"Proportion Matters" is an important part of my working practice - an item's outer measurements following a proportional principle, with the inner features hanging off a recognised design methodology.
"Proportion Matters" is also a play on words - "Proportion Matters" in that, to me, it matters what proportions I use on my wood turned items, but also "Proportion Matters" in that I discuss matters relating to proportion.
In design such as Architecture, proportion is often important. According to Wikipedia, their definition of "Proportion (architecture)" states proportion
"... is the visual effect of the relationship of the various objects and spaces that make up a structure to one another and to the whole."
To me, this means, the relationship between the outer dimensions of an object (the relationship between the width and height, say), and how those outer dimensions are broken up into logical blocks which define the inner features.
To me, if we just design a random width and height relationship, and place features within that at random (say, the doors and windows of a house), it might look just wrong, and a second thing we design is less likely to look like a coherent set of designs when looked at as a whole.
Within wood turning, it's easy to get a wood turning blank (a roughly cut piece of wood that hasn't been turned yet), and make something that fits the size of that piece of wood. Reading and watching what other wood turners do, this seems to happen often. However, the chances are that as trees are natural structures, it's unlikely that we're going to cut out a blank that fits a particular design proportion method - and less so if we cut out another - unless we follow a set of design principles right from the start.
I have therefore chosen, and use, a set of design proportional principles right from choosing how I cut up my timber, through to designing and make my items.
The set of design proportions I use are Root Proportions - the Width is the Height multiplied by a chosen Root - say Root 2. So I can get a variety of shapes, I use mostly Root 2, 3, 5 and 7, along with some higher roots etc. occasionally.
I then split each side into either 1/3s or 1/5s, and place important design features on those breaks. For example, on a lidded box, I might place the lid 1/3 or 1/5 from the top.
To help myself design items, I've created a little Python computer code to create my own drawing paper, that creates something to a given proportion, and splits the inner area into 1/3s or 1/5s. With these, I can test out various ideas on paper with just a pen - and can print out as many copies as I like - I create my own drawing paper. When I've got a design I like, I can try it out with real wood.
To implement this set of ideas means being prepared with printed tables of dimensions so I can easily measure and convert my timber to given designs, and tables with 1/3s and 1/5s setup. Using a simple Excel spreadsheet, I can create this.
The advantage to me of all this is what I believe to be a better set of proportioned designs, that form a more coherent group of items.
Sounds difficult? It makes working harder - timber selection, turning the items - yes, but I don't mind, I believe it works for me.
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