What Is the Definition of “scale” in Art?

In art, scale refers to the size ratio between everything within the image. Using a scale allows the size relationships between objects to appear real or believable.

Scale is most often used in architectural sketches, paintings, drawings and other artistic mediums. Artists create scales for drawings to correctly show the size relationship between objects. For example, an artist may decide that 1 inch is equivalent to 10 feet. Establishing this scale will guide the artist in creating every objects with respect to this scale in order to avoid objects from appearing too tall or too short. In many fields, there are standards for scale. For example, in architecture, a one-quarter-inch scale means that one-quarter inch is equal to 1 foot.