Term
Head unit
Meaning
A head unit is the height of the head used as a measuring unit for the rest of the figure, and it is a teaching convention rather than a fixed standard. The University of Evansville drawing lab, for example, teaches an average figure of seven heads high, notes that most people are between six and seven, and draws a model eight heads high because that looks more correct in a drawing. Children have proportionally larger heads, so their total is smaller. Always adjust the chart to the person in front of you. See also: Sight-sizing, Foreshortening and the guide "Human Proportions for Artists: Rules of Thumb and Their Limits".