Generally, proportions refer to how different parts of the body relate to each other.  The length of the arm compared to the length of the torso, etc.  It is important to realize that there can be vast differences in proportion depending on the style of the artist.  Compare a life drawing of a human to an anime figure, for example.  Both are depictions of people, yet normally you don't see people in real life who are 2/3 legs.  :-)  I don't anyway.  Learn to look at different styles and recognize the proportions - the way different features relate to each other.  Compare comic book art to Disney animation, and Disney animation to anime.  Then find your own sense of proportion, which will also enhance your own artistic style.  The important thing is to be consistent in your proportions.  If you draw figures 6 heads high, be sure that the rest of the figure matches up, and make sure that all your drawings use those same standards - that will establish a style.  Otherwise, people are likely to comment that you just drew a person with a huge head.

**Disclaimer** The information below is based on MY OWN sense of proportion and style.  Therefore, it is subjective and should not be taken as some kind of 'golden standard'.  If you want to draw people with realistic proportions - draw from life and study photos of people.  I will try to differentiate between the two.  Experiment to develop your own sense of proportion.

I originally started writing this tutorial some years ago, and it has gone through various incarnations and improvements.  I have kept it up and continue to work on it because of the feedback I have received from people who enjoyed it and learned something from it.  So, if you don't like the tutorial and you don't think it's worthwhile, well, I apologize for wasting ten minutes of your time and you can now go about your life.  Please understand that there are other people out there who enjoy and value it.

I have been working with Ellen Million Graphics to produce a printed, beefed up version of this proportions and features section.  We are calling it the Fantasy Artist Primer.  Some of the material will be reprinted from this site, but it will also include new text and new illustrations on some topics I will not be covering in this online edition.  If you like this tutorial, consider purchasing a copy.  It will not be expensive.

Male:
I have no supreme revelations about drawing the male figure.  Therefore, I'm ignoring this for now and concentrating on what I do know.  There will be a section here in the future.

Female:
My figures are typically 7 1/2 to 8 heads tall, the top half being from the head to the crotch, and the lower half being legs.  Not realistic, unless you're a supermodel.  Using the height of the head as a unit of measurement is pretty typical.  Young children have larger heads in comparison to their bodies, so you may make them 4 or 6 heads tall and ajust the proportions accordingly.

In general, women are not as muscuarly defined as men.  You can still draw women with muscular, athletic figures - keep in mind that attitude and body language will speak volumes.

When drawing athletic women:

keep her shoulders square and back
her neck will be slightly thicker, making it appear shorter
her breasts will be smaller - there is less fat on the body
in general, her figure will be more angles than curves - think geometric shapes rather than organic
keep muscular definition to a minimum - only define muscles that are in use

The ribcage is about the width of one head. Just a rough sketch of Briar.  Her arms are short - ignore them.

Head No. 1  Face. There's a no brainer. Head No. 2  Neck to just under the fullest point of the bust.  When women are buying bras the nipple should be supported about 3 inches below the armpit, so you can use that as a drawing guideline.  When you are sketching in the chest area, you can use a general trapezoid shape (in blue) to represent the ribcage.  Note in the sideview that the ribcage is tilted forward.  Head No. 3 Bust to the top of the hips.  Note that the waist and elbows are about even.  You can use another trapezoid (in blue) to sketch in the framework for the hips - note that they are wider at the bottom.  Note in the side view that the hips are tilted backwards. Head No. 4 Hips and top of thighs.  Note that the crotch and wrists are about even, and the hands will extend about halfway down the thigh.  Head No. 5 Thighs. Head No. 6 Top of knees and part of the calf. Head No. 7 Shin to just above the ankle. Head No. 8 Ankles, heel, feet.  Feet are the same length as the forearms.   They are!  Check it out on yourself!

Gettin' hippy with it: I guess the most important thing to remember when drawing the female figure is that a woman's center of gravity is in the hips, which means that her hips will have great impact on how she stands and moves.  Try thinking of the ribcage and the hips as operating independently of each other.  The hips, for instance, can be tilted to the right and the shoulders tilted to the left and the waist is merely something stretchy connecting them together.