Divine Proportion

**syd** · 07 July 2007, 02:24 PM

This seems like a great idea of Painter. I understand the concept, I just do not know how to apply it. The information from help and my Painter X book seems vague for me. I would appreciate some info on this one.

**Judi A** · 07 July 2007, 04:19 PM

The Divine Proportion, better known as the Golden ratio is not something invented by Painter. It is a concept dating back to ancient times.

To learn more go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio or "Google" it and you will find hundreds of "how to's"

Judi

**syd** · 07 July 2007, 04:49 PM

Thanks Judi I will. I must not have been clear, I knew Divine Proportion was not the concept of Painter, what I meant was, it was a great idea of Painter or so it seemed to me to put it in their Painter X program.

**Jinny Brown** · 07 July 2007, 05:33 PM

syd,

In case you didn't see all of the info on the Divine Proportion guide in Help Topics, look here:

Painter X Help > Help Topics > Contents tab > Welcome to Corel Painter X

Click the plus sign to the left of Welcome to Corel Painter X, then click What's New in Corel Painter?

On the right panel, at the top, click the link named "Creativity", then scroll down and read the sub section named Divine Proportion.

At the end of that sub section, click the link named "Using the Divine Proportion tool" and read all of the information in that section.

The Painter X Divine Proportion is just a guide to help us when creating a composition, and/or when cropping images or photos. The Divine Proportion guide can be applied to the entire image as a whole and to areas within the image to arrange and size elements in a pleasing manner.

Since you understand the concept, you know it's about proportions and you can make use of the Divine Proportion guide however you like.

Maybe these links will help:

Design and the Divine Proportion, by Mark Boulton

The Painter Canvas March 2007 Featured Tip: Cropping Photos Using the Divine Proportion Tool, by Heather Button

In a thread in the WetCanvas! Abstract/Contemporary Art forum earlier this year, we had a discussion on the subject and how the Painter X Divine Proportion guide applied to the artist's painting, with some demonstrations Howard allowed me to do using his painting:

Mg14

Phi (1.618033988749895...) is the basis for the Divine Proportion, also referred to as:

Golden Section
Golden Ratio
Golden Mean
... among other names applied to this ratio.

Euclid (365 BC - 300 BC), wrote about dividing a line at the 0.6180399... point and referred to it as "dividing a line in the extreme and mean ratio." From that, it's said, came the term Golden Mean.

It was first referred to as the Divine Proportion in the 1500's.

There's loads of information on the Web about this fascinating subject and no doubt many books are available in the library if you're interested in learning more.

**syd** · 08 July 2007, 04:09 PM

Thank you Jinny once again. I am so thankful to find this and all of the forums for Painter.

Funny when I was in High School I did not see the point as to what Geometry and Algebra had to do with my interests. Had someone applied it to Art I would have been a better student in Math!

**Jinny Brown** · 09 July 2007, 01:23 AM

Me too! If anyone could have made math relate to something I loved (and later they did), I might have been more willing to pay attention.

Biology was worse for me than math, though. Cutting up frogs horrified me and I managed my only F in 12 years of K through 12 education. Just out of outraged rebellion, as I recall.

Cheers!

**syd** · 09 July 2007, 03:36 PM

My Geometry teacher told me if I promised to never set foot in the Math department he would pass me. No problemlemo!

In Biology I had my ups and downs, and dissecting frogs was not great for the after lunch crowd!

**georgetroy** · 09 July 2007, 11:18 PM

Just a rule of thirds. I think the Divine Proportions are beat to death. Showing a vase, not mine but like many I do. GT

**Jinny Brown** · 10 July 2007, 05:29 AM

The Divine Proportion is more like 40%/60% than the Rule of Thirds:

Divine Proportion: .382/.618

Rounded to the nearest number: .4/.6

**georgetroy** · 11 July 2007, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by Jinny Brown

The Divine Proportion is more like 40%/60% than the Rule of Thirds:

Divine Proportion: .382/.618

Rounded to the nearest number: .4/.6

Of course you are right Jinny, but when you are making a wood product it easier for your mind to grasp 1/3 or 2/3 and even then it is mostly eyeball stuff. You just don't want 50/50 as a rule. GT