Recently there have been a number of articles about the shape and size of avatars and things related. Penny Patton has been on about how camera position affects our perception of size in SL for years. Now the Lab is preparing to support her altered camera position settings. Plus, she has written articles on avatar size and the effect it has on everything else in Second Life™.

This image is the work of Luc Viatour – https://Lucnix.be

I’ve written a number of articles on the same and similar subjects. Several pointing to Penny’s articles and expanding on the subjects.

• Second Life Camera Position Tips – 2011
• #SL Crusade for Good Looks – 2012
• Second Life Shape Export – 2013
• New Penny Patton Shapes Released – 2013
• Second Life Avatar Shape – 2014
• Smile Shape Tutorial – 2015

In 2012 I built a Model Shape Tool (L$50) and put it in the marketplace. I needed a proportionally correct model to compare my avatar to as I adjusted shape. So, the tool is the in-world model I use.

Model Shape Tool

Strawberry Singh has posted an article on why she uses the shapes she does after a clown was criticizing the shapes she sells. See Let’s Talk About Proportions. This is not her first on shape, size, and/or proportions. Additional links are in her article.

As you can see, this discussion has been going on for years. Strawberry doesn’t tell you why we use the proportions we do. It is blatantly obvious. There are well-defined proportions of the human form. Anything that departs from the proportions we consider a deformity. It isn’t PC but it is reality.

I’ll point out that one of the early people to mention these proportions is Leonardo Da Vinci. He didn’t create them. He noticed them and created an amazing depiction representing the relationships. Artists use it to this day.

Strawberry points out the obvious reason our arms were made the length they are. I hadn’t thought of that. But, it certainly an important reason. Also, kind of funny.