In this position, there is always between the two eyes the width of the nose. The width of the eyeball is equal to the width of the nose. The ears are always on the line of the nose; the height of the ear is shortened like the nose.

PROPORTIONS OF THE HEAD SEEN AT THREE-QUARTERS.

When a head is positioned in relation to the observer so that they see it neither face-on nor in profile, but between the face and profile, this is called a head seen at three-quarters.

One can see a head more or less at three-quarters. Here, plate 15, fig. 1, we take for example a regular three-quarters. The distance between the line of operation and the outline of the face is one quarter of the full width, i.e., EF is a quarter of the width FG.

Considering that the face is spherical, the receding side, and therefore the side furthest from the observer, is seen in foreshortening and appears much smaller than the other side. Thus, there is a small and a large side, and the large side appears larger than if the head were seen face-on, as one can glimpse the back of the head. Now, the greatest width of a head seen at three-quarters is equal to three-quarters of the height, plus a quarter of one part. A head seen at three-quarters therefore appears wider than a face-on view and narrower than a profile view.

The height of the head seen at three-quarters is divided into four parts, just as the face-on and profile views are.

The width of the nose is equal to half of its height. This width is divided into two equal parts and one places half on one side of the line of operation and half on the other. The nose seen in profile projects further than the other features: that is why its width remains unchanged, and this is not the case with the eyes: the eye on the small side, i.e., the one seen in foreshortening, is itself foreshortened. It always appears oval but less wide. Thus, the width ab b fig. 1, appears smaller than the width pj; but the width ml (order of the large side), also appears less wide than an eye seen face-on. This eye also follows a foreshortening; however, it is less noticeable than that of the eye on the small side.

In this position, the distance from the nose to the opening of the mouth, is, as in other heads, the small third of the distance from the nose to the chin. As for the width, half that belongs to the small side appears much smaller than the half that is on the large side. In the figure, at the chin, there are two parts from the tip of the nose to the ear. In profile view, there are two parts from one ear to the other. In the head seen at three-quarters, there are two parts from the bottom of the ear to the outline of the face; here, fig. 1, there are two parts from M to N.

The height of the ear is equal to the height of the nose.

The width of the neck at three-quarters is two parts; its length is one and a half parts. When drawing a head seen at three-quarters, one describes the mass, as we have demonstrated in plate 9, fig. 3, then, using the drawing tool, one compares the small side of the head with the whole, i.e., the distance from point E, fig. 1, taken on the main line of operation, to point F; with the entire width represented by FG; then one draws the line of operation represented here by the line CR. This head is divided into four, then one locates the positions of the features according to the proportions we have just given, as can be seen in fig. 2, without concerning oneself with shapes, but only dimensions.

Fig. 2 shows a three-quarters view smaller than a regular three-quarters. Here, the small side equals almost one-sixth of the full width. If one is confused about finding different places, for the width of the mouth for example, using the drawing tool as a plumb line, one sees to which point of the eye the plumbline from the corner of the small side of the mouth comes: here, fig. 1, from the corner y. The same method can be used to find the other corner of the mouth.

Translation Notes:

Three-quarters view: A view where the face is turned so that it is neither full profile nor fully facing the observer, but rather positioned at a three-quarter turn.