Proportion refers to the relationship between visual elements. The proportion, scale, amount or degree of dominance or subordination between the visual elements can establish visual order or chaos. A relationship is created when two or more elements are put together in an image. Good proportion adds harmony, symmetry and/or balance among parts of a design as a whole.
Proportion is usually not even noticed until something is out of proportion. When the relative size of two elements being compared seems wrong or out of balance it is said to be "out of proportion". For example if a person has a head larger than their entire body, then we would say that they were out of proportion.
Here are some examples of what would be considered "Good" and "Bad" proportion:
Leonardo Da Vinci's Virtuvian Man is an example of the proportion of the human body:
For centuries human beings have been fascinated by what is called "The Divine Proportion" or "The Golden Ratio". There are several other names but all of the descriptions refer to the proportion that is mathematically described as Phi - sometime referred to as the mathematical formula for beauty.
This proportion of Phi can be found everywhere and in everything - the human body, a sea shell, a leaf, the spiral of a hurricane, the ratio of female to male bees in a hive, etc. Human beings have studied Phi and incorporated this proportion in many of the famous works of art and architecture that we are familiar with today.
