured his subjects in great detail. Anyway, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. It is important that we learn from each other. Best ... David

[@HajraMeeks]

Well, the prop divider is just a faster way of drawing fully freehand, as is sight sizing (using your pencil, finger, etc for consistent measurements). Proper measurements one way or another are needed when doing work freehand so the proportions are not skewed once you are done. Apart from generic Sight Sizing, you can add one of Jeon Leon Gerome's (great artist, though his views on races are now very outdated Orientalist ones--we can still learn from his work) methods of drawing accurately: Charles Bargue developed a drawing course with Gerome in the 1860s describing it and you can find a book by G M Ackerman on it. In s nutshell, a major part of it is more specific Sight Sizing via also using background objects (i.e. a chair, wall, window, anything that helps with vertical and horizontal proportion measurements when drawing say a figure freehand). A bit cumbersome to explain here, but I believe you'll get the gist! Hope that helps. :)

[@davidbriggs5778]

Hajra Meeks Hijra, thank you once again for your generosity. I have the Bargue book. I will need to more fully explore its lessons. I will also keep on the lookout for your videos. Best ... David

[@jenwilly7260]

How do you adjust the scale using the fancy metal proportional divider? I bought a brass one off of Amazon, and there were no directions included!

[@HajraMeeks]

There's a screw/dial on the center of mine that can be loosened or tightened, and it also has numbers engraved in the metal at different intervals that show the scale of change. I hope yours has that so you can see exact scale changes. Otherwise it will be inexact, in which case if you want exact numbers, you can also change the axis point and then measure the width with a ruler on both sides of the needles to see the proportional change. Good luck!

[@sdmbusiness]

Great video. I learned much 👍

[@HajraMeeks]

Delighted to hear it. :)

[@moonram2569]

Hi Hajra, I find the plastic proportional divider very useful for plein air/live subjects. Plus the non-needle points means no bloody mess :) Of course there is the sight-size method if one does not need yet another tool. My opinions :)

[@HajraMeeks]

Agree with you on both counts. I gifted my plastic one to a patron, since I don't do much plein air or use my PD much at all, but yes the plastic one is non-injury promoting and the better one to take out into the world.

[@moonram2569]

@@HajraMeeks How was the experience with today's demo at Lenz ?

[@HajraMeeks]

@@moonram2569 it was a lot of fun--ran two hours, I answered a lot of questions and all the seats were full and the audience was very positive and excited about all I shared. I posted some photos from the demo on my Instagram.

[@moonram2569]

@@HajraMeeks Awesome !! I'll take a look on Instagram. Btw, u should give urban sketching/plein air a try. Santa Cruz is so scenic and beautiful. U could team up with Suhita Shirodkar, an urban sketcher from Palo Alto..I think. U can put to use your inking and watercolor skills and give lot of workshops as well. Urban sketching is so popular these days. And to improve your health... well I have already given you info on that and can give u more, if you are interested.

[@glennmcdaniel7812]

Thank You for the video!! Very good.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, and happy to help. :D

[@ArtistWizardry]

Great informative video, as always! I'm looking forward to using this tool as I have, sadly, not honed my sketching skills. I used to be decent and loved to draw. Now I've lost a lot of the skill and use that excuse not to even try. :/ What a terrible cycle....BUT, now after learning about this tool I'm feeling a lot more confident. :). With good practice I'll only get better again. I want to get to the point of big canvas with lots of treasures in the details.

[@HajraMeeks]

Yes, you certainly can get there, all you need is practice as you know! Proportional dividers are great time saving and helping tools if you want to draw freehand. I know you can do it, Zarah--wishing you epic drawing adventures!

[@Via_Von]

Thanks heaps and bunches for this, Hajra! ❤️ Serendipity landed with your video as earlier today I was sketching and using my AccuSee and fighting the fact that it’s plastic lock was not locking properly at all - so frustrating! I think I will invest in a wee bit better one as my eyes have never been able to address length or distances. 😏 I won’t tell you how often I’ve hit my face or toes with cupboards and doors and door jambs. 🙃 Hope you’re having a happy day!! 😍❤️

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome Von! And what a sad thing that the lock on the plastic one performs poorly, I have only used mine for this video so I didn't know that. I will be sure to mention that in a future video as valuable info for others who might purchase it. My drawing coordination is good, thank God, but my going around corners or tables is definitely not--I bruise constantly from hitting myself on tables and corners! XD Hope you are having a great day yourself, and thanks for asking--sweeties like you make my day good. :D

[@Via_Von]

Hajra Meeks We are a sad duo, aren’t we? lol I keep thinking I need baby bumper pads installed on furniture, cupboards and doors! I’m even worse in my electric wheelchair - there isn’t a door anywhere that I’ve not damaged. :O lol Regarding the AccuSee - I’m testing small washers as well as nuts and bolts to see what might stabilise it better as the plastic washer and slider is insufficient. It honest doesn’t need much but does need something to strengthen its placement settings. I will keep you posted. (((hugs)))

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much for the offer on keeping me posted about how that Accurasee holds up--others on here will so appreciate the info. :D And yes, my husband tells me all the time that for someone who is prone to dislocate or hurt stuff due to my hypermobility/JHS, I'm very sloppy about bumping into everything around me! XD XD You're such a sweetie, Von, so earnest and relatable.

[@Via_Von]

Hajra Meeks Thank you Hajra for your kind comments. So thoughtful of you. (((hugs))) 💖 I was able to adjust the AccuSee with the help of a very thin (think a sheet of paper thickness) felt/fabric washer. It needs that kind of “give” one doesn’t get with a typical metal washer. I placed it beneath the AccuSee’s own rubber washer which also helped as the rubber washer also has some give. It doesn’t seem to be stressing the plastic slider lock either, which was an issue of concern to me. It’s working exactly as one would expect now so *fingers crossed* that it continues to behave. :)

[@patachon3044]

What if you are doing a larger painting where the proportional divider is not wide enough

[@HajraMeeks]

Well, they actually sell proportional dividers made for larger paintings and they can work for pretty large artwork. If you paint larger than 2' x 3', which I think would be the limit for the larger dividers, then you can also make your own divider using hardware store wood slats and a drill, or make a cardboard/matboard version, or you can draw a sketch smaller and then grid or project it larger for full accuracy.

[@LeyLey41]

my print is on is a size of 8.5X10.5 the drawing paper I want to transfer is 11X15. I have the 10" caliper divider and the slide divider. I wish to increase the scale to fit the drawing paper??? help LOL pretty please?

[@HajraMeeks]

ok, sweetie: you can set up a proportional equation and do some math to figure out the ratios from one size to the other. That's easy for me since I was a Physics major in college and this comfy with math, but may not be your thing. But it is easy math, actually: So, in this case, you would want to say 8.5(x) = 11, and then get x = 1.3. And also 10.5y = 15, so y = 1.42. We'll use the smaller ratio so both directions increase the same size, yet still fit on the paper which is the x calculation. This means in your case, (I presume you're using inches) that for every 1 inch on your print, you will make the final image have 1.3 inches on your 11x15 drawing paper. Use either a ruler and grid to scale that up, or use a proportional divider to scale that up--either way, you're again going from each 1 inch on the print to a 1.3 inch on your final paper. Hope that helps! (In future cases, the other, non-math calculating way to do this is: 1) you take one side of your proportional divider and measure a distance on the smaller print (ex: distance between one shape and another like width of face, distance between trees, length of arm, etc.). Then 2) take the OTHER SIDE of the divider and measure how big you want that same distance (width of head, length of an object, etc.) on the larger paper--this will set up the ratio on your divider that you want to use to get the final size you want. But this way does require that you have initial AND final IMAGE sizes to compare, which you don't in this case as your final drawing paper is presumably blank--so in this case, use the ratio I calculated above. Good luck! )

[@TerrieJohnson731]

I am getting old hajra, lol. Things I watched months ago I have forgotten about! I can search them out before asking you to do anything ;-)

[@HajraMeeks]

XD

[@eddiejohn2060]

Very informative but I thought the narration was on fast forward , but thanks for your time all the same

[@HajraMeeks]

Glad it was informative to you.

[@dianeo]

Interesting info. I've never used one of these. ($125.00 for the metal prop. divider... ouch!) I have grown weary of drawing out and erasing the grid lines for my larger paintings.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks! Yes, the metal one is quite a splurge investment--makes me feel worse I haven't used mine until these videos, though apart from not remembering it a part of the reason I don't pull it out is because it's expensive probably. Anyway, the $18 one is decent and will work well for larger paintings. I agree about grids and grid lines becoming annoying. That happened to me several years back, and I decided I'd always just freehand minimally on thin sketch paper rather than use grids for detailed drawings anymore--it saved me a lot of time in the long run. Not just because I was no longer erasing grids, but also because my sketches became very minimal and I transitioned to doing most of my drawing and rendering with my paint.

[@capbin146]

Where is the science one. I’d love to see you do some of the things you talked about. Divide a circle etc. I have a rather clunky wooden one but it is useful as a rough guide. 1:1 I use a traditional non proportional divider. 👍

[@HajraMeeks]

Well, I think only folks like you and me would want to see such a mathematical vid on an art channel like mine, but I'll add to my video to do list just for you!

[@capbin146]

Hajra Meeks true, I nearly put that myself but hope springs eternal. Shoo Rayner does intro art videos for kids and has some maths and science which I think is great to encourage. My school days you were arts or science and never twain shall meet. I love your mixed academic background. Keep well! Thanks

[@janeward2878]

Thanks Hajra for another detailed, thoughtful and helpful video. Love the painting- a minor detail though: it’s a lily not a daffodil. It doesn’t matter just keep painting, you are too young for gardening!

[@HajraMeeks]

Oh, my goodness, you're totally right! Guess that's what I get for doing my voiceovers when I'm tired! I've corrected it on my Patreon post and Patreon sketch for this flower at least--thanks! And thanks for your kind compliments about my video and correcting me in such a gracious manner.

[@maryf.1956]

Didn’t show how to increase or decrease size. A light box would have done the same thing w/o the tool. Didn’t answer the use for this tool.

[@HajraMeeks]

The main point of this video was to compare the two brands, so sorry I didn't get to showing all the ways to use it. But I did show some uses of the tool: I did show how to use it to get the same size image to a same sized drawing--use ONE side of the divider. And I also showed how it can be used to set up a frame of reference and check measurements. And I mentioned that if you used BOTH sides of the divider you can get increase/decrease image size--it's just about taking a 1:1 ratio and changing it to another ratio for the image input versus output.