Post #6 Body Proportions

Getting body proportions right has always been something I've always found difficult (not that I've had much recent experience in drawing). It's been great learning some techniques for getting this right. Having a formula to work by is really helpful. We learned how to draw characters in proportion based on head-heights.
Body sizes can also be very important for building compelling characters. I've noticed quite a few examples where body sizes have used really well to play with audience's expectations.

For example, body sizes were used to great effect in Pixar's 2004 film 'The Incredibles'.
There is a great scene near the beginning of the film where Bob (aka Mr Incredible), a super-strong massively built superhero, is called in to his boss's office. The boss, Mr Huph, is sitting at his desk lecturing Bob before he jumps out of his seat revealing that he is very small. This sets up a interesting switch in character arc types that play with audience expectations, where generally you would expect the larger character to hold the balance of power.

Depending on whether you want to go for a more realistic look you can make you adult characters eight head heights. 

Drawing cartoon characters gives you a bit more freedom to experiment with body shapes to suit different characters. 

Film Review: Banana Bandit

This is a film I found on YouTube called Banana Bandit. Other than that, I can't find any more information on it. In general, I think this is a really good little film. It has similar traits to a Pixar short film - story told through clever cinematography and character expressions.