Measurements and Their Relationship to CG - An Introduction to Computer Graphics for Artists - page 56

Fig. 4.9 A human mandible seen from above

If it is “small” it is too small. If it is “average”, and the real dimension of “average”
is unknown, it could be just about anything.
The cascading effect of inaccurate dimension estimates is that each inaccurate
dimension will be compared relative to every other inaccurate dimension as
new objects are added to a scene, and their sizes adjusted to suit. This can result in
a building being far too big because a room is too big because a door is too big
because a “big” door was desired.
This also happens within objects. Most people are sensitive to certain gross
measurements, such as that the upper leg is longer than the upper arm. Without
training however, they do not ordinarily recognize that the top view contour of their
jaw is a truncated acute triangle. The angle is quite severe compared to most artist's
expectations, and is frequently distorted into either a square or circular shape (Fig. 4.9 ).
With measurements, it is best not to guess. If you have a way to check, you
should get in the habit of doing so, at least until you are familiar enough with dimen-
sions to estimate them with reasonable accuracy.

4.2.7 Fractal Measurements

In his topic Chaos , author James Gleick asks his readers to estimate the length of the
Atlantic American coastline. Like most people, your answer would probably be a
few thousand miles long. According to Gleick, this answer is both right and wrong.
The reason is that the answer assumes a minimum measurement length of 1 mile.
Gleick rightly points out that if the minimum measurement were a meter, or a foot,