Proportions of a Child's Head
1° Profile view of a child’s head.
The proportions of a child’s head differ slightly from the proportions of an adult’s head.
In a child's head, viewed from the side, the greatest width, taken above the eyebrows, is equal to the height. Here, plate 16, fig. 1, AB equals CD.
The height is divided into four equal parts, as for an adult's head, but the nose, instead of occupying one part in height, occupies only two-thirds of the second part. Here AB equals two-thirds of aB.
The top of the eyeball is at the height of the birth or attachment of the nose, i.e., at the two-thirds of the part represented here by aB. The distance from the eyeball to the root of the nose is equal to three-quarters of the width of the nose. The width of the eyeball is equal to half the width of the nose. The eyebrow is just below a line drawn from the top of the second part. Here the top of the eyebrow touches, at point T, the line drawn from point B.
The opening of the mouth is just a third up the first part: here, it is at one-third of Ea. The width of the mouth is equal to half the width of the nose; here, it is equal to half of aE. The distance from the tip of the nose to the ear is equal to two parts: here, distance fS equals EB or CK. The width of the ear is equal to half its height.
In children, the shapes are very rounded. For example, if the curved line represented here in g, which indicates the swelling of the cheek, was continued, this curve would continue to become a circle. The width of the neck is, as in adults, equal to two parts, but the height varies considerably. In children, the height of the neck is about one-third of a part.
2° Child’s head seen from the front.
The width of a child's head seen from the front is equal to three-quarters of the height, plus one-third of a part. Here, fig. 3, AB equals CD. The height of the head is divided into four equal parts as before.
The height of the nose is equal to two-thirds of the second part. Here ab equals two-thirds of ac. The width of the nose is equal to half of one part: here de is equal to half of ac.
The eyes are placed at a height such that the top of the eyeball is at the height of the nose's attachment. Here, the top of each of the eyeballs touches a horizontal line, passing through point b, attached to the root of the nose.
The distance between the two eyes is equal to the width of the nose. The width of the eyeball is equal to three-quarters of the width of the nose. The highest part of the eyebrows touches the line that determines the top of the second part. Here, the highest part of the eyebrows touches a line drawn through point e, the upper extremity of the second part.