Figure proportions · 6 min read
What is a 5 head model in fashion drawing?
Fashion figures are measured in heads. Here is what a 5 head figure is, what it is really for, and how it compares with the 7.5, 9 and 10 head figures you will see elsewhere.
The short answer
A 5 head model is a figure drawn five head lengths tall. In fashion drawing, that is the proportion of a young child, and artists also use it for stylised, cute characters. It is not a standard adult figure. An average adult is about 7.5 heads tall, and the standard fashion figure is drawn at 9 heads.
Why fashion figures are measured in heads
The head is a handy ruler. It is always there on the figure, it does not change shape much with a pose, and you can mark it off with a pencil. Stack copies of it from the top of the skull to the floor, and you can describe any body with a single number.
That number sets the whole feel of a figure. A low count looks young, cute or stylised. A high count looks long, elegant and dramatic. Designers change it on purpose, depending on who they are drawing for.
Head counts compared
| Heads tall | What it depicts | Usually used for |
|---|---|---|
| About 4 | A toddler | Babywear and toddler sketches |
| About 5 | A young child, or a stylised character | Childrenswear sketches, cute or cartoon styles |
| 7 to 8 | A realistic adult, about 7.5 on average | Anatomy study, technical drawing |
| 9 | The standard fashion figure | Fashion sketches, portfolios, school work |
| 10 or more | An editorial figure | Dramatic illustration and presentation |
These are conventions rather than rules, and sources do not always agree. Fashion Drawing For Dummies, for example, teaches an 11 head adult, while most fashion programmes work with 9.
What a 5 head figure is for
Childrenswear
This is the main use in fashion. In the Dummies system, a child's head fits into the body about five times. A figure at this count reads straight away as a child, so garments drawn on it look like children's clothes.
Stylised and character illustration
A big head and a short body read as cute and friendly. Artists use counts around 5 for characters, mascots, stickers and playful fashion art, where charm counts for more than accuracy. Some go much lower: exaggerated cartoon styles can use only around 2 or 3 heads.
What it is not for
It does not suit adult garment proportions. On a 5 head figure, the legs are much shorter relative to the body, so hem lengths, waist heights and sleeve lengths all read differently from how they would on a person.
How to draw a 5 head figure
Treat these as a starting point, then adjust by eye and against real references.
- Draw the head as your unit, and mark five equal head lengths down a vertical line.
- Place the shoulders just below the first head. They are narrow on a child, not much wider than the head.
- Mark the waist a little past the second head. It is barely defined, since a young child's body has little taper.
- Mark the crotch at about the third head. The legs make up only around two of the five heads.
- Mark the knees at about the fourth head, with the feet on the fifth line.
- Keep the shapes soft and simple. A child has straighter sides, a rounder tummy, and a head that looks big compared with the body.
Landmarks on a 9 head figure
Because this is what most people end up using for adult fashion, it helps to have it as a comparison. These landmarks follow the common system set out in Vizcom's croquis guide.
| Head | Landmark |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chin |
| 1.5 | Shoulder line and base of the neck |
| 2 | Bust |
| 3 | Natural waist |
| 4 | Fullest part of the hip |
| 4.5 | Crotch |
| 6 | Knee |
| 7.5 | Fullest part of the calf |
| 9 | Ground |
The torso stays close to realistic. The extra height goes almost entirely into the legs, which is why the same dress looks so much longer and leaner on a fashion figure than on a person.
What head count means for your flats
A figure is for sketching and selling an idea. A technical flat has to tell a factory the truth about the garment, so it needs a realistic body underneath it rather than a stretched or shrunken one. Vizcom puts technical drawings at around 7 to 8 heads for that reason.
A hem drawn at the knee on a 9 head figure lands at a different point on the leg than the same hem on a real body. Sketch on whichever figure you like, then redraw on a realistic base before anything goes into a tech pack.
A note on childrenswear flats
You cannot make kids' clothes by scaling adult flats down. Children have different proportions, so a shrunken adult shirt will have a neck, sleeves and body that are all wrong. Start with a child's measurements and a child's template.
Children's clothes also have safety rules of their own in many markets. In the United States, for example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission treats hood and neck drawstrings on children's upper outerwear, in sizes 2T to 12, as a strangulation hazard. Check the rules wherever you plan to sell, and before you draw that cord.
Questions people ask
What does 5 heads tall mean?
It means the full height of the figure equals five stacked copies of its own head, measured from the top of the head to the chin. The fewer heads a figure has, the bigger its head looks and the younger or cuter it reads.
How many heads tall is a fashion model?
A real person is usually around 7.5 heads tall, models included, with some variation. Fashion figures are drawn longer on purpose: 9 heads is the common standard, and editorial work often goes to 10. A few teaching systems go up to 11.
Can I use a 5 head figure for adult fashion?
For stylised art, yes, and it can be charming. For fashion design it is a poor guide, because the head and shortened legs change how every length and proportion reads. A skirt that looks like a mini on a 5 head figure may not be one on a person.
What age is a 5 head figure?
Roughly a young child. Sources differ: some put ages 2 to 5 at about 5 to 6 heads, and others put ages 4 to 6 at about 5 heads. A toddler is closer to 4 heads, and proportions move towards an adult from around age 10.
What is the difference between an 8 head and a 9 head figure?
An 8 head figure is a tidy, slightly idealised adult, often used to teach anatomy. A 9 head figure stretches mostly the legs to give the long fashion look. Torso length changes little between them.
Do technical flats use a head count?
Not directly, as flats have no head and no figure in them. But they are drawn over a realistic body, so the proportions match a real garment. Stretched fashion figures are the wrong base for them.
